Northwestern University Naval ROTC - Purple Salvo Yearbook (Evanston, IL)

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KENNETH CHARLES TIMOTHY SNYDER Look at that name! The Greeks must have had one word for him but we aren't Greeks. Our description proceeds as follows: six feet two inches long, a head, two feet, a couple pounds of meat, four or five dozen teeth Cking sizei, seven or eight ounces of blood, one or two morals, no inhibitions and a pzul. K.C. came to the navy after a sentence in the Coast Guard. His days as a Hooligan are ones he would like to forget. As M.C. at the navy Happy Hours, K.C. amused his Phi Psi brothers. entertained his comrades, and tortured the officers. Snydcr's comments on the probable past occupa- tions ancl likely future dispositions ol' all otlicers connected with this unit made every officer present uince. Doughty leader of those characters from house 0, K.C. supplied the motivation for the famous caterwaulling RO band. Home town Chicago and all the local bartenders will together pine the loss ol' the master of the quip when, with a gold stripe on each bony urist, he reels off to sea. RICHARD ROBERT SPEAR, JR. Boot Spear has been with us so long that the members of his company refer to him as The Admiral. With his austere pan and rigor morris walk Dick has been shaping this station into a real navy for the last 28 months. Herm Stegen first tagged him with the name Boot when Dick mentioned that he spent IG months at Great Lakes. Why, in our early navigation classes, Dick even amazed Mr. Meier with his nautical lore. Spear is another one of those knob-happy geniuses turned out by our secondary technical schools and he isn't completely happy unless he can have every piece of electrical equip- ment in the house, plus the warning buzzer, hooked up to one control panel. As a. devoted observer of all station regs, Dick rules his company with an iron fist. a booming voice, and a ream of demerit slips. Lake Bluff, Ill. is the site of Dick's present and future home. He is also going to make it the site of his own personal boot camp after he starts his own personal navy. I-IERMAN CHRISTIAN STEG EN Herm Stegen's fog-horn voice was most frequently heard misquoting the daily announcements to the members of the second battalion. Born and raised in Peru, Ill. Herm makes it his personal responsibility to sing the praises of his beloved LaSalle- Peru high school to any and all who will submit. He admits that the school has gonc to seed since he left and predicts a similar future for N.U. After his departure from high school, Herman the German,tried digging ditches for ii while. Finding the work not strenuous enough for him he came to V-12 where a man could work up a thirst ffor knowledge, of coursej. As I-Iorrible Herman he played guard on the Wildcat football team for two years. Despite the fact that hc was a grid iron killer, he is gentle as a lamb with the young ladies, that is, both the young ladies he knows. Herm has nothing against the navy, he just thinks of marriage as a more promising peacetime occupation. HUGH BILLIE TANNER Long, lank, and lean, I-Iugh Billie casts a shadow like a toothpick, yet he tries to throw his weight around like a bar-room bouncer. As big wheel of house 10, main cog of Co. 22, and cotter-pin of the senior class, Hugh has done all right for himself. Really at his best on the basketball court, old Birdlegs did well in the intramural basketball game. The social prestige of Phi Kappa Sigma would have been devastated were it not for high and handsome Hugh. He was first noted for his rubber boots. Some of the more ir1'everent onlookers questioned as to whether Hugh was wearing the boots or the boots were using him as ia set of self propelled shoe trees. Be that it may, Lebanon, Ind. and Cupid both have a place in their heart for him. Wedding bells and big deals are the order of the day for Hugh when graduation puts gold on his sleeve instead of his mind. After due thought Hugh decided to begin his post-navy career on a job that only pays 310,000 a year. This self effacing bit ol' courtesy made one and all most happy. 26

