July-August - Air Defense Artillery School

CUAsT ARIILLERY ACTl\'ITIES
riot races. tugs-of-war. and like events in which the in-
\idual is not too conspicuous. Practically e,'eryone
med to have a good time. with the exception of the
,;eball team's star pitcher. who watched an "unknown"
t-throw him in the baseball throw.
Pri\'ate Lew Feldman, once recognized by the New York
6te boxing commission as featherweight champion of the
rid. is assisting fight promoter Private Jack "Battlin'"
~k in keeping the station cards entertaining as ,,'ell as incti,'e.
Fight shows are held on the post every two or
ree weeks, and boxers of this command fight on Camp
lIan. ""aval Air Station. and Consolidated Aircraft Corration
programs between times.
Though outsiders may not compete for post championps.
they keep signing on for matches with our boys.
inion is divided as to whether it is glory, love for the
n, or the chance of a steak dinner afterwards that brings
m. In any case, they invariably make the shows more
teresting for the local inmates, most of whose Own scraprs
have faccd cach other in the ring at least oncc.
.\ young soldicr namcd \Voodrow \Vilson rcportcd hcre
duty about two years ago. Said his folks were in the
\~rie thcater business in Los Angeles, and couldn't he be
#0\\"('(1 to work in one of the two post theatcrs. They madc
,b manager of Army Theater Number Two, which he
t1mecliately instructed the hired help to rcfer to as "Your
[oritc theatcr."
r \11of his pay, and more too, has gone back into "Your
orite theater" in the form of equipment and various pro-
~[ional schemes. The U. S. Army Motion Picture Servr.'s
original idea of a cinema palace was Spartan at bcst.
'l"affie-iron" benches, no stage curtain, no dancing electric
ns to lure the customers. The customers came, or thev
nt to the usa, and nobody seemed to care much whicl;.
t Private \Voodrow Wilso~ did.
\ Before long he had a remotely controlled curtain in place.
rough friends in the trade in Los Angeles, he obtaincd
electric sign, and was broken-hearted when the provost
rShalmade him douse it for the dim-out. Neon lighting
the lobby was okay, though, so he installed that, along
~ photographic exhibits of post celebrities. The house
I(S Own public address system.
~\nd it has an organ, played by ex-professional bandsman
ate "Red-Robe" Volpe who earns a dollar a night for
~fun of tickling the ivories for vVoody's patrons. This is
only house in all of the USAivIPS's several hundred
do~s boast an organ, so far as is known here.
rivate Earl Dickson, formerly a member of K Bathere,
was the only child of I\IIrS. I\/larie Dickson of
ravia, Calif. He l~ft the organization several months
for aviation cadet school at Montgomery, Ala. He was
the day after completing his training there.
:\odso on Mothers' Day, Mrs. Dickson was the guest of
Itery. She asked to see her son's room, meet his
ies, and, for that dav, was a cheerful mother to the
e battery of soldiers ,;'ho were away from their own.
liss Norma Lee Taunt, former shO\~'girl now employed
post engineer's office, gave the men of the command
rise treat recently when she presented them with a
composed of professional volunteers from San Diego
clubs. l\'liss Taunt herself sang three numbers. one
in the clutches of a very bewildered private. Her pleasing.
sultry voice brought her back for numerous encores.
Fort Rosecrans claimed one of the tallest soldiers in the
Army in Sergeant Lyle C. \\'alker, six-foot nine-inch giant
who arrived here early in I\larch from duty in Alaska.
Six quiz kids from 'here were unable to ~vercome six of
the same from the San Diego I\ larine Corps base on a recent
usa program. "\Vhat famous baseball team is known as
The Gashouse Gang'?" stopped the Rosecraners cold. The
I\larines proved their superior intelligence, too, by knowing
how many cigarettes there are to a package.
Two recruit detachments presented their own revue, "In
The Army," at a Rosecrans service club in April. Outstanding
from the point of eye appeal was the lineup of chorus
"girls," who delighted the audience with their high kicks,
their naughty glances. and their uncertain shoulder straps.
One in particular had a remarkable resemblance to Bette
Davis. 1\ lost professional of the group was Private Pinky
Silvcrman. who had an assured sense of showmanship,
whether he be the crude, faded soubrette who sings ''I'm
A Gone \Vrong Gal," a blustery German officer who has
difficulties with his unruly line of soldiers, or a Greek
restaurant owner with a Groucho I\ larx look who is willing
but can never fill the menus that he advertises.
All of the music in the show was original. Credit for
most of it goes to Private Dick \Volton, who also wrote and
directed the production. Miss Kate Lawson came from
Hollywood to design thc costumcs, and Army wi,'cs on the
post "whipped them up."
Chesapeake Bay
Sector
BRiGADlEfi GEXEfiAL ROLLIX L. TILTOX, C01l/11l11luling
By Lielltellmlt Alollza F. CO/Ollila
\Vith the arrival of summer and favorable weather conditions,
training in all elements of the command has been
intensified, and the tonic of the North African victory has
given new zest to both training and operations.
In a recent communication to the men of his command
Brigadier General Hollin L. Tilton commended them for
their excellent morale and spirit during the past two
months, but cautioned them that now more than ever a
constant vigilance is necessary.
During the past several weeks Fort Story, headquarters
of the Harbor Defenses of Chesapeake Bay, has had many
distinguished visitors, most notable among them Lieutenant
General Hugh A. Drum, Commanding General of the
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