THE SQUADRON PULSE
For the
Men of
the Fightin' 3rd Published in the Philippines
Vol. 1. 12 Weekly May 20, 1945 3rd Airdrome Squadron APO 74
ANNIVERSARY JUBILEE
The remaining members of the original 3RD AIRDROME SQUADRON celebrated their
24th month overseas last week [May 17, 1945 - Ed.], with an uproarious, bang-up party.
Although a good many of the old familiar faces were missing, there was still a
large gathering of old timers, and all of them enjoyed the biggest 3rd Airdrome party since back in May of
1944 at 321. [APO 321 was in New Guinea - Ed.] But while at our First
Anniversary overseas we had cake and coffee, our 2nd Anniversary had everything: chicken, fresh vegetables, liquor & even beer!
The program opened with Captain Mitchell's reading of a commendation to our unit & others in this area, from General Whitehead. [Click to read the Letter of Commendation. - Ed.] After this excellent start, Larry Theobald sang the song that has made him (more or less) famous, "Rose of Tralee." Ducko Frye followed with some snappy
numbers on his harmonica. Lt. Bahn gave out with a heart-rending plea, "Don't Fence Me In." Nobody did.
Some other popular songsters burst
into melody, but it was hard (in our condition) to keep track of them. Shorty Long
and Moon Mullins did their part. A high point in the entertainment were a couple of numbers by Louis Scaglione, "Scag," who has been transferred out, lo,
these many months, & who came back especially to visit us on this occasion. Other
visitors were Capt. Tremblay & Lt. Carroll,
both old timers.
What
brought the house down was Capt.
Pollock's rendition of an unusual song with a lilting melody & unprintable words.
It was a killer. Capt. Anderson MC'd the
entertainment with his customary gusto &
beaux esprits. (French)
A civilian in our midst was J.T. Goodman; at least you couldn't tell him from
a civilian without a program. A colorful Panama hat, tie, and Good Conduct Ribbon
made J.T. look like a first class feather merchant. Some way during the course of
the evening, J.T. acquired the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, and
the Victory Medal.
By the time chow was served, everybody had about 4 sheets in the wind and
wasn't feeling any pain at all. After the
fried chicken, more drinks and good humor
flowed. McDonald, in a last desperate attempt to make the PULSE this week, fell
in the garbage can.
Among those who contributed in making this a celebration one long to remember
are Capt. Anderson, the Committee of Club Carabao, excellent bartenders Schmitz serving
Schlitz, Russell, Knisely, McReynolds, Goelzer, Weinstein, Hofer, James, Hutchins, Cantrell, Norton, Phipps,
Carlson, Davenport, Robles,
Ivanick & others who assisted before and after the party.
And a good time was had by all...and proof
of the veterans that we are...there were
no fights & nobody broke a damn thing.
A FOUL FOWL FOULS UP
The chickens belonged to "Obersaki,"
the sack belonged to Cheney. ["Obersaki" is probably a joke misspelling of Richard Obrasajko's last name, combining his name with the Japanese drink sake (which was always misspelled as “saki” in the newsletters). - Ed.] These were the simple, innocent ingredients which nearly turned at least two tents into a flaming Iwo Jima.
Like the Great Chicago Fire, it all
started by neglect. In this case however
it was Obrsajko who failed to keep watch
over his birds. It seemed that the chicks
were getting fed up being cooped up with
hair all day [perhaps Obrasajko was the squadron's unofficial barber? - Ed.], so they decided to take off
to greener pastures.
In a clucking rampage, they stormed
the nearest tent. Nothing could stop them....
no one dared stop them....and before
Cheney could utter a prayer, they had
mounted his bed. Like victorious warriors
they raised their banner, or rather dropped it...dropped it in big splotches all
over his bed.
A
few minutes later, Cheney was seen
in a heated rage, and with a knife in hand, scraping vigorously. It was kind
of a messy business to clean up, but Cheney's got a strong stomach. He must have...he
hasn't had jaundice yet.
