Andover, Connecticut Newsletter, Vol. 2, #2 Sponsored by the Democratic Town Committee August 12, 1944 To the Servicemen and Women of Andover, Greeting! The home town now has a better appreciation of how all you men and women who are stationed in the hot spots of the earth have been suffering. Andover weather can't have been as bad as the tropics, but a cool breeze and a few drops of rain would certainly be a welcome relief. Gardens have been thriving in the humidity, and corn on the cob is a popular and plentiful treat right now. Housewives don't open a conversation with "How are you?" these days. they say, instead, "How much did you can today?" We hasten to welcome several new babies, both here and at distant points They are: A daughter, born to John and Dot Marchant of Bunker Hill Road on July 14. She weighed six pounds, 5 ounces at birth. Mother and daughter are doing well. Twin daughters! born to Sgt. and Mrs. George Brown, on June 11. George, like many a proud father, gave us no details as to names and weights, but he reports that they are all doing fine. MM 1/c Hi and Verna Schildge are the parents of a daughter, born August 9. We haven't been able to learn her name and weight as yet. Alan Keeney Hutchinson, born July 14, to Pvt. and Mrs. Maxwell B. Hutchinson. He weighed 6 pounds, 15-1/2 ounces on arrival. A son, Whitney, Jr., was born to S 2/c and Mrs. Whitney Merritt at St. Francis Hospital, Hartford, on June 11. He weighed eight pounds and 11-3/4 ounces. Whit Merritt and Ted Watts, who have completed boot training at Sampson, N.Y. , have been home on leave, and both look in the pink. Whit is on his way to Corpus Christi, Texas, and Ted is headed for Florida. Edward Merritt, G.M. 3/c, has been in France since D Day. He is a gunner on a new L.C.T., and he says it was pretty "hot" where he was on D Day. He is in good health, and has run across a fellow he knew in Willimantic. Eddie calls his brother "The Boot', and he is hoping for a chance to pull his rank on Whit. How about a letter, Eddie? Mrs. Hilliard is happily anticipating a visit from her son, Capt. Henry Hilliard, who is on 30-day furlough from his post on Ascension Island, after spending 25 months there. He flew to New York, where he was joined by his wife, and they will come to Andover soon. Capt. Henry left Connecticut with National Guard in 1941, and he spent some time at Camp Blanding, Fla. before going to the Ascension Islands in July 1942. Major Nate Gatchell is now stationed in New Guinea, and so far as can be determined, Eddie Sheehan is still with him. Lt. (j.g.) Clifton E. Davenport has left North Africa, and his location is once more a mystery to us. Rumor has it that Capt Edward Gatchell is in France, and we have been told that there's a very excellent photograph of the dapper young man floating around Andover. Andover friends of Betty Branch, Art Instructor for Center School, have received invitations to her wedding, which will take place Friday evening, August 18. She will marry Michael Anthony Ferrante, Chief Petty Officer, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, at Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Cadet Nurse Betty Shepherd is on a well-earned, three week's vacation. She has been around Andover a little, and is now in Maine. When she returns to duty, she will begin training in the lying-in hospital. Political activities and elections may seem, compared to the business of winning the war, trivial and even unnecessary, but you are giving everything you have so that government shall continue to be "of the people, for the people, and by the people." We therefore urge you again to be made voters, if you have reached your majority while in the service, and to send your request for an absentee ballot to Town Clerk Ellsworth Covell at the very earliest possible moment. We present parallel lists of candidates to help you in casting your very important vote. Democratic Republican President: Franklin E. Roosevelt Thomas E. Dewey Vice-President: Harry Truman John Bricker U. S. Senator: Brian McMahon John A. Danaher Governor: Robert A. Hurley Raymond E. Baldwin Lt.-Governor: Wilbert Snow William L. Hadden Congressman-at-Large: Joseph F. Ryter B.J. Monkiwicz Sec. of State: Charles J. Prestia Frances B. Rodick Treasurer: William T. Carroll Carl M. Sharpe Comptroller: John M. Dowe Fred R. Zeller Senator, 35th District: Ruth T. Welles Eugene Latimer Congressman, 2nd Dist.: Chase Going Woodhouse John D. McWilliams We regret that a printing of the platforms of both parties would take up too much space, since perhaps the aims and ideals expressed by these candidates are more important than a list of their names. Andover's favorite son, Lewis W. Phelps, failed to get the Democratic nomination for Governor, even though he waged a vigorous and forthright campaign. His campaign was honest, clean, and in the best interests of the people, in keeping with his character and ability, and we have hopes that he will receive deserved recognition another time. MM 1/c Frank Paro, Jr., who is now stationed in the Pacific Area, has sent his regards to all his old friends in Andover. Mrs. Ann Whitcomb has just returned from spending two months with hubby Pfc Ed (Dr.) Whitcomb at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. Ann