Portland High School - Tifoon Yearbook (Portland, IN)

Page 22 text:

SENIORS Lucy Schubert CLuccb Aim: Defense worker James Sipe CJ. PJ Aim: 2nd Lieut. Army Air Force Lowell Smith Aim: Farmer Opal Smith tOpeJ Aim: Airline Hostess David Smithson Aim: Scientific farmer Mary Ann Stafford CAnnieD Aim: Society editor Francis Stults CSaltyD Aim: Buck Private U. S. M. C. Wilma Stults Sorry you left us . . . Lelia Sutton Aim: House wife Mary Trobridge Aim: Civil Service James Valentine COssJ Aim: Marine Virgil Valentine, Jr., CVirgJ Aim: Buck Private U.S.M.C. Shirley Walmer Aim: Musician Robert Wherry CBobJ Aim: Sailor Madonna Whitacre Aim: Marriage Mary K. Whitacre Aim: Homemaker Wanda Whitacre Aim: Defense worker Janell Wilkinson iNe1lieJ Aim: Defense Worker NOT PICTURED: Joe Fox Aim: U. S. Navy

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SENIORS Lloyd McLaughlin Aim: Airplane Mechanic Lowell McLaughlin Aim: Airplane Mechanic Olen McLaughlin Aim: Chemist Betty McNutt Aim: Secretary Thelma Miller Moved to Ft. Wayne . . . Homer Money Aim: Air Corps Jack Moody Aim: U. S. N. Ensign William Morgan fBud7 Aim: U. S. N. Air Corps Ethelyn Norris Aim: Junior Typist Marian Pensinger Aim: Bookkeeper Mable Jean Platt Aim: Stenographer Joe Powell Aim: U. S. Navy Lois Ramsey Aim: Stenographer Helen Rash Aim: Musician Patricia Richer CPatb Aim: College Grad Georgia Rivers Aim: Beauty operator Almeda Rosa Aim: Cadet Nurse Elsie Sanders Aim: Powers model

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SCHCOL YEAR 1943-1944 The events of the school year 1943-44 will long be remembered, for it is a his- tory-making year, one which will cause history students many headaches when they study it years from now. In March of this the third year of the war, General Mark Clark's 5th Army and General Montgomeryis 8th Army are mak- ing a slow but steady progress up through Italy toward the German frontier. Night and day, American and R.A.F. bombers by the hundreds fly over German-occupied Europe to bomb Hitler's inner fortress to soften it up for the coming west coast invasion. Thousands of men, how many we do not know, are being amassed in England, poised and tense, for this inva- sion. In the Pacific area, under General MacArthur, Admiral Halsey, and Admiral Nimitz, our boys are-island by island- driving the Nipponese back toward their shores. In India, China, Africa, Australia, throughout the entire world, Americans are stationed to defend democracy. Every- one fervently hopes and prays that by this time next year the Allies will have achieved the unconditional surrender of the Axis. We live in one of the few lands re- maining today where school goes on al- most as usual. True-the ranks of the eighteen year olds, thinned by drafting and enlistments and the return on fur- loughs of former classmates now in ser- vice, toughened and older looking, bring the seriousness of our times a bit closer to us, but class room work was undis- turbed by the roar of enemy bombers, and social life and school sports were only slightly hampered by the minor incon- veniences of rationing. The kids had the usual silly fads. With the weather at its coldest crew haircuts were numerous. tSuffer for beauty's sake, boyslj The girls, trying to look like i'Mademoiselle, wrapped wide bands of ribbon around their heads, and instead gave a good impersonation of Minnie Ha Cha. Loafers were the popular style of shoes, but as long as they had soles and stayed together anything was in style. Big heavy sweaters, called ski sweaters, with deer, stars or any unrecognizable design were popular among both boys and girls. The boys on the football team turned out in overall jackets with their own particular number and names writ- ten all over them. Under this gaudy exterior. the attitude of students as a whole assumed a more serious tone. After school and on Satur- days, in grocery stores, soda fountains, dime stores, and offices, students helped to relieve the man-power shortage. Last summer many students worked at local factories and are planning to do the same this year. More and more fellows enrolled in mathematics and science subjects, realiz- ing the future value of such preparation. Instead of writing for college bulletins, boys were devouring information on va- rious branches of the services. Some of the boys in our class were drafted before the school term was finished and most of the others will go soon after school is over. Already boys that went to school with us just three years, two years, and even one year ago are seeing ac- tion on the far-flung battle fronts of the war. Some of these boys won't co.me back. It is anything but a bright future that the Seniors of '44 face, moreover, they realize that a great task lies ahead of them, not only the winning of the War, but that greater task of picking up the fragments left after the fighting is over and piecing them together into a solid foundation for international collaboration and a true last- ing peace. 19