I
BUSTE
Vol. 1—No. 24
U. S. Navy Pre-Flight School, Chapel Hill, N. C.
Saturday, March 6, 1943
Hews digest,,.
Detachments, Arrivals
Three officers were detached
from the station during the past
'Week, while two others reported
for duty.
Transferred were Lieut. Paul A.
Thompson, D-V(S), instructor in
€:ssentials of naval service, going
to the NRAB at Squantum, Mass.;
Lieut, (jg) John W. Morriss,
D-V(S), track coach, to the Naval
Aviation Cadet Selection Board,
New Orleans, La.; and Ens. Jack
G. VerLee, D-V(S), platoon officer
and sports program coach, to the
Squantum NRAB.
Coming aboard were Lieut, (jg)
John M. Sink, Jr., A-V(S), report
ing from NAS, Quonset Point,
R. L, for duty in the academic de
partment here, and Lieut, (jg)
George Parke, Jr., MC-V(G), from
the Naval Hospital, Philadelphia,
Ga.
Hed Cross War Fund
Contributions to the American
I^ed Cross war fund were made by
F*re-Flight personnel last Thurs
day and Friday at a table prepared
for this purpose in Alexander Hall.
President Roosevelt has asked the
country to give at least $125,000,-
000 for carrying on the manifold
''^ar services of the Red Cross
^hich form an essential link be
tween the American fighting man
and the folks at home.
Plea for Grass
“This spring give the grass a
chance. Walk on the walks, Free
dom places the responsibility on
yoM.” Thus read several signs post
ed at various places on the Uni
versity campus this past week.
For the good of the grass, what
kittle there is of it, cadets are
asked to follow the walks while on
town liberty this weekend. By the
first of May we may see green
Srass—even in Chapel Hill.
Pre-Flight Cadet
Faced Enemy Fire
At Casablanca
Few if any cadets have traveled
as far as Allen H, Freeman for
training in naval aviation.
Little more than three months
ago. Cadet Freeman was some 3,-
000 miles away, serving with the
blitzing bluejackets who smashed
Cadet Freeman
through the Axis defense and con
voyed American troops safely into
North Africa. In the first landing
party at Fedala—about 15 miles
north of Casablanca—he saw at
first hand the supreme value of
local air superiority. Now as a
member of the 19th Battalion he is
busily preparing for the day when
he will again go against the enemy,
but next time from the cockpit of
a Navy patrol bomber.
At the * Casablanca landing.
Freeman was serving as QM3c on
a 63-foot aviation rescue patrol
See FREEMAN, page U
Lt. Kepler Head Baseball Coach;
Practice Starts Here Monday
Cadets Dance
In Gym Tonight
Cadets and their dates will hop
and swing to the rhythmic offer
ings of the Pre-Flight band at the
regimental dance to be held to
night in Woollen Gymnasium.
Starting time of the. affair, ar
ranged by Lieut. Frank L. Gilles
pie, USNR, assistant welfare and
recreation officer, is 2030. The last
dance will be over by 2315 and taps
will be at 2400.
Members of the senior (15th)
battalion will be permitted to wear
their blue service uniforms, while
the remainder of the regiment will
wear khakis.
A guest vocalist is expected to
be featured during the evening.
Enlisted Men Make
Changes in Ratings
The following advancements in
ratings were effected on Mar. 1:
John C. Lennan from Sic to
SM3c; Clifton F. Looney from Sic
to SM3c; Randolph C. Roper, Sic
to SM3c; Eliot C. Read, YBc to
Y2c; , Carl W. Bryan, SK2c to
SKlc; Ernest 0. Edward's, PhM3c
to PhM2c; William R. Mabley, Jr.,
PhM3c to PhM2c; and John S.
Phillips, PhM3c to PhM2c.
Joseph H. Waite was changed in
rating the same day from Y3c to
SK3c. /
Movie Schedule
]Vfar. 6—Free movie at Village
Theatre, “I Married a Witch” with
Fredric March and Veronica Lake.
Feature starts at 1330, 1515, 1930
and 2115.
Mar, 7—Free movie at Village
Theatre, “Babes on Broadway”
with Mickey Rooney and Judy Gar
land. Feature starts at 1310 and
1515.
Lieut. Don Kepler, USNR, who
played major league ball with both
the Chicago White Sox land Wash
ington Senators, has been named
head coach of baseball here, it was
announced this week by Comdr.
John P. Graff, USN (Ret.), com
manding officer. Named at the
same time to serve as assistants to
Coach Kepler were Lieuts. (jg)
Buddy Hassett, Pete Appleton, and
A1 Sabo. Others may be an
nounced later.
Coach Kepler stated Thursday
that the initial baseball practice
of the year would be held Monday
afternoon at 1530 on Emerson
Field. All cadets are eligible to
try for the team, and the first
game is scheduled against Ca
tawba college at Salisbury, N. C.,
on April 3.
While the schedule is not com
plete, fifteen games have already
been arranged. A “rationed lea
gue,” composed of the Pre-Flight
School and three college teams in
the Big Five—Carolina, N. C.
State, and Duke—has been start
ed and is thought to be th^ first of
its kind in the country; All teams
in the league will play four games
with each othe;?^wo at home and
two away.
As yet the calibre of the team
is not Imown, but it is expected
that s^eral ball players with pre
vious experience are already here,
ajm that others will report in the
ext three or four battalions.
Kepler’s assistants have all seen
action in the majors. Hassett was
a member of the famed New York
Yankees of last year, Appleton
played with the St. Louis Browns
during the past season, and Sabo
was with the Washington Senators
for a while.
The schedule, at present, is as
follows:
April 3, Catawba, there; April
6, Carolina, here; April 10, Duke,
here; April 13, Carolina, here;
See BASEBALL, page Jt