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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1945)
Former Air Officer Tells Of Russo-German Front ' By Bud Bradley Last term, while most of us were spending our Easter vaca tions at home, First Lt. Bob Hamil, former GI navigation of ficer with the 15th air force, was spending Easter-tide roaming the plains of southern Hungary. During the last few months of the war, the 15th air force was busy pulverizing the communi cations between the Austrian capital and the Russo-German front. Bob has 26 bombing mis sions to his credit, the principal targets being Vienna, Lintz, Graz, Insbruck and Salsburg in German held Austria. For the accuracy of these missions, he wears the air medal, two oak leaf clusters and four battle stars. Motors Shot Away It was on a bombing run over Lintz, Austria, that the plane in which he was flying was badly crippled. German anti-aircraft batteries had shot away two of the plane’s four motors. To return to their base in Italy, they would have to climb very high to avoid T crashing: into the Austrian Alps, but this was impossible with two F i DANCING —AT— Willamette Park To the Music of ART HOLMAN And His ORCHESTRA EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT Couples Only Adra. $2.00 DANCING 9 - - 1 F motors shot away. Their best hope lay in reaching the Russo-German miles west of Budapest. “Our radio had been knocked out during the fighting, and we were unable to gain contact with our Liberator squadron, so we headed for Hungary hoping against hope that we might not fall into German hands,” the brown eyed veteran remarked. Inviting Target A lone Liberator, flying at 7000 feet is a beautiful target for enemy fighter planes and anti-air craft batteries, so Lieutenant Hamil set a course over thinly populated areas. The B-24 crossed the Hungarian border about one hundred miles southeast of Vienna. “As we approached the Russo German lines, we could see the distant flashes of artillery fire,” Hamil said. “Over the line, we were fired at by both Russian and Ger man ack aclt guns,” the smiling veteran added. The plains of southern Hung-ary looked very inviting, so the crew decided on a crash landing. The crash of the bomber caused con siderable excitement, and many of the local townspeople of near-by Pecs rushed out to see the Ameri can flyers. Shortly after, Russian officers arrived on the scene, and took over the situation. In Russian Hands At first the Russians thought they would send the air men to Bucharest, but decided on Buda pest instead. The trip to Buda pest, which in normal times is an overnight journey, took 19 days, most of which were spent on a railroad siding, as the Russians were moving troops up to the front near Vienna at the same time. Bob reports that despite the war, Budapest is still beautiful, though travel through the city is extrem ely difficult as all the bridges over the Danube are out. After an en joyable holiday in Budapest, Lt. Hamil and his crew returned to Italy, just in time to see the end of the war in Europe. Bob is a native of Portland, where he attended both Benson and Washington high schools. In September of 1941 he entered Oregon State college, and joined the air corps in April 1942. As for ■i is now featured Ecpecially for Oregon Students 3 P.M. Enjoy Eugene's Newest and Most Distinctive Supper Club Call Springfield 375 For Reservations Featuring Tasty Snacks and Dinners Suzanne Miller, senior at University high school, smilingly receives her $25 Victory bond she won as first prize in the Kegister Guard’s recent essay contest on Freedom of the Press from George Turnbull, acting dean of the school of journalism. Scene of the award dinner was the Eugene Hotel where prizes were awarded for Lane county winners in the 7tl» to 12tli grades inclusive. Professor Turn bull acted as chairman of the judging committee which also included Mrs. Lucille Kennedy, county school superintendent, and Dr. Henry M. Gunn, Eugene school superintendent. (Jack Lamb photo, Mitt shire engraving). (Courtesy Register Guard). his year at OSC, he asks his fellow Ducks to forgive him, for he was just a poor misguided soul at the time. The measure of a man’s true character is what he would do if J he knew he would never be found out. HEADS GOT TOGETHER RESULT: MORE TRANSCONTINENTAL TELEPHONE CIRCUITS Willi wire scarce and wartime calls increasing, telephone engineers made existing pairs of long distance wires carry nearly four times as many calls as before. This was done through installa tion of additional carrier equipment, requiring closer spacing of the wires on the line and trans positions at shorter intervals. Three pairs on the Southern Transcontinental Route were rearranged, and in a 430-mile section this had to he done while keeping the urgently needed wires in service all the time. To do this, new tools and new methods had to be devised in the laboratories and on the job. This is another among many examples of how Bell System teamwork and engineering skills maintained telephone service under wartime conditions. BELL TELEPHONE SYSTEM Alpha,Delts Elect Arlo Calkins, junior in business, was elected president of Thacher, campus chapter of Alpha Delta Sigma, national advertising honor ary, at its first fall meeting, held Tuesday. Fred Welty, junior in journalism, was elected secretary treasurer. “The chapter is being re-acti vated to fill the needs of students interested in advertising as a career and in its relation to im proving business practices. We hope to have various advertising men from Portland and Eugene to address the monthly meetings of the society,’ said R. D. Millican, adviser. A rush dinner will be held next Wednesday evening at 6:30 at the Del Rey cafe, when the club’s complement will be raised to the normal level of twenty membei s. In addition to the usual social activities, the society's tentative plans call for the formation of a separate advertising club spon sored by the chapter during t ie spring term. Captain Davis Visits Captain Bob Davis, formerly of the ROTC here, was in Eugene Wednesday. Bob is now in the auditing department of the Night Service command in Salt Lake City. 756 - 760 \\ illianu'tU' EUGENE, OREGON Telephone 3131 "GIPSY WILDCAT" i Maria Montez Jon Hall* "THE UNSEEN" "WANDERER OF THE WASTELAND"! with James Warren j | Richard Martin Audrey Long "MAN ALIVE" with Pat O’Brien ( Adolph Menjou, Ellen Drew KlfivutTH #Tjua "JOHNNY ANGEL" with George Raft Claire Trevor Signe Hasso McDonald "CAPTAIN EDDIE" Fred MacMurray Lynn Bari "SHANGHAI COBRA" Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan