Loyola University Maryland - Evergreen / Green and Gray Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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ENSIGN JOHN GANSTER Ensign Ganster’s “Wings’’ as Wai -Pilot on Land and Sea 6

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TO THE I i n Ml i i M ' If If If If If f If If If f I I If 713 ■ili ' I f IW If I 73 SACRED MEMORY OE HER MARTYRED SONS WHO DYING FOR THEIR COUNTRY GAVE TESTIMONY UNDYING OF SUPREME PATRIOTISM THIS VICTORY NUMRER OF THE LOYOLA ANNUAL IS PROUDLY, LOVINGLY DEDICATED RY ALMA MATER If If f IS s s s I s s s s s f s s If f s s s f f s s 73 If w ijlu s s s s s s 19 (j ' ul I s

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h Eu0ign 3ol)u (iauatpr M IS S UST as the Annual was going to press last year, a cable (lesi)ateh announced the death on May 18, 1918, ol Ensign John (ianster, sanctuary boy at St. Ignatius’ Church and student at Loyola High School. John had just completed his twenty-fifth year, having been born in Baltimore on Ain il 24, 1893. After tinishing his High School course, he took up the study of law and began practice with his brother, H. Walter Ganster, Jr., also a former Loyola student. His fondness for i)hysical exercise was helping to fit him for the strenuous work he was later to do for his countiT- He was a member of the Baltimore Athletic Club and was one of the relay team of four from the club which established the swimming record for 160 yards some years ago, a record which has not yet been broken. He was also a member of the water polo team that took part in the Olympic games at Stockholm, Sweden, several years before the war. Early in 1917, when it became apparent that war was inevitable with Germany, John stated that inasmuch as the Lhiited States was not in a ])osition to wage a successful war with Germany, he thought it proper that every young man should undertake some sort of military train- ing, so that when the hour came our country would be in some measure l)rei)ared for the struggle. He entered the classes in military training at the Johns Hopkins University, and after attending there for several weeks, the call came from the Navy De])artment for men to enlist for Aviation Training. On March 27th, 1917, John answered the call, and enlisted as a Pilot for Naval Aviation, and left at once for the training school at Pensa- cola, Florida, where he received his j rcliminary training, and on May 18th, 1917, as a member of the First Naval Aeronautic Detachment, he left this country and landed in France, May 28th. This Detachment was the first body of Americans to land in France. They were immedi- ately sent to Tours, where they received a month’s training on land- machines, after which thev went to Houtin Lak, for smooth water dying and hydroplanes. From there the remainder of the Detachment, some having been killed, and some having been dis([ualified for physical defects, were sent to the French School at St. Baphacl, where a ma- jority of them com])leted their training. On November 16th, 1917, John received his “Brevet de Pilote d’ Hydi-avion,” and sometime later was given the right to wear the 7