Susquehanna University - Lanthorn Yearbook (Selinsgrove, PA)

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;4(d Xco StudeHt c n N February, 1943, Susquehanna was selected by the War Department as one of the colleges to give the Army Air Forces training program. A contingent of over three hundred Aviation Students (known as the 3 5th College Training Detachment) entered the college in the spring of 1943 for this intensive course. In the succeeding months a regular flow of these students came to and went from our campus, re- maining about five months to cover their course. As this Lanthorn goes to press, word has been received that the exigencies of the Air Forces program call for a reduction in the number of men who can now be trained for that branch and that about one-half of the colleges (situated in the North and far from the Southern air fields) will be released from their contracts in the late spring of 1944. When this actually happens, Susquehanna will have co- operated in this Air Corps program for fifteen consecutive months. During this time the two dormitories for men, Hassinger Hall and Selinsgrove Hall, were occu- pied by the Aviation Students. The first floor of the gymnasium was also used for their barracks. Ci- vilian men students were housed in the fraternity houses. Seibert Hall, the dormitory for women, was not turned over to the Air Corps program but was completely reserved for women students. The Air Corps academic program was completely separate from that of the civilian college, even though the same instructors taught in both programs. The Commanding Officer of the 3 5 th College Training Detachment was Captain George M. Green. He was assisted by First Lieutenant James H. Zimmerman, First Lieutenant Peter G. Kardassakis, First Lieutenant Charles Cowing and Second Lieutenant Norman C. Johnson. Susquehanna students are proud that their college was one of a relatively small number chosen to participate in the Army Air Corps program. It has been a pleasure to have had the Aviation Students on our campus.