After the cleanup came the Iwo Jima.....a
few hot words at first....far from
anything dignified, then Obrsajko charged
with his scissors......Cheney got a free
haircut.
THE SQUADRON PULSE
Vol 1. No. 12 May 20, 1945.
Editor ... Pfc. Stringfield
Contributing Editor ... Cpl. Calkins
Managing Editor ... Sgt. Bland
Chief Compositor
... Cpl. Drecoll
Compositor ... Cpl. Harrell
This paper may be sent home.
CAPTAIN MITCHELL COMMENDS M/Sgt DeVore for alertness & efficiency in the rescue
of crew members in recent aircraft crash.
FLASHBACKS - L.H. STRINGFIELD
A NIGHT ON THE PERIMETER
(1st Installment)
You wouldn't have given it much serious
thought perhaps had it not been that your
name was listed as one of the 12 selectees to pull perimeter guard. Now suddenly
you got serious. All the other nights you
had taken your snug sleep for granted...
not once realizing that out there in the
bleak, perilous night were your buddies
protecting you. Ah, but, now it is your
turn on the perimeter whilst the other
fellow sleeps. For a moment your mind is
undoubtedly astir with poisonous thoughts
then you promptly remind yourself, "Well, I get off tomorrow anyway," and with that
bit of encouragement, you amble off with
a half-hearted smile.
The hours pass quickly. It is now
evening and in front of the Orderly Room
the motley crew is gathering...the yardbird..the wheel, the S/Sgt and the Pvt......
Just about everybody pulls it. They
wait not with tension and foreboding.....rather it's the other way around......in
the festival of good spirits, one is as
likely to catch jovial hell for carrying
an extra garment of warmth as one is for
taking along a toothbrush. Only the carbine, helmet and the raincoat denote an
air of grimness and a dirty night ahead.
It is 0630 [probably meaning 6:30 p.m., which would be 1830 in military time - Ed.], 1st Sgt. Lindsey's face
is stern while he reads and checks off
the names.....Thomas, Kendrick, Shearer, Cecchi, Jolly, Diaz, Stuart, Willie Jo
Smith, J.T. Goodman, Launi, Majewski,
Stringfield. Everyone's present. Okay,
now for the password....it's an easy one
to remember like "Theological predestination." The password makes its rounds &
that ends the preliminaries.
The wisecracks and the goosing ends suddenly, too;
and now in soldierly sobriety, you find
yourself being led away by Lindsey at a fast pace. He is leading you over lea & dale and into the valley of creeping
things....but of course you fear no evil
for it is yet light [sunset being 6:18 p.m., so it is not yet completely dark - Ed.] and with you is that trusty ole carbine.
The first stop is at Post #1. Here,
Lindsey ditches three men. Similarly, you
stop at Post #2 and #3 and more men are
dispensed with. This leaves only...Launi, Majewski
and myself, with only one place
to go...Post #4. As we approach this
bulwark, we see nothing more than a hard
sand knoll fringed with stubble & high
brush. "This is it men,"
says WWL [Woodrow W. Lindsey, the first sergeant - Ed.]. "This
is where Grether got the Jap & out there
is Deadman's Gulley," then he chuckles
devilishly and strides away.
Night envelopes the "Gulley" in short
time, but we pay little heed. Once away
from the maddening crowd & where the air
is hush and lush, you start to think....
of the past and the future. Then you pick
conversation...Rotation, Dumbarton Oaks,
Okinawa. But, as the minutes flit by,
the want of food becomes strong and the
ants are crawling like lice.
Fortunately, we look[ed] ahead & brought
peanuts. They hit the spot but aren't at
all advisable unless you bring at least 3
canteens of water. The swarms of ants, however, are not to be outdone,
so we just
give up and let 'em bite. What the hell,
we expected it rough in first place.
(CONTINUED NEXT WEEK)
MY DAZE BY R.V. Calkins
THE PULSE!
