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.