US Naval Reserve Midshipmens School - Capstan Yearbook (Notre Dame, IN)

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E DITCHED the cigarette, Hung the door open, and flew down the passageway to the spot where everyone in the battalion was congre- gated. The big fellow in front obscured his view. Then there was another with an elbow on his shoulder using him as a support. He pushed a little this way and a little that but made no progress. Two men who had been close up front, their curi- osity satisfied, nudged backward indicating that they wanted to leave. Wlhen he moved to the side a step, three others squeezed in ahead of him and now he was almost completely buried. 'fGangway! Gangway! Blake room for the Captain !', he yelled, and as the crowd jumped aside he thrust his body forward. Only two files away now, his heart was thumping on the double and he heard it beating above the din of the many voices. The man ahead muttered an 'innocuousa curse, stamped his foot, and moaned, Ah know ahim not that dumb. Ah won't be- lieve itlw There he was at last right up front facing his doom or salvation. His eyes leaped from one col- umn to another and his face was blank. Hjackson, Jensen, johnson, Kent, King, . . , ' And then his 60 HRPKN stomach felt as though it had dropped down to his toes. He tried to think of something funny to say for those who might be watching, but c0uldn,t think of a thing. f'Two point four in Nav! Can you tie that? And there I am again hanging from the branch they reserved for me. Gee, I knew I was close, but I kinda thought that maybe . . .', No one was paying attention so he broke off and began to head back, brushing through a group who were rejoicing because the axe had missed them. Twenty or so paces from his room someone called out, '4Big week end in Chicago, eh matelu And then it all came to him . . . She,ll be waiting at the Palmer House. Come all the way from Joliet, too. But I can't get there now. lVhat am I going to do? Donit want her to suspect that Pm dumb . . .N He wondered and wondered and then he phoned YVestern Union. 'fHoneywFate has made it im- possible for me to keep the Chi date STOP Aw- fully sorry STOP One of those secret things be- tween me and the Navy Department STOP This is war you know STOP IN'ar is hell STOP Know you'll understand STOP Love

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The ingenuity of modern naval architecture has devised means of keeping vessels on the surface despite the effects of collisions, torpedoes or shells. And these were the principles we were obliged to master before we were considered Wsat in Damage Control. lt was technical and intricate, dillicult and bal- lling. But we recognized its ultimate worth and plugged along spiritedly, giving it just a bit more ol' our study time than we allocated for other sub- ee ts. There were Engineering degrees amongst us who, like blister Door, climbed that Ktreew week after week and sat in it discontentedly. And then there were Fine Arts majors who flitted by unseathed, never faltering. That was Damage Control for you. ln the throes of examination hysteria, with his week-end plans hanging precariously from the limb of the 'itree , there was one fellow who re- sorted to philosophy and kept his lingers crossed he wrote, giving his interpretation of the dis- tinction between a nut and a bolt. HA boltf' he explained, 'gis a doodad like a stick of hard metal such as iron with a square bunch on one end and a lot of scratching wound around the other. A nut is similar to a bolt only just the opposite, being a hole in a chunk of iron sawed off short with wrinkles around the inside ofthe hole. Now the instructor had a sense of humor and he laughed heartily when he read the answer. ln fact, he even showed it to the rest ofthe department and they too laughed. But the .mate of the deck will refer to his log and tell you that the uninten- tional comedian was in his nest that week-end observing study hour. 'fa 59

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OIC pwf NTO sick hay we hledg into 21 room replete with doctors and pharmz1cist's mates. Quietly, quickly, elliciently theyjahhed hypodermic needles into the limp arms of a hapless procession of mid- shipmen. Out of the other end ol' the room moved a line of grim faces, sore arms, heztdztches. Cold sweats and levers. But classes, athletics. drills and every- thing else XVCIHOIIQISll1OLlQl1I10llllIlQll2lCl happened. Each Tttesdzty lor un endless numher of weeks our study hours . . . to stty nothing of our morale . . , were shztttered hy the mute piping thztt horrible eztll, More shots! Muster outside. more shots. But the day etune ut last when we were immune to ztlmost everything hut zt smiling lltee in the Oliver lohhy. But ntztyhe we're lucky we had them. XYl1t1t else is :ts fertile lor converszttionl' 611