Standish High School - Crimson Rambler Yearbook (Standish, ME)

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This war cannot be won or lost by soldiers alone, although soldiers are a great factor which will win the war. The workers on the homefront influence the final result more than is generally appreciated, Please notice that I said workers--not shirkers or hoarders, This war will never be won by strikes in mines, in rail- roads, in shipyards. Why is it that so many of us feel we must earn morefiwimore money daily? The average soldier, who may be called upon to make the supreme sacrifice, whose lives, at the least, are seriously disrupted if not permanently handicapped, earn an average of fifty dollars a month. Can you citizens of America face these soldiers without the least qualm--with the knowledge that you are doing your best? If you can, you are true Americans. nDo your bitu, is a good slogan, Udo your bestn, is better. M. Coolbroth '45 THE OBSERVATION POST Observation Posts are now distributed throughout the United States in the smallest town as well as in the largest city. We are now on the watch constantly night and day. Both young and old are trying to do their bit to help this much needed war protection. Many patriotic citizens have enlisted, many more are needed. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, we wasted no times Plans were quickly drawn up for the running of observa- tion towers throughout the country. People from each locality were chosen to supervise and to organize the administration of the Post. Volunteers were quickly recruited and soon there was a sufficient number to carry on the watches in an effective manner. Because of the many volunteers no one person was needed to serve more than a few hours each week. From the day of the unforgetable event at Pearl Harbor a continual watch has been kept for enemy planes, reports have carefully been sent in by the watchers and as care- fully checked by their superiorsl The duty of every observer is to serve regularly and carefully with the feeling of great responsibility. There are certain rules that must be followed while rn duty. These rules were established for the purpose of quick, efficient service. If they are not care- fully followed, they lose their usefulness. Any occupation, as time passes, is apt to become somewhat monotonous. This has proved true even of the Observation Post. People who were so willing to do their part in the beginning have dropped off one by one, leaving the most of the work to a few conscientious citizens. It is true that nothing exciting or serious has happened, but it is not true that nothing ever will happen. To use an old saying, NAn ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.n The enemy knows that we are on the alert and will be able to cope with an enemy attack if need beg therefore, let us keep on guard until the final victory is ours. . E. Emery '45

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THE WAR .LN Hl:'lLA'l'lON TU US Are you doing all you can to help win this war? No doubt you would not hesitate to answernYes.n Many people are victims of wish- ful thinkingg many people fool themselves into believing what they wish to believe, Many people do not fully realize what helping to win this war actually means. ' Ygp say that you are investing all the money you can spare in war bonds. Are you sure you are investing as much as you can? How do you compare with the service man who spends part of his salary each month for war bonds? Don't forget also, that this is just a way of investing your money to aid against inflation--that the government will buy war materials anyhow. You really aren't making such a sacrifice after all, you will get your money back after the Ware . Black markets are as dangerous to the welfare of America as fifth columnists. It is, I admit, hard to get along without as much as we have been accustomed to buy, but how much better off we are than the conquered countries in Europe! May we never experi- ence the disaster that has overtaken them. You say you work in a defense plant, are an air-raid warden or a Red Cross worker. Fine! But what have you done to keep up the morale of the soldier boys you know or the boys stationed in your section. Have you invited them into your homes? Have you taken an extra hour of your leisure time to write that cheering, friendly letter? And you defense workers--how many days have you been voluntarily absent from work? If you can afford to loaf, how about taking some of your pay to raise the soldiers' salaries? Do the true, conscientious soldiers have any desire to loaf? Do you realize that every hour you don't work you are jeopardizing, possibly sacrificing the life of some soldier? It might be your husband, your brother, your father. There 1sn't one of us that can afford to shirk, to loaf, to hoard. We can only afford to work, to save, to sacrifice. F. Blake '45 DO YOUR BEST - When a country is at war, our own self-sacrifices, more than anything else, help our boys to win. Each one of us should be will- ing to give up all the luxuries we have enjoyed, no matter how small they may be. The combination of each small sacrifice is the combin- ation that is going to win the war. A great many of our people do not seem to take the war seriously enough to really understand the true facts about rationing. Neither do they understand that if they realinquish some of their buying power now, they will have more to buy later. Rationing is the only method thought of so far that insures an equal distribution of food to each citizen. Some people, however, complain because of the bother of so many books, or because they cannot go into a store and order anything they wish. It is these same people who hoarded sugar for entertaining, who bought cases of can goods before the point system, who use that extra gallon of gasoline for pleasure.

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I NEVER SAY DIE uThere is no greater inspiration to any American boy than Lou Gehrig. For if the awkward, inept and downright clumsy player that he was in the beginning could through sheer drive and determination turn himself into the finest first-base covering machine in all baseball, then nothing country.n Lou Gehrig didn' t is impossible to any man or boy in this mean to become a symbol. All he wanted to do was to play first base for the Yankees, drive in as many runs as possible, take care of his family, be thoughtful of those around him, and, when he was attacked by an illness he knew would be fatal to face death with courage. But on that simple formula he fashion- ed a career that inspired millions of all that is fine and decent and If it is impossible for us to believe, the influence of his life on those who had only read of him, of persons and became a symbol brave. measure, as it was for him' to not only on those about him but it is easy to fix his place in baseball. The Crown Prince, they called Gehrig, when he was hitting behind Ruth in the Yankee batting order. That was one of the great- est hitting combinations baseball has ever known. Ruth alone was enough to terrorize an enemy pitcher. Ruth with Gehrig following was even more terrorizing. It was Ruth that got top billing though, for Ruth was King. When Ruth moved out, Di Maggie quickly moved in to take the fancy of the crowds. Lou never minded that either. It was'enough for him that Di Maggionwas a Yank--and his friendkxnu D Then tragedy struck Lou Gehrig at the height of his career. Some writers insisted Time had caught up with him, no one suspected he was the victim of infantile paralysis. The day came, when Lou, realizing he was no longer an asset, asked to be taken team. After a check-up at the Mayo Clinic the Yankees bulletin that let the world know Gehrig was the victim of infantile paralysis. The next two years is a story from the released the of a form of heroic courage and ultimate death. It was over a year ago that the big fellow left this world. There 1sn't even tho shadow of anyone who might take his place on the horizon. Nor will there over be. Baseball produces only one Lou Gehcig as it produced only one Cy Cobb, or Babe Ruth, or one of a few other individuals whose niche is peculiarly their own. He's gone, but to the millions who saw him he is as fresh in the memory as yesterday. The true Yankee fan never will go to the.vast gray stadium without half expecting to see old npiano legen jog out to take his stand at first base, his easy carriage and massive frame symbolizing more than anything else the confidence and power of the champions. V. Furman -'45 The hippopotamus lives about 20 years. The first European structure in the western hemisphere was built from the wreckage of Columbus' flagship, which ran aground at Haiti on Christmas Eve, 0