stayed at Muskogee, which is near the camp, and she found the Oklahoma weather pretty warm. The boss of the Ed Whitcomb family reports that all is well with Ed, and that he is still making it hot for those army trucks around Camp Gruber. Some of Alice Moe's cousins who reside in England wrote recently that Corp. Lawrence Moe has been to visit them, and that he is fit and paying particular attention to staying in the country away from Hitler's flying fish. We also have word that Corp. Morty Friedrich and Capt. Harry Fox (both of whom are now in France) were on the same boat going across the channel on D Day. A note from Harry says he is very much interested in all that goes on in Andover. Cpl. John Kukucka is now at Camp Hood, Texas--the fourth camp he has been in the last few months. Slow down, John, and let the Newsletter catch up with you. Pfc. Andrew Kukucka writes from Camp Rucker, Alabama, that all is well with him, and he looks forward to receiving the Newsletter each month. Emily Yeomans' husband, Capt. Barefield is also stationed at Camp Rucker, so why don't you look him up, Andy? Speaking of the Kukuckas, we miss those breezy letters that Charlie used to send so regularly from Newfoundland acutely. What happened, Charlie? We'd like to hear some more. Note to Nate: The engineer who always tooted back of J.H.Y.'s house has returned to the run through Andover after a year's absence, and the hills of home echo once more to that special toot. Lt. Lucien Levesque has returned to Camp Meak, Maryland, after a ten-day furlough. He is now a 1st Lieutenant. Congratulations! Pfc. Walter Smith, Jr. is at Fort Dix, N.J. Willis W. Covell, ARM 2/c, who is now in England, has been sweating out the Newsletter for the past few months, because he has been unable to remain in one place long enough for it to reach him. Sonny wants us to pass this along specially for Eddie Merritt: "If you get back to where you started from in England, look me up, because I'm there". Sonny reports that he is feeling fine, and he says he got a kick out of Maurice Levesque's letter concerning money-changing. He has learned that anyone who watches (We'd say "gets into", but we are afraid the Judge may read this issue) a few crap games can learn how to make change, but fast. Next month is Sonny's second anniversary as a serviceman. He wants us to say "hello" to Nate G. and Ed Sheehan for him, and to tell Fuzzy Tedford to get on the ball and answer his letter of last year. Corp. John Bausola and Miss Jessie Houston were married in Saint Francis Church, St. Louis, on July 21, 1944. The bride's sister and her husband were matron of honor and best man, respectively. Mrs. Bausola and Dorothy went to St. Louis for the wedding. A short war and a long, merry life together! are our hearty wishes for Corp. and Mrs. Bausola. T/4 George W. Brown, whose twins are reported on page 1 of this issue, is located at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Sgt. Robert Grenon and A.O.M. 3/c Willard Grenon are both in England, and they hope to meet soon, Willard flew over in a Liberator. He recently wrote his mother that he traded a ten-dollar bill for some wall paper and slugs. Janet Heimer Jurovaty has just returned from Texas, where she spent a week with her husband, F 1/c Edward Jurovaty. We have just received a card from Eddie telling us that he will soon be off to parts unknown. From T/S George Levesque comes word that he is now stationed at Camp Maxey, Texas. George married Miss Doris Lockwood of Arcadia, California on March 25, 1944, and on his recent card to us, he said that they expect to live in California after the war. May that time come soon! We spoke of a sweltering Andover earlier in this issue, and since then we have learned that Sunday, August 13, was so hot that Ed Grenon ran out of everything but air (ice, ice cream, soda, and gasoline) and he had to close shop until Wednesday morning. The Ladies' Society is attempting to carry on its work as usual, according to Mrs. A.H. Benton, the Society's President. Early in July, they had a food and plant sale on the Church lawn, and realized profits of $35.00. On August 3, their monthly meeting (no more meeting twice monthly for the duration) took the form of a picnic at the home of Mrs. Richards, at Andover Lake. They plan one or two buffet suppers, to be held during the Fall. The Well Sweep has been the home of the Women's Land Army (fruit pickers and tobacco workers) this summer, and Dr. Tuthill decided to schedule Church services with consideration for their Sunday morning desire and need for sleep. Hence, the August services are being held at the Church at seven o'clock on Sunday evenings. Chief George Merritt has just returned from a trip to Norfolk, Va., where he visited F 1/c William Merritt. Bill likes it down there, and is feeling fine. After his father's visit, his fiancee and Wally Tedford went down to see him. Lt. Maurice Levesque offered to send us some Japanese relics, and we shall indeed be glad to receive any that you have opportunity to send. The editors will want to keep something as a personal remembrance, and we are sure the local War Records Committee, of which Dorothea Raymond is chairman, will be glad to handle others. Thanks