Christopher Columbus High School - Anchor Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

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The downheat ol the rain is heavyt it is a lamiliar sound, hut of what? l listen intently to the heat, as it seems to luring haclc memories. The craclc ot light- ning followed hy the thump of thunder sounds like an echol Yes . . . an echo of Franlcs downheat on his drumsl How he loved his clrumsl uit is exactly as he would play themf' l thought. and l am grateful for such a perlect effect. For a short while my thoughts paused. l made a general survey oi the wet street in lront ol my house. l spotted a small puddle. and l stared at it, hut not at length. l rulmlaed my eyes, and again noticed that same puddle. Studying it lurlher, l noticed the most beautiful rainhow anxiously cutting its way through the ripples of the water. This had a decisive significance. lvly thoughts snapped immediately to Franlciel Cannot this rainhow, cutting through the small ripples, he his Hixflighty A tU.S.S. Allentown, cutting its way through the giant Waves ol the Pacific? l gazed further: the trees frowned. Soon a strong wind hlew their arms about wildly. l gazed awlcwardly at the sight! Heavier winds and gales tossed and uprooted young trees. It was a deadly sightl i lwly thoughts paused .... But l lcnew such storms do not last very longi So it is in every phase ol lilel Storms come and got l smiled as l rose from my chair. l was always taught to hear in mind that if we want the rainhow, we must have the rainl Vvith that in mind, l was assured that my hrothers would soon hring haclc a glorious and victorious rainhow, after this heavy glohal storm comes to an end. RITA NACLERIO MATURITY Vvhen youthful lxlay with scented hand Hath closed the tearlul eyes of April, And graced the viridescent land, I all alone emlmracc the world. And dream with dainty, throhhing spring, Lilce as the sun at morn awaiting, Of radiant summers that each year bring Their shimm'ring wealth of gilded hours. fl 2 If spring he silver then summer's true gold. Apollo wreathed in purer joys Ol poignant whisp'rings yet untold. X-g, For time hath muted every voice That lain would tell to youthful spring V Of fuller treasure summers hring. ESTELLE GOLDBERG My . -' Ti -: .: i : ' Q . . .f- .... - s .- .- '. , -ru... . K-xxx

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THE RAIN AND I Three years ago today it aIso rainedI OnIy three years back, yet so far much more in thoughtI VVhiIe sitting at the window, gazing into the nowhere, I recaII vivid, unforgettable moments, when two of the finest men Ieft to the caII of the coIors. Despite the meIanchoIic atmosphere and the I1eaviIy Iaden skies, an imaginary rainbow smiIed before me. My eyes dampened as it seemed to say, uVVhy are you sad? I was motionIess. The tears were uncontroIIabIe, for today was different. . . . wrhere is something in them bothf, I thought, uthat is different .... No need worrying .... America is made of men IiIce themf' Yes. aII these things the rain seemed to whisper soothingIy as its beads hit against my window pane. My thoughts Iightened to some three years ago. . . IVIother is sitting in the dean,s office at the I'Iaaren Aviation High SchooI waiting for Gabe to come down and straighten things out with his history instructor. How ashamed he isI UNothing matters but airpIanes, he says abruptIy. and much to mother's em- barrassment, Hand nothing in the worId will make me change my mind, eitherI . . . besides . . . what do I care about Louis XIV and NapoIeon III? He is home now, compIeteIy humiIiatecI. Mother is Iecturing him about his attitude towards schooI. She is irritated to find bits of baIsa wood and razor bIac,Ies beside spiIt gIue and scraps of paper careIessIy strewn on the windowsiII of his room. I can see him now . . . his taII, Iean body seated at his home-made worIc tabIe . . . in the midst of a piIe of refuse. I can hear him. too, asking IVIom to maIce me Ieave him aIone, and besides . . . UVVhat do girIs Icnow about airpIanes? He is heiping me with my homework now. In fact. he is drawing up his own assigned Cash iIournaI at the same time. UI couId eat this stufif' he says. HIt's in me, just IiIce airpIanes.n He has cIosed his Ioooics now, and I see him curIed up in the huge chair next to the oId radio. He appears to be resting. He Ioves his music, indeecII He is Iis- tening to his favorite evening concert .... FaItering, doIeIuI sounds can be heard in the househoId. He becomes conscious of the origin of these sounds, and cIicIis off the radio diaI. He hears sisterys oI:I-Icey rendition of his favorite compositions. Nothing in the worIcI annoys him more than that. He is asIeep, despite the bang- ing open oi the back door .... In march a group of noisy teen-aged boys. each cIad in a dusty basebaII uni- Iorm. with their cIub name. Hcoronets, A.C.,' brigI1tIy dispIayed across their chests. Each has something very distinct about him. But I couId see, Ioest of aII, the weII uphoIstered, husicy body of our hero, Frankie. weighted down with basebaII equip- ment. He settIes his burden in the haIIway, and with his usuaI UI'Ii.H he greets his best girI, IVIom. He is stretching with fatigue now. What sweII times Dad and I had at the basebaII diamond in the ParIcI How the boys used to pIayI How we cheered our heroI ZZ

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LETTERS FRCM ALUMNI January 26, 1945 Qur Squadron had a ringside seat at the Lingayen invasionl We were the first Naval Force to enter the South China Sea since the war began, and furnished air support for the troops hefore, during, and after the loig landing. We homlaed such things as hridges, locomotives, enemy loarges, munitions dumps, gun em- placements. and led a successful attaclc against two Japanese destroyers. The great- est thrill, though, was watching enemy planes attaclc us. then to go hurning into the sea. It was more or less one sided, though, as we had a large force including hattleships, carriers, transports, and destroyers. Guru ship came through without a single casualtyl As a reward. we were sent to this friendly island for rest, and loads of waiting mail. live gone ashore once since coming here, hut these islands aren't quite as nice as they are in the movies. Peace time perhaps, lout when we went ashore. it was just four hotties of heer per man, swimming, chasing coconuts, and freedom to explore the island. You may Call it educational, hut heclc. if that's education, l want no part of it. Just give me the noise and excitement. the rain and the snow of New Yorlc anytimel FRANK FISCELLA 588th Bomb Group Officers' Club, A. P. O. 559 U. S. Army First of all we had lmy crew and ll a crash landing in Belgium due to heavy hattle damage upon the plane, caused hy enemy llalc. Three of our engines were out and we really had a hell of a time lceeping the plane together and finally crashed in Belgium. tvve got our homlns on the target on time and with good results., rl-hat's the reason l'm here with my crew now. After the war l'll have plenty to tell you ahout Comloat lAirl England, Belgium and France. This place l'm at is really the nuts. sleep as late as you lilie. eat all you want fand the food is really excellentl, horseluaclc riding and hunting at our convenience. All sorts of sports: in fact everything our heart desires is right here. This is a large English estate with a beautiful mansion: only 50 of us are here and it's very cozy. l'm really surprised at the way the Army Air Force goes out of its way to give us a good time at these rest homes. l could spend the rest of the war right at this mansion and even a few years more. SAM Bumsrx Z4