Page 114 - Mastheads Aug-Dec 1944

PAGE4 THE MASTHEAD, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1944

New Pre-Embarkation

Chaplain Tells of Days
In Fox-Hole Built for Six

Thirteen men in a Japanese fox-
hole built for six-10 days of exist-
ence in a rat-ridden, jungle damp-
ened hole while mortar shells ex-
ploded around and tracer bullets
swished over the ground ,like fly
spray . . _.
One of those 13 men, Lt. James
A. Alley, Navy chaplain from
Alma, Mich., is now stationed on
Treasure Island. Lt. Alley wears
two ribbons with three stars today.
One is the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon
with stars for the battles of Bis-
mark archipelago and New Guinea.
The other ribbon is the presidential
unit citation awarded the 40th
Naval Construction battalion to
which he was attached. The star is CHUTED LIFEBOAT BOON TO SEA RESCUES
for that vicious battle of the Ad- * *
miralties- Los Negros Island. SEA-WRECKED YANK SEAMEN and fliers now have a better attached t.o bomber. In upper right photo, lifeboat is released. Lower
It was there that the heroic Sea- chance of survival, due to new rescl!e technique which parachutes fu .ly- photo shows boat in water, with chute spread about. The new lifeboat
bees threw down their picks and equipped lifeboat from bomber. Upper left photo shows boat being was recently demonstrated near here.
shovels and picked up their rifles
to join an Army outfit in beating Safety of Sea-Wrecked
off Japanese attacks that threat-
ened to wipe out the Americans Yanks looms With ·
and their precarious footing on the
beach. Advent of New lifeboat
Sea-wrecked American seamen
and fliers today have a new chance
at life- a chance given them by the
Air Technical Service Command's
personnel equipment laboratory at
Wright Field, Ohio, whose techni-
cians have perfected a sp!')ctacular
rescue technique lifeboat from a
speeding bomber.
The operation of the new air-sea
rescue method was revealed in a
series of Army demonstrations on
San Francisco Bay, not so far from
Treasure Island.
Built in New Orleans
Captain ,varing L. Dawbarn,
project engineer at the laboratory
began development of the airborne gling ship-wrecked men. aft filled automatically with carbon boat to care for sick and wounded
lifeboat eight months ago, and it The resuce plane crew, on spot- dioxide the boat rights itself as it and act as coxswain, releasing the
"Our Seabees were supposed to is now being produced · in quantity ting men in the water, marks their strikes the water, and the heavy boat's parachutes, starting its
go in there and fix up an airstrip by the Higgins Industries in New position with instructions for parachutes. act as a sea anchor, motors and picking up the men ..
but when we arrived we found we Orleans. reaching safety, on a map to be holding the boat stationary. Con- Power on the boat is furnished
had to fight first to get the air- The 27-foot, 2,800 pound boat is placed in the boat, and then tact with water causes a chemical by two five-horsepower engines,
strip." fitted under the bomb bay doors "bombs." the men with the boat, battery to discharge life line one of which has a :fresh water
"Nights were the worst," the 27- of a B-17 bomber and carries a from about 1,500 feet, parachuting rockets which enable injured to pull still producing a gallon of drink-
year-old Yale divinity student said. cluster of three parachutes auto- it close to them. themselves to the boat. ing water for every gallon of fuel.
"The Japs were constantly trying matically opened when the boat is Chutes As Anchors ·, A surgical technician, one of the The still also serves as a heating
to infiltrate our lines so the orders released over injured and strug- With buoyant chambers fore and rescue crew, parachutes after the and cooking unit .
were to stay in your foxhole or get
shot." curtain with his fine exhibition on
"Scared? Certainly we were the rings,
scared. Any man under those condi- rPiiiONAi:11iis 1,; ;,;·,;1w;-1 Additional Sports Two slugging featherweights,
tions would be." Sam Reed and Georgie Sandiford,
"What do men in battle need ·.. · .. · · .. · .... · .. ·.. · .. · ·.... El Cerrito Recreation opened the night's boxing card.
_ most to cheer them up and main- "Song-Bird" City a vote of thanks for sending Sandiford, aggressor of the two,
tain morale? I can tell you that it The Wave in the picture is red- "Pat" along to Treasure Island. If Play Host to T I was little more accurate of the two
is not an organized prayer meeting, haired Patricia Younkin, MaM3c, her first seven months here are any • ~ with his blows, nabbing the deci-
although everybody prays and it whose home was Kansas City, Mo. indication, the future should hold Belters and Gymnasts sion after a free-swinging, three-
helps. What they want more than until last February when she joined nothing but good for her. round session.
anything is more and more Ameri- the Waves. A truck load of Treasure Island "Easy" Acey Smith's coast down
can planes overhead with their "Pat" was a teletype operator in *** entertainment marked T.N.T. (Ter- hill was a little too long, ·allowing