a lot for the offer. Most of you no doubt have access to newspapers that carry the latest happenings in the sports world--especially baseball. But just to make sure you have the latest information, we are including our own short sports column below. The Hartford Senators are really going places this year in the Eastern League, and at this writing, with only 38 games to go, they are in first place, leading the 2nd place Albany club by 5-1/2 games. Williamsport is a poor third--20-1/2 games out of the top spot. In the American League, the St. Louis Brownies lead the Red Sox (Take note, Willie Covell and Ed Merritt) by 6-1/2 games, with Detroit in third place 8 games out, and the Yanks just in the money 9-1/2 games behind. If the Browns can come through, it will mean the first pennant for them, as they are the only major league club who has never won a flag. An interesting note about the Brownie's possible pennant is the fact that their previous strongest bid was made in 1922, when they lost out by only one game to the Yankees. That year they were beaten 6-3 in a crucial game by a rookie hurler under suspension, who had bet he could beat any Major League team. Although the Brownie officials protested the game, nothing was ever done about it, and the Yankees went on to win. Track: Arne Anderson and Gunder Hagg nearly ran a 4-minute mile in Sweden recently. Anderson was clocked in at 4:016 and Hagg a few seconds slower. The St. Louis Cards are running away with the National League and are 17 games ahead of the 2nd place Cincinnati Reds. Boxing: Hartford's Willie Pep, featherweight champion of the world, won a decisive victory over Lulu Constantino at Waterbury last week, and by so doing make his position as the top little man more secure. Baseball in Andover has been on the upswing this past month. The young team led by Eddie Yeomans and Clyde Angell traveled to Rockville yesterday, and came back with a 44-23 win. Janet Grenon and Katherine Yeomans comprised the rooting section. In former games, a lot of interest has been riveted on Eddie Yeomans and his spectacular catches, accomplished with one of the most comical poker-faced manifestations of unconcerned ever seen in these parts. The Andover Grandfathers haven't had such good luck as the youngsters, however, as they have played three games and won--well anyway it was close. Next Sunday promises to bring forth a winner against Columbia at Case's field. The Old Boys are now in the process of revamping their line-up, in which several new faces (and crutches) will appear--particularly ringers Leslie Billings, former M.P., and Bill Thornton. Well-enough for this time. If you want more, drop the editors a line, telling us exactly what you want to hear, and we will do our best to make it a monthly feature. Pvt. Charles Johnson of the Marines will graduate from Aerology School, Marine Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina on August 19, 1944. He will begin an apprenticeship then, which will eventually lead to very exacting work. The lives of many men will be in his hands, as he will eventually forecast the weather for fighter squadrons. Mrs. Mark Bass is in the Windham Community Memorial Hospital, where she underwent a seriously complicated appendectomy. Joe Remish is in the service, but we have been unable to find out any details. How about a letter, Joe? A lot of the boys would like to hear about you. Joe Walton has purchased the McBride home, and his house on Bear Swamp Road is now for sale. Frank Brown, Sr. has sold his house on the Hartford Road. Oscar Martino has recently been home on leave from Sampson, N.Y. We'd like a letter from you, too, Oscar. How do you like the Navy? Pvt. Leslie Billings has been honorably discharged from the Army, and he has returned to his old job at Colt's. He and the Mrs. (Frannie Friedrich) plan to make their home in Andover. Pvt. Howard Chudoba is studying Radio at Truex Field, Madison, Wisconsin. Scout Leader Pat Pease and Center School Principal Dot Chamberlain took ten Girl Scouts on a trip to the Northfield Youth Hostel and points north in Vermont and New Hampshire. They hiked and biked, swam, and saw the sights--even climbed Mt. Monadnock. It was the thrill of a lifetime for all the girls. Our sympathy goes out to Harry Daggett, whose mother passed away last month. Herbert Thompson and his wife (the former Dorothy Cook) have been visiting his mother during the past month. They brought their three fine boys with them. Sgt. Stewart Dougan wrote on July 15, from Mississippi, but he was expecting a change of address at that time. He sent us a poem, which we will publish in another issue, when there is more space available. His postscript is quotable: "The South may brag about their lovely women down here, but they can't compare to ours back home." Pvt. George LaChance was recently transferred from Kearns, Utah to San Francisco, and we suspect that he is now in the far Pacific. Well, this is it for this time! We do want to hear from all of you, so that we can pass the news along and enjoy it ourselves. Safe home! Vera Cross Taylor John F. Phelps Editors. |
Andover, Connecticut |
Hislorical - Democratic Town Committee, WWII Newsletters |
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