Every once in a while the PULSE comes
out. Usually it is dated a couple weeks
ago and occasionally its news is slightly exaggerated, not to say libelous, but
anyhow the PULSE comes out and its circulation is terrific.
(Plug.)
Looking at a copy of this paper, you
would say probably that in two or three
evenings of horsing around, it could be
turned out with no bother to anybody. Unfortunately, if you would say that, you
are crazy as hell.
Leave us drop in for few moments at
the Editorial Offices of the PULSE & see
how this grrrreat organization does its
work. It is Monday or possibly any other
day of the week and another copy of the
paper (dated last month) has come off the
press and is being distributed. The Editors are sitting in the Intelligence tent, staring blankly at the walls & snapping
at passing flies. Finally, the Editor says thickly, "Whatdawegot for next week?"
Nobody answers, because nobody
has the faintest notion of what goes in next
week, being in a daze. Three days
later, Cpl. Drecoll, Chief Compositor,
comes around and says, "Have you got anything to be typed for next week?" "No,"
the Editor says, "I'm going to write something right now!" "So am I!" says the Contributing Editor.
Both immediately go
down to Club Carabao and have a good talk
about what they are going to write, and
other various other topics. The following
couple of days, with much sweating, grinding and cursing, the articles are written.
They are then handed with much relief to
Drecoll and Harrell (who perform miraculous feats in deciphering what has been
written) for the typing for proper spacing.
It is now discovered that the articles do not fit in the space and have
to be torn down, rewritten, and pasted together.
The Managing Editor gathers
up the pieces and arranges 'em so they
more or less make sense. At last the job
is done! That is, all except making four
stencils, taking 'em up to 7th Service,
fighting the mimeograph machine for three
hours and stapling 'em. And so, my dears,
that is why it takes so long for the PULSE
to come out. What are ya goin' to do?
BIRTHDAYS:
Rose 28, Wooden & Hutchins
30 and Henry 31st.
NO SECONDS!!!
Fellows, let one of the cooks make a
few equally bright remarks about the
mess section, too. To begin with, how in
hell did guys like us become cooks? When I pause to think, I wonder too. So many
others, undoubtedly well qualified guys,
talk such a good job of it.
Well, it's like this. The Army doesn't
care who ruins its hash and cabbage, nor
does it matter to anyone else. After two
years it hasn't improved a bit.
When I got into the Army, I wanted to
be first AM [Air Medal, awarded for heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight - Ed.], like everyone else, because
it came close to that hundred bucks a week
what all of us made as civilians.
Then I wanted to sleep in the shade of a
plane wing. Oh? Well, I beg your pardon!
But I was picked up in the wrong
environment. Uncle Sam found me tied out
with the rest of the goats in a patch of
quaking aspen.
"Just the guy I'm looking for," says
he, looking around. "Gotta show a profit!"
So I'm a cook. Trained but still shaky.....
just ask anyone who comes thru the line with the folding garbage can and
accessories [mess kit and silverware - Ed.].
Watson dives down into the fruit cocktail and emerges with a full
U.S. Standard quart of the stuff.
But, at the crucial moment he begins
to shake. Fruit drops away. He gets more
violent. More fruit follows the first &
the dipper finally becomes light enough
so that he can tilt it over and dump a
cherry, three grapes and a half pineapple
ring right on top of your hash.
Now we come to that stuff in your cup.
Not what it's cracked up to be. Coffee in
technicolor is hard on the eyes, especially after getting fuzzed up on Aurora's
tiger tea at two pesos a shot. I have no
remedy for that, fellas, just keep adding
milk till you get a color you like.
Mauve is a soft shade. Comes after magenta.
No seconds!! Yep, we have faults. I
know it. Yeah yeah. Sure. Know you're
hungry, too, or you wouldn't come to look
at the menu and call us names. Won't attempt an explanation. Can't assuage
man's hunger with words. Any time you
like, just come in and see what we have
besides rows of carrots, vegetable hash
and silver beet tops. Or better still,
apply for my job. And now I'd better bow
and scrape and scram.
