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About Abbot engineer. (Camp Abbot, Or.) 1943-1944 | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1944)
Page Fourteen ABBOT ENGINEER Camp Abbot, Ore,, May 27, 1944 Commando Kelly Qets Forty Qrand For Life Story Last week Sgt. Charles E. (Commando” ) Kelly, a mild- mannered Pittsburgh youth, who killed forty Germans in Italy, and returned to this country with the Medal of Honor, walked into a bank -ind cashed a check for $25,00, a payment from -20th Century- Fox Films for the rights to produce a film of the ser geant’s life story. Previously, the Saturday Evening Post had paid Ser geant Kelly $15,000 for his story. The young hero has de posited both checks in a trust fund which he set up for his mother, Mrs. Irene Kelly. Notes From C-57 This uiuisuul photograph, taken by Cpl. Don Reppen of ( ’omiuny " A ” , 5<ith Buttalion, shows a group of musically Inclined GIs crowded around Sgt. Buddy Hyde as he makes with a few chords designed strictly for singing purposes. These impromptu sessions at the Service Club sometimes turn out to In- tile source of unexpected pleasure for the boys around ramp. Maybe it’s like the old song: “ The Best Things in I.ife Are Free.” Service Club Is Fun For Soldiers Here An Army camp Service Club is a soldier’s front parlor, his club, and the corner drug store soda fountain. It is one of the few institutions in his Army life that is his inviolate. An officer appears in it only on business, or, on some stations, to eat in the cafeteria. The Service Club where Camp Abbot men and women relax and partake of some of the nicer features of Army life is central ly located near other entertain ment facilities, such as the post theater and recreation hall. In construction, it is typical of service clubs at the n e w e r camps, with a large lounge, a soda fountain, and a cafeteria serving food at moderate prices in a cheerful, efficient atmos phere maintained by Miss Helen Souhrada, hostess. The lounge, the c e n t e r of camp social life, is furnished in leather - upholstered divans and chairs, coffee tables, which fre quently serve the additional function of checker or chess tables, and other useful pieces. On Monday evenings these fur nishings are moved aside and the room converted into a the ater, with long rows of folding chairs, for the weekly GI movie. On Wednesday the heavy furni ture again takes its place on the side lines, and the floor is given over to the dance. Bend Girls Guests For these dances, the Special Services branch, under which the club is operated, provides busses to bring wives and sweet hearts of soldiers and junior hostesses of the Bend L'SO to j Camp Abbot. Mrs. Helen Smith, | director of the Service Club, and | Mrs. Jean Adams, Social and Recreation Hostess, utilize many imaginative ideas in planning these affairs. On special occa sions, such as the recent WAC anniversary, the dance is formal. Corsages beribboned in pastel shades are furnished women guests. An all-soldier revue, known as “ Khaki Kapers,” is the special attraction Thursday evenings. For this feature the singing, dancing, and acting talent of a different battalion each week is worked into a variety program. The balcony which surrounds the lounge on all sides offers a number of additional forms of relaxation and entertainment. Here the soldier finds comfort able chairs and floor lamps pro viding ideal conditions for read ing. A rack of newspapers from all sections of the country gives the latest news from home towns. Writing desks are placed at intervals throughout the bal cony. In a remote corner, where their operation will not be a dis tracting factor, is a group of pin ball machines. BY PVT. C. E. KLINE In recognition of accomplish ments in training, C-57 holds the Tactical, Technical, Administra tion and Fisticuffs plaques. Our newly constructed boxing ring in the company area is the envy of all pugilists. Speaking of sports . . . it looks like C-57 will have one of Abbot’s best softball teams. A crack outfit is being developed under the leadership of Sgt. Shasta. Volley ball, how ever, is C-57’s favorite sport, and we claim to be unequaled in all Camp Abbot. addresses. Such as, Dear Sis, Love, Your Brother Bob. Just give me Sis’s address and I’ll write her. Congratulations are in order for James H. Wageley. An nouncement has been made of his promotion to Private First Class. Three Cheers. T h r o w another shovel full on the fire. Kid! Where some guys in C com pany would like to be: Sgt. Collins. Duffey’s Tavern 1st Sgt Wood......Kansas City T 5 Skenzick .Swamp, Minn. All Trainees..... Home By the way, who was the guy who added the home to the Ab bot Cadence? Not a bad idea anyhow. Don’t worry too much about your hats getting the braid on, boys. There are only about 40 bundles ahead of us. Who knows? Maybe in a month or so. Those people over at C and E are really working hard, so be patient. Oddities: Pvt I. O. Tiger was a mechanic on a ranch in Cali fornia before joining the En gineers. A mechanized sow-hand. Pvt B. M.