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NELSON LOUIS ROQUES VVhen anything more French than Rocky appears, spear itg it must be a French-fried shrimp. Rocky was slid through 28 months of school without any notable adventures, embarassincnts, or misdemeanors. Whenever Nelson has occasion to speak to more than three people, there is always some discussion as to whether he has a ball of cotton in his mouth or whether he just bit the end olT his tongue. Undoubtedly one of these is the correct answer but no one knows for sure. His past history reads like a quick review of all the navy programs evel' invented. He has been in V-5, V-6, and finally in V-12. New he made the ROTC and what's more made lieutenant in the ROTC, a position somewhat analogous to ai general in the Marine Corps. The people of New Orleans have every reason in the world to be proud of their representative in the fraternity in Phi Kappa Sigma. He is dependable, quiet and industrious which means that in his present com- pany he is one rare bird. , SVEND AIGE SECHER Mr. Wilkens used to speak about Scowegiens and Svend ground his teeth. People say unkind things about Boston and Sandy spits flame. But go ahead and say something nice about the Aleutians and you will be an eyewitness to the meaning of the word beserk, complete with heartrending screams and bloodthirsty curses. Our little friend from Denmark came to us one day via Boston, Mass. Since then we have learned: people in Boston don't have blue noses, Boston harbor does not taste of teag and, Scully Square not an Irishman who cannot jitterbug. Sandy likes eolfee potent enough to remove tooth enamel, but only when there is no beer to be had. Irish in general, Cathy from Connecticut in particular, have always fascinated our little blond lover. Letter-writing was a task that kept him out of mischief during the week, but on Saturday night with Daddy Thoreson in tow he put all thoughts of pen and ink out of his head amid the peaceful surroundings of the Club S. WILLIAM BUSBY SKEATES ' Pause a moment and look at that middle name again. Now ain't that the limit? However Skeeter did all right for himself in spite of or maybe because of, that name. He was the leading eager beaver of the boys from Notre Dame right after he arrived at N.U. I-Ie even used to go on 3.6 liberty. However Bubbles Conners took him in hand and showed him the way to make 2.6 liberty and since that time Skeeter has been rctrogrossing quite normally. The weekly journey to Chicago's south side always ended in joy for Skeeter. What if he did have to ride 25 miles on the El? He could work up a mighty fine thirst in that space of time. While on the basketball floor Busby had a style all of his own. It consisted of leaping to terrific heights, kicking the heels together three times. and then slugging his opponents hard enough to gain possession ol' the ball for his team. His was the unique distinction of being the only company commander to command half of his house on the extra duty squad. And all because Skeeter needed a beauty nap. CLA R DON CHRISTOPHER SMITH Here is another name that is a little out of the ordinary. But then the owner ol' the name is also a little out of the ordinary himself. Stern-faced, flywaisted, broad- shouldered, Smitty is the perfect picture of what the lone wolf must look like. He is so close mouthed that if bartenders understood sign language he wouldn't open his mouth lor years on end. ll' the old saying, Still water runs deep, is true, then Smitty ain't got no bottom. His past is shrouded in mystery but these facts are known: Born? Yes, of course. Where? Kendallville, Ind. When? Years ago. Record? Only in the navy, nothing serious. None the less his future looks more bright seeing as how gradua- tion for Smitty will mean a pin striped suit and a felt hat. Maybe then we shall find out how this guy operates for operate he surely does. Despite his silent ways he man- ages to make it known to all eligible young ladies that Smitty around and that they had better act accordingly, which same they always do. ing fs

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ROISICIQT SAMUEL TAYLOR ll' you happen to inquire, Bob will proudly tell you he's from the east, and if you inquire further. you'll find he's from an incorporated community near Wilmington. IJelaware. Upon being graduated from his local Boy Scout troop, Taylor entered Northwestern under the glorious V-I2 banner in November. 1943. At first. college books seemed extremely attractive to Hob, and he could be seen leaving the campus each Friday afternoon on 3,6 liberty. Then someone made the mistake of explaining to him just what an eager beaver is, and he has since become the world's xx orst enemy of that slowly disappearing species ol' animal. A convert of Pi Kappa Alpha and a Tech man through and through, Bob hopes to do civil engineering in the postwar W.P.A. .Xt present. Bob is setting somewhat ol' a record I'or himself by holding the undying interest of one girl, Dorie by name, for over one whole year. WILLIAM .IUSICPH 'FIGNNISON Willie, il' he appeared in a Damon Runyon story, would masquerade under the name ol' Rookie Bob . While every other salty Rotey waited for his ship to come in. Will fnmed over a glue-footed pony. With three years service behind him, Willie points out that South Bend is the faitliest he has wandered from his beloved Chicago, and avows that. BuI'ers permitting, three more years will lind him still in Chicago. Baseball clubs oi' any kind. even the White Sox, give him the incentive to live through every summer. Fall finds football in the favored spot. With his year 'round hobbies of beautiful women a.nd horses that never win, football and baseball make life worth living for Will. The horsey end of his hobbies sometimes makes him rich but more often brings him face to face with poverty. Without ever seeing the ocean Will has acquired enough salt to he a 20 year man. For to this day he will still say, 'Tm going to hit the hear-h lwhen he means l'm going to catch the Jackson Park lil for home. GRANT lil'lRXAltD THORFISON The noise ol' creaking joints and protesting bones you hear will tell you that Daddy Thoreson is tottering into earshot. Guns, who remembers Dewey at Manila quite vividly. thinks that only a miracle can account for the fact that the navy still afloat with only these young punk sailors to do the work. After Mr. Wilkins retired Guns had no one with whom he could reminisce. Sandy Seeher, the youth who carries Guns' cane and pushes him up and down Howard street in his wheelchair, says it was terrible after Mr. W. retired. lt only, continues Sandy, took I2 Old Taylors for Grant to start claiming that he was young enough to start walking without his cane, There were advantages for Guns though. He could, for instance. sit back benevolently in gunnery class and see that everything was running smoothly. And most everyone agreed that it was nice of him to help Mr. Washburn whenever some fine point in gun mechanisms needed elaboration or when some salty phrase defied understanding. .J ACK ALLE R VAUGHAN Another engineer with a slide rule brain is Jack Vaughan. His ability to handle men is exceeded only by his ability to handle the fairer sex-all ages. Jack claims Columbia, Mo. as his home town and although he has been removed from it for some time he still retains that 'tyou've-got-to-shon-me complex. Because his father is an old navy man, .lack has lived in such places as Hawaii and Guam, and has travelled as far East as .lapan and China. Because he talks to Willie Moy about Shanghai like a member of the chamber of commerce, he always gets three day service on his shirts. And because he is .lack Vaughan his Chi Omega is mad about Phi Kappa Sigmefs pride and joy. What Harriet hears on Saturday night and what his company hears on Monday morn- ing are two dilTerent things. In the first case his voice drips honeyg in the second instance he sounds like Captain Bly. With Werle, and Thoreson as partners Jack intends to be running the navy 30 years from now. 27