Watson
SPORTS ROUNDUP....by Fessenden
THUMBNAIL SKETCHES
Beginning Thumbnail Sketches of 3rd
Airdrome Athletes with John Stouch.
This versatile Lancaster, Pa. athlete
was a four-letter man at Franklin and Marshall......
started playing American
Legion Junior League baseball at 13.....
during his Senior year at Lancaster H.S. [McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania - Ed.]
amassed 196 points during the basketball
season to set a conference record...after
high school played minor league baseball
with Eastern Shore League, also some
Class B ball with Lancaster in the Interstate League....
postwar plans include a career in baseball.
[According to LancasterHistory.org: “He played minor league baseball for five years upon his return. He retired in 1970 from a career as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.” - Ed.]
BASKETBALL
SECOND LEAGUE VICTORY
Up to Saturday night May 19, the 6th
Rangers, Co. A, basketball team had never
even heard of the 3rd Airdrome. The 3rd
hadn't played a game yet in the league,
although they were credited with a game
by forfeit, and the Rangers had a formidable record of one loss in twenty starts. When the game ended they had two losses.
The score:
22-19.
The decisive factors in the 3rd's win
was the real teamwork on the part of the
whole team, and the exceptional ball handling by Fowler and Brown. Fowler was the
only man who equaled the height of the
big Rangers, but what the rest of the
team lacked in height they made up in
fight.
The game was tied up throughout most
of the first 2 quarters, but the Rangers
held a 11-8 lead at the end of the half.
The 3rd's team, characterized by always
playing a better second half than first,
poured on the coal in the last two quarters and held four-point margin most of
the time. Cathcart sacrificed a left foot
to the backboard supports to sink a basket in the third quarter.
Previous to this game, the Rangers had
been beaten only by 6th Army.
Stouch, f
Fowler, f
Cummings, c
Brown, g
Cathcart, g
Brentano, f
Bland, g |
G
2
3
1
2
3
0
0 |
F
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 |
P
4
6
2
4
6
0
0 |
THIRD WINS THIRD
Mon., May 21 the squadron basketball team
won another "A" league game by the
much too close for comfort score of 26-25, beating the 4072nd QM. The game was
closely contended throughout and, as in
previous games, the "Fightin' 3rd" was
forced to come from behind in order to
remain in the ranks of the undefeated.
The QM boys wasted no time when the
opening whistle sounded, for they immediately began popping a few and at the end
of the first quarter led 9-5. The halftime mark also showed them to be on top
11-8. This lead was short lived, for as
play was resumed Stouch, Fowler and Brentano found just enough time to rack up
12 big points among them, while holding
their opponents to half that number, making it 20-17 at the three-quarter mark.
The final 8 minutes were packed with
close playing on both sides, the score
being tied twice during this time. With
but 31 seconds of play remaining, the 3rd led 26-23; with but 30 seconds left, the
lead was cut to one point. The rest of
the game was spent with Big Bill Fowler
doing a fine job of freezing the ball,
much to the discomfort of the QM boys.
"Big Bill" was the high man for the
evening with 7 points to his credit.
Brentano, f
Fowler, f
Cummings, c
Stouch, g
Bland, g |
G
1
3
3
3
2 |
F
1
1
0
0
0 |
P
3
7
6
6
4 |
BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
| Saturday, May 26 |
|
870th Engrs |
| Thursday, May 31 |
|
8th Ftr Cont Sq |
| Monday, June 4 |
|
874th Engrs |
SOFTBALL
RAIN HALTS ONLY GAME
No league softball games were played
this week. A game with the 870th Engrs, who lost 2-1 to the 3rd last week, was
called in the fifth inning with the
score at 1-all because of rain.
SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
| Monday, May 21 |
|
2025th
QM Trk Co |
| Tuesday, May 22 |
|
Hq Sq, 7th ASG |
| Thursday, May 24 |
|
1837th Ord S&M Co |
| Friday, May 25 |
|
479th ASS |
| Monday, May 28 |
|
1006th Sig Co |
|
|
