Newspapers / Cloudbuster (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / Oct. 31, 1942, edition 1 / Page 3
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Saturday, October 31, 1942 CLOUDBUSTER Page Three Dr, Wright Is Promoted To Rank of Full Commander The president of the Valparaiso, Ind., Chamber of Commerce would do well to make Comdr. Jesse Gordon Wright, senior medical officer aboard ship, one of his chief aides. For Comdr. Wright has spent fifteen and a half years in the Navy, seeing the world and telling the people about Valparaiso. At the same time Dr. Wright has advanced in rank from that of Lt. (jg) in. 1927 to Comdr. as of Oct. 20 of last week. He says that the first seven years were the hardest simply because he was a lieutenant (jg) for that period of time. Came June, 1934, and advancement to rank of full lieu tenant, and from that point things have moved more rapidly. Valparaiso is a mid-west town of some 10,000 inhabitants. It is the home of Valparaiso University, and Comdr. Wright compares it favorably with Chapel Hill or vice versa. His father taught math in Valparaiso, and Dr. Wright attended school there from /ce Cream Toasted Sandwiches Milk Shakes Sundaes cS: Sodas DURHAM DAIRY PRODUCTS NAVY UNIFORMS DESERVE Good Dry Cleaning Why not send yours to the Community Cleaners? Here you will get— • EXCELLENT SERVICE • MODERATE PRICES • buttons replaced COMMUNITY CLEANERS Phone 5841 Commander Wright 1921 to 1923. Then he transferred to Indiana University where he received his BS in 1925, and his MD in 1927. That brings us up to his Navy career. Why he joined the Navy he doesn’t know. He musingly says that upon graduation from Indiana he took the Navy medical examination, passed it, and that’s all there was to it. He im mediately reported to the Naval Hos pital in Boston as a lieutenant (jg). After a short stay in Boston came the first of several cruises. It was on the USS Oglala, flagship of the mine squadron. Summers were spent in New England around Glaucester, New London, and Boston, and winters in the West Indies. Comdr. Wright spent his spare time fishing and par ticipating in other extra-curricular ac tivities typical of these two areas. Returning to shore in August, 1930, Dr. Wright did post graduate work at the Naval Medical Center in Washing ton. Eight months later he was on his way to the Naval Air Station in Pensa cola. In the meantime, he married a hometown girl. Dr. and Mrs. Wright and one child compose the present family. During his 15 months at Pensacola, Dr. Wright qualified as a flight sur geon. Then he was on the move again, this time to the Great Lakes Naval Station at Chicago. Why, he doesn’t know, but in May, 1933, the Navy closed the Great Lakes Station, lock, stock, and barrel. Ordered to Norfolk he awaited the completion of the USS Ranger, the first ship that was built as a carrier. He was on the Ranger until 1936, dur ing which time he became a full lieu tenant. From the Ranger he was ordered to the Aircraft Squadron, Fleet Marine Force which was based at Quantico, Va. The squadron traveled any place air stations were available. “Many of the men in that force are the same ones who have done such heroic work at Wake Island, Midway, and the Guadalcanal Zone,” Dr. Wright proud ly admits. Comdr. Wright’s most interesting duty was with Patrol Wing Number Four. This consisted of five squadrons of patrol planes, and two tenders. They were based in Seattle, and trav elled all up and down the Alaskan coast. Any spare time found Dr. Wright fishing for trout and hunting for bear. There were no tall bear stories in the offering during the in terview, but Comdr. Wright stated that he could catch more trout than he could carry in an hour, and that anything under 23 inches would be thrown back in the stream. In September, 1940, Dr. Wright was transferred to the staff of the com mander cruisers scouting force on the flagship USS Chicago. Honolulu was the base, the Fiji Islands and New Zealand were visited, but most of the time was spent in Australia. In February, 1941, four cruisers and a destroyer squadron of the scouting force left for an undisclosed destina tion, thought to be Singapore. They ended up in Australia, and received a never to be forgotten reception. “The Australian people thought we. had come to replace their fleet which had gone on active duty,” stated Dr. Wright. “We didn’t know but what they were right. Anyway, when we arrived Parliament recessed, schools were dismissed, and we were treated like kings. They carried us on their shoulders, and we all signed about a million autographs.” Prior to reporting to Chapel Hill in April of this year, Dr. Wright was se nior medical officer at the Naval Air Station at Anacostia, D. C. Pre-Flight