The 51st salute
The 51st Army Air Forces
Technical Training
Detachment recalled its
history this weekend
By Moriah Balingit
News Reporter
When the 240 members of the 51st
Army Air forces Technical Training De
tachment arrived on the University
campus in May of 1943, they weren't ac
companied by tearful parents or mini
vans full of belongings. Members of the
"Fighting 51st," as the unit was called,
wore ironed uniforms and marched to
class in formation. They hadn't even
chosen to come here, but were rather
sent by the Air Force to take prerequisite
courses for a meteorology program.
Unlike many of today's freshmen,
they weren't "undeclared." Ihe year in
cluded an intensive course of geography,
physics and math to prepare the men. In
addition to the burdens of school work,
they would have military drills and
physical education.
"Most of us took four years of math
in one year, so it was pretty intense,"
Charles Cable of Flight A said.
At their 60th reunion Sunday, 26 of
the 100 or so surviving members of the
Fighting 51st gathered in a small room
at the Phoenix Inn to remember their
days at the l Iniversity.
Bob Grorud of the 51st said that the
program was just as strict and regiment
ed as what one might find at the presti
gious West Point Military Academy.
"We didn't have the entertainment as
pect (of college)," he said. "It was very
much regimented."
The men lived in Hendricks Hall,
which was formerly a women's dormi
tory, displacing the residents. In addi
tion, Howard Cook of Flight C said they
had "very good cooks."
"1 think we had the best army duty of
Tim Bobosky Photographer
At the Phoenix Inn on Franklin Boulevard during the first reunion of the Fighting 51st in 60
years, Gail Myers (left) and Phyllis Ross (center) crack up over Jim Arndt’s monologue about
his poem on the meaning of "going 60."
anyone that year," he added.
The campus also had women, an en
vironment that most servicemen didn't
have. In a pamphlet put together by the
Fighting 51st, a dedication reads, "We
dedicate this book to the girls... for they
made this year different from other
army years."
The women, according to some of
the men, were equally appreciative of
the Fighting 51 st's presence. Ihe war had
deprecated the male population at the
University because many of the men
were serving in the war.
"We were their salvation," Grorud
said with a chuckle.
The women offered them relief from
their strict, regimented days in class.
Sororities held parties and dances most
weekends.
"We had a dance band called Father
Bailey and they played for dances every
weekend," Cable said.
While the men had no spare time
during the week, taking several classes
during the day and compulsory study
sessions at night, their weekends —
which started Saturday morning and
ended Sunday evening — were free.
Some used that time to study, but Bob
Williams of Flight C occasionally didn't.
"I was old enough to buy liquor. I
would buy champagne and we'd go be
hind a bush and drink," he said. "But I
think a lot of the time we would ...
study."
That year at the University changed
the lives of the men of the 51st forever.
Many returned to college and their
classes at the University guided their
courses of education.
Harold Summers expressed his grati
fication for the education that the Uni
versity provided him.
"They expanded our minds and our
appreciation for the world in which we
live," he said.
Contact the people/culture/faith
reporter
at moriahbalingit@dailyemerald.com.
REAGAN
continued from page 1A
Jacques Chirac. "Ronald Reagan
won America's respect with his great
ness and won its love with his good
ness. He had the confidence that
comes with conviction, the strength
that comes with character, the grace
that comes with humility, and the
humor that comes with wisdom."
Shortly after Reagan died, the
American flag waving above the
White House was lowered to half
staff and official Washington began
planning to pay tribute to a man
who was to many Republicans what
lohn Kennedy was to Democrats.
"He took a party of accountants
and added some heart and soul to
it," said Gary Bauer, a conservative
leader who served in the Reagan ad
ministration for the entire eight
years.
With Reagan's death there are
now four former living U.S. presi
dents. Two of them competed with
Reagan for the GOP presidential
nomination: Gerald Ford in 1976
and George H.W. Bush in 1980.
Speaking from his summer home
in Kennebunkport, Maine, the elder
Bush said: 'The finality of all of this
is going to hit the American people
very hard." Ford called Reagan "an
excellent leader of our nation during
challenging times at home and
abroad."
Former President Bill Clinton of
ten said how much he admired Rea
gan, particularly his buoyant man
ner. "Hillary and I will always
remember President Reagan for the
way he personified the indomitable
optimism of the American people."
It was that style that allowed Rea
gan to maintain strong friendships
with the likes of Democratic lions
such as the late Thomas 'Tip"
O'Neill, the former speaker of the
House from Massachusetts, and for
mer Illinois congressman Dan Ros
tenkowski.
"Ronald Reagan's love of country
was infectious," said Sen. John Ker
ry, D-Mass, the presumptive Democ
ratic presidential nominee. "Even
when he was breaking Democrats'
hearts, he did so with a smile.... De
spite the disagreements, he lived by
that noble ideal that at 5 p.m. we
weren't Democrats or Republicans,
we were Americans and friends."
"President Reagan was bom in the
heartland of America, and his life
will always occupy a place in the
hearts of the American people," said
House Speaker Dennis Hasten, R-Ill.
Many were the politicians who
said that they were pulled toward
public life by Reagan's inspiration.
California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, said, "He was a
hero to me.... Ronald Reagan always
inspired me to be a leader, to do
what 1 can do to make our country
stronger."
"1 grieve today for the loss of my
modern philosophical hero," said
Sen. George Allen, R-Va.
(c) 2004, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Information Services. Correspondents
William Neikirk, Michael Tackett,
Michael Martinez, Rick Pearson and
Richard Wronski contributed to this
report.
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