Guilford High School - Rostrum Yearbook (Guilford, ME)

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THE ROSTRUM 71 Of course Florida has its merits, namely, being able to be out in the sun a lot. I've actually seen it rain only once since I've been in this state. I'd like to be home though, because Christmas will surely be funny without snow, but I should kick, thereis lots of fellows and some of them from good old G. H. Sf, who are out there and have far less than I have and hereis hoping weill all be able to be home next Christmas and make np for the time we had to spend getting rid of the yellow japs and Germans. WVell, Pat, must sign off. Thanks a million for the Senior Play prog1'a1n. Give all the fellas playing basketball my best wishes and wish them all the luck in the world i11 retaining that 'ichampionship crownf, and the girls too. So long for now. As ever, a G. H. S. graduate, Edwin Knowles, Class of '42, Navy :f:j:l03 Med. Dept., cfo F. P. O., New York City, N. Y. Dear Mrs. Emery: I have meant to write to you so many times and just didnit seem to get to it. Truthfully, I donit remember whether I have written to you since I have come in the Navy or not and know that the only thing I can write you will be about myself, which is a very poor thing to do I suppose, but donit mean to be all ego. Well, I had to wait quite a long time before my orders came through for sure and then when they did I reported to Chelsea, Mass., the 6th of October, l942, for duty. I was there for nine months and enjoyed it a great deal. That january I had three days off and went to my alumni banquet in Bangor and in june I was granted ten days and after spending seven of them in Bangor and Greenville I was sent a wire that my orders were in and for me to report back to my station immediately. All trains and buses had left Greenville for the day but it happened to be on a Sun- day and lots of people were going back to Bangor after having been fishing. The game and fish warden got me a ride through to Bangor that night and the next afternoon I was in Chelsea. I was detached from there the following day and my orders read for Newfoundland. Sorry that I am not able to tell you just what place. WVe had to wait about Bos- ton for nearly two weeks for transporta- tion and then Hnally we came up by a government transport plane. It only took us six hours and it was a most gor- geous day. It was about the best I have seen since I arrived. I had a most pleas- ant trip but on landing here it bothered my ears a great deal. It was over two weeks before my hearing got back to normal. I had a cold at the time I left Boston and guess that is why I had so much difficulty. All summer it was ter- ribly foggy and rainy. Old Sol did come out a few times but was on other jour- neys other than here about three-quar- ters of the time. I feel that October was our best month. VVe have very little snow and the lawn in front of the nurses' quarters looks like one in Maine in late fall. The mountain tops are laden with snow and make a gorgeous view. We didnit have any snow here till the mid- dle of December and such a small amount then. The wind is simply ter- rific. I have never experienced anything like it. I bet that you have it much cold- er right there now than we do here. I have been out on lots of picnics and cooked dinners out-of-doors, rain or shine. Sometimes we hike, other times by boat or even station wagon. I have been aboard several ships for dinner and one of the ships we had a tour through after dinner was very interest- ing. The sick bay was especially fas- cinating. There are a couple of nice officers' clubs here and there are a lot of dances and parties every week. Wlien we first came up we lived on the Army side in

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70 ' THE ROSTRUM use your education and to acquire more. In my estimation, no other branch of the service can, or does, offer what the Navy does. My friend, Phil Herring of Sanger- ville, is sleeping next to me, and he sends along word that he is fighting the heroic i'Battle of Virginian side by side with me. Letis hear from some of you back at the good old Alma mater. Harold L. jordan, S Qfc U. S. N. R., Class of 43. Laredo, Texas Dear Mac: I havenit written for a long time be- cause since Iive been in this Army all I think of is keeping out of trouble with officers and then completely forget the more important things. During the last of one school and the first of another they'll wash a fellow out and send him across for doing the least little thing wrong. If anyone tells you that Texas is a good place to live donit believe it. Either it,s cold and raining or so hot that itis uncomfortable. Right now it,s raining and Iill bet there is half an inch of mud on the barracks floor. As you know, La- redo is right on the border and 99.9976 of the population is Mexican. They speak Spanish all the time and the larg- est percentage of them don't understand a word of English. It is just like being in a foreign country. I haven't heard a dozen people speaking English on the streets since Iive been here. Even the clerks in some of the stores don't know English! I sure wish that I knew Span- ish. French is so much like it that Iim able to read many of the posters and advertisements in town. There are even shops that sell only Spanish written hooks and magazines. Laredo itself is just a small city with narrow, one-way streets and sidewalks in some places. VVherever there are side- walks they are roofed over so that the sun wonit shine on them because of the heat. 130 degrees in the shade isnit un- usually hot weather down here in the summer. I hope to 'be out of here a long time before then. The camp is so strictly run that 1,111 allowed hardly any time to myself. They keep us busy from 5:00 a. m. till 7:00 p. ln. School is from 7 a. m. to 12 and I p. in. till 5. I'm all finished for the day about 7 at night, or later. Then I have to study. Tonight live got 38 rules about plane identification to learn for a test tomorrow. I've got to get busy on them so I guess Vll close. Best wishes, john Scales. jacksonville, Florida Dear Pat: I received your letter and as you said was quite surprised, although my mother hinted that you would be writing me. Itis been over a year since I left good old C. H. S. and I have wished many times that I was back, especially since live joined the Navy. I think there's no- better place to be though if you have to be in the Armed Forces. I think of the kids back in school and keep up with all the activities with the aid of the Guilford Registeri' and the Panther,'. Of course, the thing that in- erests me most is the sports, but it all is G. H. S. and thatis of interest, too. live been lucky since I joined up, due to the fact that I've had my best pal, or one of my best, with me most of the time. Of course I mean Bill Taylor. VVe,vc been together quite a while and are in short distance now Cabout 18 milesj. so we still can get together for a good time once in a while. As for liking Florida, it's the best state Iive been in since I left, but home in Dear old Mainev still rates tops with me and always will.

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7:2 TIIE ROSTRUM one of the apa1't1nent houses, which was very nice, but the Navy has built us new quarters and we are all in love with it. It was beautifully decorated at Christ- mas. We had open house and all had a wonderful time. We are much nearer our work now, whereas before we had to have transportation to and from work and of course we were never ready all at the same time. This is my 12th letter, so will say goodnight for now and get a little shut- eye. Sincerely, Phyllis Blethen North Africa Dear Mr. Clark: lust a few lines to let you know I haven't forgotten you and good old G. H. S. I received some paper clippings and I see that the boys are doing O. K. in basketball. I hope they keep up the good work. I guess Guilford ought to take the championship again this year. It doesnit seem very long ago when I was at the games with you and all the boys. I spend a lot of my spare time thinking of you and basketball. It sure is a swell sport. Tell Mr. VVillis I was asking about him and tell him to write. By the way, howis school going this year? Itis pretty dull over here but we manage. Well, I must close now. Give my best regards to all the faculty. Kjakev fLawrence lordan, Sfcl Dear Mrs. Emery: Iust a few lines in answer of the note on the back of the Christmas card that you sent me. As you see my writing has not im- proved since you last saw it, but I hope you will be able to read it. Things are going quite smoothly since the Christmas rush is over. You see I work in the post office and we had two and a half months of steady work, but now we are back to normal again. Leave it to me to get an easy job. I keep in tap with the old town pretty well through my friends back there so you see I am pretty well up on the news back there, but that is not like being there and getting the news first- hand and seeing it happen. IVIILII kind of a basketball team is Guilford having this year? One thing sure it can't be any worse than the one we had in my senior year. Even if wc didnit win we always tried to give the opposition a good fight. Well, I guess this is it for tonight so I ivill elose now. Sincerely, Decky Littlefield, Class of ,4l. GRADUATES OF 1943 liieklord, Barbara, employed Guilford Maine. Blake, Thomas, U. S. Air Force. Brasier, Kenneth, U. S. Air Force. Callahan, Geraldine, employed, Bangor, Maine. Caron, Elaine, employed, Bangor, Me. Crabtree, XVinona, employed, Hartford Conn. Crafts, Beverly, XVheaton College, Ill. Crockett, Carolyn, employed, Hartford, Conn. Cross, Hugo, U. S. Air Force. Fitzsinunons, Elizabeth, employed, Guil- ford, Maine. Goodridge, Eleanor, employed, VVash- ington, D. C. Could, Bowdoin, U. S. Marine Corps. johnston, Lawrence, U. S. Navy. jordon, Harold, U. S. Navy. Knox, lames, employed, Guilford, Me. Loane. Ruth, at home, Guilford, Maine. Page, Thomas, at home, Abbot Maine. Parkiman, Gordon, employed, Guilford, 7 7 v Maine. Perkins, Beatrice, employed, Hartford Conn. Pride, IValdon, U. S. Navy.