* Tillman can say his general orders while dealing out the cards for solitaire. Mind over matter. C company’s one-man band marching the boys to the theater. That boy sure swings a wicked trumpet. Coming to the conclusion of this column all I can say is look out for C-57. You’ll be hearing from us and you will have to beat the bugler up to get ahead of us. coach of more than one motion picture star, whose talents and personality contribute much to their success. Equally ubiquitous in Service Club functions is Pvt. Samuel Finifter, former WMCA news caster, who recently began a weekly series of open forums to bring participants up to date on We have many interesting per- the progress of the war. These •sonalities among our trainees, forums are held in the Guest including Pvt. Antonio, Associ House lounge Monday evenings. S/Sgt. Russell Peterson, cap ated Press correspondent for Pvt. Arthur Bourn is in charge four years, and Pvt. Ferrozo, a tain of the Military Police Com of a one-hour program of clas pany softball team, has announc former professional boxer. sical music recordings at the ed the withdrawal of the team Tsk! Tsk! Schedule changes Guest House on Sunday eve make the boys unhappy. On Sat from the post softball league. nings. Reasons given for the unex urday the change made the first Management of the Guest platoon look like one of those pected action include the fact House, a sort of “ GI hostelry” that considerable difficulty was is a function of the Service Club German planned withdrawals. experienced in arranging prac staff. Built to provide quarters Don’t lose your temper, Sgt. tice schedules. “ It has been ex for friends and relatives on over Barrows, it’s not military. The boys are still singing the tremely hard,” said Sgt. Peter night visits at the camp, it con son, “to get the men together for sists of eight rooms, each con praises of Sgt. Collins for that practice and games, because of swell steak dinner last Saturday. taining two beds, built around a our round-the-clock duty sched main lounge. The severity of the Don’t forget the cooks too, boys, ule.” Rather than continue on Army construction is relieved they had a lot to do with it. P. S. under such difficulty, a decision by use of wall board and win Wait ’til you taste Sammy’s to withdraw was reached by dow curtains. Mrs. Edith Delà- chocolate pie. Who said synthetic team personnel, the Sergeant hanty, who supervises this fa rubber? Mail Call seems to be the fa concluded. cility, states that the demand for accommodations is so great that vorite call. Oh woe is me when it is often necessary for visitors that mail comes in. But thé old Pass The ENGINEER To An to make reservations several saying is, "The more mail the other Abbotman— He’ll Appreci weeks in advance. higher the morale." Please, boys, ate It. MPs Withdraw From Ball Race Excellent Library Maintained It is also on the balcony that Miss Caroline Paddock, librar ian, has so arranged the post library that a reader can quickly lay his hands on any volume. An. extensive display of fiction includes works that have been favorites for several genera tions, as well as the current best sellers. In the latter group are such outstanding w o r k s as “ Steep Ascent,” by Anne Mor row Lindbergh, "Razor’s Edge,” by Somerset Maugham, “ Forest and the Fort” and “ Bedford Vil lage,” by Hervey Allen, and many others. The library con tains also an excellent reference department, including the En cyclopedia Britannica and Amer icana. These are but the main attrac tions at the Service Club. There is also equipment for individual use, such as table tennis and other games, and a recording machine on which guests are in vited to produce discs that will carry home messages in their own voices. Activities Supervised ’Pípuñ ro tcrte n w w w " In practically all Service Club events can be seen the hand of Sgt. Buddy Hyde, former Holly wood master of ceremonies and ( ’amp Abbot soldier and Ms girl record their combined v.dces for the home folks, posterity, and a other interested parties as Cp* “Sonny" Sonnenfeldt attends to the mechanical details.