cadets, officers and en listed men know the tremendous work and responsibility that rests on Comdr. Wright and his staff. To keep 1500 cadets, 400 officers and enlisted men in top physical condition is no easy task. To aid him there are eight doctors, three dentists, two nurses, a psycholo gist, physiologist, and a number of enlisted men. Comdr. Wright has over 900 hours in the air, and he is well qualified to comment on the Pre-Flight program. “When I first reported to Chapel Hill I came with an open mind, and was un decided as to its worth. Since I have seen the program in operation, I am confident that it will play a major part in the final victory. The program is a credit to the Navy and Naval avia tion.” Bifster Bits CAMPUS CAFE Try Our Western Steaks and Chops WE SERVE THE VERY BEST MARE THOSE SNAPSHOTS TODAY Kodaks Movie Cameras Fresh Film WE LEND KODAKS FOISTER PHOTO CO. (Open Sunday for Vour Convenience) A severe crimp was put in the hobby of Cadet Alpio Catalfo, Jr., (10th Battalion), of Dover, N. H., by the re cent Navy Department order prohibit ing the keeping of personal diaries by Navy personnel for the duration of the war. Catalfo has faithfully kept a daily record of his life since Jan. 1, 1934, one which now totals some 4,500 pages and over 1,000,000 words. As used in the Navy Department or der, diaries include “any private notes or memoranda of any description whatsoever, which indicates in any manner the location or activities of personnel, ships, aircraft, or equip ment of the armed forces of the United States or of any nation allied with the United States in the present war.” If Cadet Richard F. Smith, (11th Battalion), of Columbus, Ga., encoun ters Japs when he takes off for battle, he should feel content that his destiny is being fulfilled. Smith started to make a career of herpetology—the study of snakes. Cadet Edwin W. Stein, (11th Bat talion), of Jenkintown, Pa., is a doc tor of Chiropody, having received his training at Temple University . . . Cadet Samuel P. Freeman, (llth Battalion), of Camilla, Ga., had 215 hours experience as an aircraft radio operator before enlisting in the V-5 program. A brother of Freeman’s was killed in the Battle of Midway . . . A promising collegiate tennis career was interrupted when Cadet Homer W. Bogle, (7th Battalion), of Suffern, N. Y., joined the Navy. After earning four letters in that sport in high school. Bogle went on to cop the fresh man tennis tournament in his first and only year at Columbia. Raising homing pigeons was the peacetime hobby of Cadet John P. McDonough, (9th Battalion), of Dor chester, Mass., who was a two-letter man in football and track at Massa chusetts State College . . . Cadet James M. McFerrin, Jr., (llth Bat talion), of Macon, Ga., has served eight months aboard a minesweeper attached to the Sixth Naval District and working out of Southport, N. C. . . . Taking aircraft instruments apart and putting them together again will not be an entirely new experience for Cadet William G. Zane, (7th Bat talion), of New York, N. Y., when he reaches that phase of his training. He was formerly employed by the Kolls- man Instrument Division of Square D Co., Elmhurst, L. I., N. Y. The junior skeet championship has been held for four consecutive years by Cadet Bradford W. Ingalls, (llth Battalion), of Middlebury, Vt. . . , During the last presidential cam paign, Cadet William B. Church man, (8th Battalion), of Philadelphia, Pa., was employed for six months as a publicity agent for a committee seek ing the election of Wendell Willkie. Churchman has also worked as a radio announcer for a 550-watt station in Bridgton, N. J., specializing in sports. 1300.000 Men Now In Naval Services The total strength of the naval serv ices—the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard—is now approximately 1.300.000 men, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox disclosed last week. The Secretary said the strength of the Navy was nearly 1,000,000 and there were approximately 200,000 in the Marine Corps. The regular Coast Guard, he said, now numbers about 110,000. All three of the services, Knox stated, are being increased A. & p. FOOD STORES Welcomes the Cadets groceries and fresh meat After "lab." . pause and Coca-Cola has a delightful taste that always pleases. Pure, wholesome, delicious, —Ice-cold Coca-Cola satisfies completely. So when you pause throughout the day, make it the pause that YOU TASTE ITS QUALITY refres/ieswith ice-cold Coca-Colu Bottled under authority of The Coca-Cola Company by Durham Coca-Cola Bottling Company TRADE-MARK i Delicious and Refreshing
Cloudbuster (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Oct. 31, 1942, edition 1
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