guns thundering." civilian life and supposed that she Sitting on a gasoline can ex- rific "N" Talented) made its first the slow starting Joe Perez to
Chaplain Alley is tremendously would be given similar duty after ploded by a Jap artillery shell and final stop at the steps of the catch and pass him in a stretch
proud of his . fighting Sea bee unit. going to work for which hit near him and threw him El Cerrito Defense Recreation drive to the finish line, losing the
His experiences, he says, have been Uncle Sam. Just to several feet away was the "closest Club, unloading its cargo of pugi- verdict to the in-fighting specialist.
of great value to him in his new prove that the Navy call" he had while on Saipan, ac- lists and gymnasts to the delight Smith showed definite signs of be-
work here on Treasure Island. is still the most un- cording to Marine Private First of a capacity crowded gym, Wed- ing slowed up by the steady pound-
"The boys just going out like to predictable of all un- Class George D. Harris, 20, of nesday, November 15. ing he received in the midrift by
talk with someone who has been predictable things, Weiser, Idaho. Harry Green, host and popular Perez. Weights were 147.
through the mill." she now carries in- He has been returned here for recreational advisor, was overboard Diminutive Joe Sworek, skillful
He says that only a f.ew are stead of a telegraph- in his praise of the show put on little fistic warrior, ran into a very
treatment of hand injuries suffered
frightened at the prospects ahead. er's rate, that of from shell fragments. by the Treasure Island athletic determined obstacle in Tony Fer-
The majority of men are just plain MaM3c. specialists. rari and only his crafty ring knowl-
curious, he claims. The "MaM" rate refers to mail- "I was sitting on a can of gaso- Genial Jim Collier and George edge helped him in gaining a draw
man (female in this case) and line in a jeep in which we were Davis, husky Judo masters, gave with the stocky Armed Guardsman.
when passing through the post of- evacuating wounded from the front instructive knowledge on the art Sworek appeared a little on the
Industrial Shops fice you will recognize her smile at when the Japs of self preservation. Trampoline heavy side, and the loss of a few
started shelling the
the money-order window, where she men, Eric Foster, Ronnie Easter, pounds should help speed his
The Industrial Department is engages in the business of making trail we were on," he Bill Lawson, and Jimmy Lundberg, punching.
very proud of one of its most pop- out money-orders and selling said. "We had just were their usual colorful selves on Harry Bond, who is no relation
ular young officers. This week Lt. stamps. stopped to get out of their pet event, while Bill Schultze to War Bond, rang ,finish to the
Frederick S. Allen- became Lt. The title "Song-bird" is appro- the jeep to take went through a series of hand cuff card, pounding out a hectic
Commander. Lt. Commander Allen priate, for "Pat" owns a sweet so- cover when one of springs, spins and back flips in three-round decision over Ray
is Production Officer of the Indus- prano voice which has found her a the shells landed tumbling. Hand balancing special- Thomas.
trial Department, a very difficult spot of her own in Treasure Island only a few yards in ists John Payne and little Bob
and exacting job which he performs musical activities. The Chapel front of us. Weller did feats of hand to hand
in such a manner as to more than Choir, the Wave Singers and many "The force of the explosion work, while Fred Kiefer, "the fly-
deserve his promotion. Everyone a Navy show have been grateful threw me out of the jeep, and it ing dutchman," brought down the This Week's
wishes him the best of luck and for her help and talents. She loves was fortunate that it did for the
knows that the type of effort he to bowl almost as well as to sing, can of gasoline I was sitting on Peppy Slogan
puts forth can only result in further. although about the first she says was hit by shell fragments and ex- tion stored in the rear of the cave.
reward for him in the future. she really is "not very good," and ploded, starting a fire. I was hit by The Idaho Marine is also a vet- London (CNS) - Robert Ley,
about the latter, that of all places shell fragments in the arm, but I eran of the Marshall Islands cam- Nazi Labor Front leader, has a
feel plenty lucky it wasn't worse." paign. new home front slogan for the
Recruit (timidly approaching to sing . she "finds the shower the
· gal) : "Pardon me miss, but you best." Evidence that the music i~ Private First Class Harris said A son of Mrs. Petra Harris, of Germans, according to a broadcast
look ij_ke Helen Black." good ill shown that she is still alive he saw Marines iorce more than 421 East Main Street, Weiser, Pri- picked up here. The slogan: "Hold
Miss: "Yes, I know, but I look and healthy. 100 Japs out of one cave when ma- vate First Class Harris enlisted in Tight! Hold Tight! And once again,
worse in white." The Navy really owes Kansas chine gun fire set off Jap ammuni- January, 1943. ' Hold Tight!"