Sacred Heart High School - Vine Leaves Yearbook (Vineland, NJ)

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We are the Marines of S.H.H.S. THE year 1940. fifty-two Marines invades the Freshman Room of S.H.H.S. Our mission was to conquer our lessons so as to form a foundation, or rather a beachhead from which to launch further attacks on our illiteracy. Under the leadership and counsel of our commander. Sister Louis Bertrand, we developed into women. Our first and most stubborn attack was made on our Latin, but General Science became our real goal. When we reached our English Literature, we were unprepared for Homer’s counter-attack, which was led by Odysseus. Our Ancient Historv was soon overcome bv our modern system of battle, namely: determination, boldness and energy. Mathematics stressed the importance of strategic planning. When mid-year Exams appeared, we consolidated our gains by giving in a record of our accomplishments. However, the report from head- quarters (the office) gave us a moral setback; some of us were wounded seriously by red marks. Hut then we were received into the Sodality of Our Lady. This reinforcement fortified us with spiritual stamina and courage. With the passing of the months we began to grow exhausted. Spring fever was undermining our morale; extreme fatigue, the result of months of hard fighting, was evident. A breathing spell came with practicing for the May Pro- cession, but the decisive battle of our struggle remained—the June Exams. Our first encounter had been fought and won, but our casualties were heavy. After a furlough of three months, we returned to our new Camp, the Sopho- more Room. Now that we were veterans we lacked to a great extent, the en- thusiasm which had accompanied our first entrance into High School. Instead, there remained a determination to make this next assault on studies more suc- cessful than the first. However, we struggled with Caesar (Latin) requiring the help of Brutus to conquer him. Then, Beowulf (Literature) and the European Powers, (History) were also overcome. Relief was found in the U.S.O. Canteen, (Biology Lab.). Here our interest was fully centered. Physical fitness was also stressed and quite a few of our boys and girls joined the Basketball Teams. At least the year came to an end. With the help of our very kind leader. Sister Thomas Joseph, the battle was not lost. The records showed that more could have been accomplished, and we resolved to do so in the days that lav ahead of us. Our new base, the Junior Room, was a very' changed class. Changed not only in number (our Platoon now consisted of only 36) but by a decision to make an all-out attack on Scholastics. The strength of our initial attack was negligible in comparison with the growing momentum of enthusiasm and energy which we mustered and maintained till the final shot in June. A Commercial Course confronted us in the Junior Year, and in the Typing

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Just Imagine Ralph Capece Richard Carli Ivan Cosimi Thomas Grookett Karl Koering Nicholas Lera Charles Lera William Martin Lawrence Nightlinger Albert Orlandini Valentine Perri Thomas Riggio Paul Walsh Louis Vit Margaret Buckley Anita Cardarel Rose Marie Dezutti Dolores DIppolito Helen Duggan Jane Dilazzera Clare Fleming Kathleen Fleming Mary Ellen Hughes Maria Raffo Mary Jane Rossi Benedicta Schad Joan Schneider Bernice Scrivani Rita Shockley without a teddy-bear bain vt minus his rubbers on a rainy day not doing the light fantastic coming to school on time disliking blondes never laughing not helping him to laugh forgetting Benedicta with his homework done playing classical music too tired to argue loud and boisterous leaving school without his books ringing the bell a minute later forgetting her New York accent without Kay or Clare having the same “Hairdo” twice never day-dreaming suffering from obesity sitting still neglecting Tommy canceling her Bayonne trips losing her speed in typing unwilling to help minus Joan or Jane undesirous of success refusing to entertain without her irresistible charm making noise

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Vine Leases we used the familiar blitzkrieg. But with the French, the general tendency was retreat. However, we soon reformed our lines and resumed the offensive. When French period came along, we just hid in our foxholes. Algebra also found us ill-equipped and consequently we lost heavily in marks. Nevertheless, even under this constant bombing and shelling. Sister Grace Madeleine’s unceasing encour- agement drove us forward. To Sister we owe all the honor and success we received when the fiunal score was taken. In the Magazine Contest, we shattered all records with our mopping-up tactics which carried us through nearly every home in the district. How proud we were of our classmate, Maria Raffo, during that Contest! A diversion from our struggles came with the greatest event of the year-Our Junior Prom. Vast preparations and we sprang to the attack. Two of our scouts succeeded in ob- taining Alex Barthe, a name band from Atlantic City. The rest of us, under the direction of Mr. Spieker, helped to decorate the hall. The event was a tremendous success and we had a good right to feel proud of “us”. Soon afterwards we assembled in church to witness the graduation exercises of the Seniors. Now that they were fully equipped with a High School education, they felt ready to face the world. We watched them as up the aisle they proudly marched to receive their reward in the form of Diplomas. Yet, a tinge of sadness was observed as they left the church. While we watched them, we realized that we were now the ones to replace them as leaders and guards of our school’s honor. During the summer, one of our classmates, Louis J. Battaglia was inducted into the service. Thus our class was recognized as the first to have one of its mem- bers taken before we had finished school. September arrived very quickly and the task of reforming our lines for the final stage in the battle, ‘The Battle of the Books” had begun. The odds, how- ever, were very much against us (15 books to each student). Undaunted, we threw everything we had into another of our all-out assaults. A choice of subjects permitted us to specialize in certain studies. A few of us entered the French Foreign Service. But, Oh! those French vocabularies! Short- hand (Code) was taken by most of the girls. Math was very much in demand for construction problems and also for every kind of aviation. Then as we pushed on from place to place we made secure all that we had gained by employing our Problems of Democracy . And all of us will remember the day we worked with and inhaled the Chlorine gas in the Chemistry Lab. Before we realized it, our Senior year had come to an end and we were leaving Sacred Heart. Our school days were now at an end, only memories linger on, memories that we will all cherish. But we cannot go without voicing our respect for our home room Sister, who has been to our class more than mere words can express. Unfortunately, gloomy days hover over our near future. But come what may, our Beachhead is secure and we are ready to face all that the world may offer. And so,—we pass into the future. Paul P. Walsh