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

Page 246 text:

giving-as aforesaid we had a good meal that dayj December 17 the Capslan Christmas cards arrived -midshiprnen cursed the editor and began madly scribbling. From that time until the Week after Christmas little studying was done. Besides, what the hi, the assignments have already been sent to Washington. Heard the other day 972, are getting amphib anyway. And thus it went. Christmas Day, 1943, those who could borrow, steal, invent or otherwise find relatives in Chicago got shore leave, the rest Csave the watch squadl ate noon chow in town. And we are told the food was excellent. QAddenda: Middies got ten well-needed dollars on December 230 Laundry bags became too small to hold all the grub and sick bay became too small to hold all the stomach aches. The day after Christmas the thermometer jumped from seven below to about forty above, and cat fever reappeared. 'fGood morning, evening, I beg your pardon, sir, good afternoon, became one long sniffle and sneeze, The middies, bushed by now, began to count the days, then the hours, minutes, seconds, until noon January 20 . . . 20 days, 480 hours, 28,800 minutes, 1,728,000 seconds C59 mealsj . . . oh boy, oh girl, oh mother! January 17-Monday-After another period of cramming, examinations, and mourning, the aca- demic board met to recommend midshipmen for commissions. The rest of the goats deposited books, collected jumpers and railroad tickets. Well, fellas, Officers of the U. S. Navy, today's the day . . . january 20. You've come a long way, youive learned a little D.C., Ord, Nav and Chow We think that enough has been said about chow for this issue-we hope nothing need be said about it next issue. Suffice it to say, like it or not we always ate three meals a day. Sea, a great deal of discipline-let's see what you'll do with it. The last paragraph will be written by you: V Dear Mom, No, I didn't get those fifteen days. fReport immediately', they said. Love, Johnnie? .V N 'Q' S

Page 245 text:

Weary seamen obediently went to bed at 2200 and got up at 2300 to study all through the night. The next day they found that the questions on the exam sheets had somehow been overlooked during the period of study. On Thursday, October 28, indoctrination period ended. Each man was issued 348.34 by Ensign Negus, and after-paying the tailor, the laundry and contributing to various and sundry other funds ended up with about 315. The academic board met that day and effectively weeded sheep from goats, though some goats remained for a time longer before receiving the axe. Friday, fourth period, almost one entire hour was taken from class schedule to take the oath of mid- shipman. Forty of theisixty minutes were con- sumed marching to and from the drill hall, fifteen in waiting after we got there and five in becoming midshipmen. That afternoon we went back to classes in seamen,s blues 'as if nothing had' happened. That weekend was the first weekend in dress blues and cameras were in action all over the campus for two days. Every midshipman managed to get into town at some time during the week- end. That was before the days of restricted pro- bation for the bad little boys. . Not so very long afterwards the first Specialist group had final examinations-November 19 and 20-and on November 23 those recommended by the academic board received their commissions. The Generals stayed in their compartments as much as possible that day to escape the humiliation of saluting their former equals. Oh, most happy and sad day! s November 26 next rolled around, a new class of Specialists arrived and built up the ego of the Generals who could look at the plebes and forget that the same mistakes had been made two months previous. More misfitted quniforms, more physi- cals, more executive-oh, what wouldn't we have given for amnesia, not a bad case but one to make us forget it all. The tailor had his day again December 3, re- ceiving the 326.50 still showing on his books. The laundry got 35, 319.50 went for insurance, and Sweeneyls received the balance of 365. More examinations, G's and S's this time, De- cember 9-10 and December 15-16, more cramming, more flunks, more goats got the axe. Oh, for an easy chair, a carton of .Ccensoredj and a bottle of Cdittoj. At least some of the S's got through the bottleneck and reached the lofty estate of midship- men . . . a few reached Great Lakes and eventually wound up in the same place-on a landing barge. The lucky Sis gave away most of their A.S. pay . . . you know, tailors, etc. CWe have forgotten to make an entry for Thanks-

Page 247 text:

iberiy an Liberty-that magic word which sent shivers of anticipation through weary bodies on Saturday afternoon and spatters of memory through weary minds on Sunday night, liberty, the day and a half of frolic each week which compensated for the other five and a half of toil. At 1230 each Saturday the usual bell gave an unusual tinkle- Liberty has been declared-uni- form: dress blues, white shirts, raincoats--Bow- ditch not required. Those not on the watch squad, extra duty, restricted or otherwise caught in the tentacles of Navy Regulations, pitched every- thing pitchable in the center of the room and dashed for the nearest bus, tugging at a leather strap they jostled into town, and scurried in every direction. That was the state of affairs on Saturday after- noon. During the course of the day the crowd changed a little-after two hours the extra-duty men secured to town, four hours later the on-com- ing watch squad and these treed for the week re- turned to the station, and the off-going watch squad quickly left the station. The avocations of the middies over the weekend were many-dancing, eating, drinking, bowling, golfing, and dancing again. The U.S.O. with a