Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery - Dental Columbian Yearbook (New York, NY)

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D day came on a peaceful Monday morn- ing. We were each assigned to a combat unit on the firing line with orders to secure as a primary objective two ridges. We shoved off at 1000 — the flower of American youth, the Young Lions, each with his flame thrower and K(err) ration, and a heart full of courage — ready to meet the enemy. Our first day ' s cas- ualties were enormous — 35 c c burns, 15% compound fractures and other wounds, and 50 ' , shell shock. Most of us made it to Maxillary Ridge, but Mandibular Ridge proved to be insurmountable. The enemy threw all sorts of obstacles in our path, the most efficient of which was a secret weapon known as Tongue. We had never before en- countered such a contraption. In training its very existence was ignored. But here in the field, twisting and turning, constantly keep- ing us off balance, this remote controlled de- vice acted as if it had a brain of its own. We retreated in utter confusion. Then, before we could catch our breath, we met the enemy at DE Junction. They were entrenched in nice even rows of shiny white pill boxes which had to be stormed, cleaned out, and finally sealed so that they couldn ' t return. Here the results were different. Except for a couple of ex- posures and some minor lacerations, we man- aged to dig in. The enemy was temporarily stopped. So went the bloody year 1950-51 — many skirmishes, some major engagements, vic- tories and defeats, attacks and retreats, and, what started out as a motley crew of raw in- experienced recruits now emerged as — a mot- ley crew of tired, raw inexperienced recruits. Part IV The senior year can probably best be de- scribed as the Battle of the Finishing Line. The first few months were marked by intense hand to hand combat-Commando tactics. Armed with Merrifield knives, our boys cut deep into the foe ' s lines, at times completely halting their mobile units. Then it happened. They posted a general order which read as follows: ' ' Those men successfully completing the required number of points will receive a discharge. Since there are four kinds of dis- charge (purulent, serous, dishonorable, and honorable) we weren ' t quite sure which one they meant. However, the dictionary said any discharge was the escape of pent up material accumulated energy or explosive, so that was good enough for us. We wanted to be civilians again, back with our families and loved ones whom we hadn ' t seen nor spoken to for so many lonely months. Now we had a goal to fight for. And so, with our banner bearing the inscription Sem- per Finagles flying before us, we set out to get the points. The pace was terrific, the noise deafening — discs discing, saliva ejectors ejecting, the rat-tat-tatting of the Hollenbecks, the angry rumble of the centrifugal caster as it shot forth its molten contents, the screams of the wounded as the cartridges of burning Moyco found their mark. Then — all quiet on the Western Front. The battle was over. And as we wearily trudged the road back and saw the eager young faces of those who were to take our place, we couldn ' t help but realize that we had come through it after all. We had fought and won. We had helped make the world safe for dentistry. Monroe and Richard Gliedman 28

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Class History •FROM HERE TO ETERNITY A NOVEL IN FOUR PARTS Part I This is a war story, the story of a platoon — thirty men thrown together by chance from all four corners of the globe, a story that strips bare the emotions of man. It all began on a quiet September morning in 1948 when we reported for duty on the seventh floor of the Vanderbilt Clinic wing. After filling out the usual pile of forms we reported to the supply sergeant and were is- sued our kits — each kit containing the basic essentials for survival — a vise, root canal files, one empty bottle, and a nail brush. From there we proceeded to the briefing room where General Ike gave us a few words of encourage- ment: Boys, D(entistry) day isn ' t far off. You are now entering a period of intensive basic training. From here on you will eat, sleep and breathe dentistry. You all have been carefully selected for this mission. Good luck and good hunting. As we marched out of the room we were all tense with emotion. Did we have what it takes? Would we falter under fire? Only time would tell. As we passed by upperclassmen, we couldn ' t help but admire those combat-seasoned veterans, old for their years with that quiet look of courage about their eyes. They knew what it was like up front — in the clinic. So we began our year of training — Anat- omy, Histology, Physiology. They called them the basic sciences. We learned how to take apart a kymograph blindfolded. Intensive study of maps was undertaken in Neuro- anatomy. We were able to locate the vital centers in the dark. We learned amphibious tactics in Embrvology, and secret weapons like salamanders with feet grow ing out of their heads. Poisonous gases were manufactured in Biochemistry, and in Anatomy we became adept at handling a knife. Our first tactical problem came at the end of the year with Dental Anatomy. Part II Our year of Basic was over, and we moved on to advanced training. It ' s true that we were still in a rear area, but we were near enough to the front to hear the distant rumble of gums. And they used live ammunition too. In short, the sophomore year was one big obstacle course — typodonts, full dentures, jigs, Phar- macology, Pathology, amalgam dies, plaster teeth, bite blocks and more bite blocks. We were introduced to two new weapons — the hand piece and the flame thrower, and also to the concepts of bacteriological warfare. At the end of the sophomore year we were moved up to the Repo Depo. The High Command de- cided to give us our first taste of blood. And that they did. Our job consisted of cleaning out small pockets of resistance in a brief en- counter known as the Battle of Alveolar Ridge. Part III The beginning of the junior year found us still in the replacement depot. For a while we were in the quartermaster ' s section learn- ing the problems of commissary and clothing — biscuit baking and jacket manufacturing. Then they shipped us to the engineers where we were taught the elements of long span an- terior bridge construction and rubber dam technique. Then a couple of weeks of pre- comhat training — plaster impressions, and we were readv for action. 27

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Stephen R. Berger Tis said Dynamite comes in small pack- ages. In the case of Steve one might better visualize a force with calm but sleady action, no evidence of a sputtering fuse or loud ex- plosion. Things just get done, that ' s all. Steve erupted from Queens College with his B.S. in Biology and during the war served in the U.S. Army, climbing Italian mountains with the Medical Corps. Fated to be mated he hit the road to matrimony about a year ago and appears to enjoy the trip more all the time. Her name is Phoebe. Veep of our Junior Class. Steve is also a member of Alpha Omega and onetime contributor to the lately defunct Dental Abstracts. As to the summertime. Steve employed as a nature counsellor in a children ' s camp has this to say, Mutually educating. For the near future the target seems to be an associateship or a hospital position. « Carmine A. Carucci Those barbs of penetrating wit radiating from Carm ' s bench never fail to produce a chuckle, not to mention a good story on any subject at any time. Hard working Carm is frequently one of the last men to leave the lab at night. Those who examine his work always say very nice and mean it. War- time service with the Navy in and around South America disrupted Carm ' s education at St. John ' s University and after the war he obtained his B.S. at Dickinson College. His wife, Theresa, gave birth to a daughter, Siena, during our freshman year: consequently. Carm ' s been a proud daddy ever since. Carm claims his summer vacations are spent in relaxation. No hesitation regarding future plans — private practice.