Vol. 2—No. 19
U. S. Navy Pre-Flight School, Chapel Hill, N. C.
Saturday, January 22, 1944
President’s
Birthday Ball
Officers, enlisted men, and
civilian employees are reminded
that tickets for the President’s
Birthday Ball to be held in
Woollen gym on Jan. 29 are now
on sale in the Welfare Office,
Room 112, Alexander Hall.
Price $1.00 per person, tax in
cluded.
Tickets will be made avail
able to the cadets at places to
be announced early next week.
The ball is sponsored by the
Pre-Flight School for the bene
fit -of the Infantile Paralysis
Fund and all station personnel
are urged to join with the uni
versity and townspeople in
making the affair an outstand
ing success.
Personnel Changes
Four officers were detached dur
ing the past week.
Officers detached and their new
destinations are Lieut. Arthur K.
Royal, USNR, of the athletic de
partment, to NAS, Bunker Hill,
Ind.; Lt. (jg) Kenneth E. Kimber-
lin, USNR, assistant coach of
swimming, to NAS, Jacksonville,
Fla.; Lt. (jg) Raymond C. 0th,
USNR, assistant coach of boxing
to NATTC, Memphis, Tenn., and
Ens. Ralph R. Kirn, USNR, as
sistant coach of track to Naval
Plight Preparatory School, Co
lumbia, S. C.
Two enlisted men were attached
during the past week, M. A. Lo-
vera. Sic, coming from NAS,
Memphis, Tenn., and Raymond P.
Ross, Ylc, coming from the Pre-
Flight School at Del Monte, Cal.
Cadets Invited to Mclver
Pre-Flight cadets are invited to
an open house at Mclver Dormi
tory tomorrow afternoon from
1600 to 1800. Refreshments will
be served.
Draper and Adler
Entertain Cadets
Paul Draper and Larry Adler,
famous dance and harmonica ar
tists of stage and screen, enter
tained the Regiment of Cadets,
officers, crew, and families at a
special program held exclusively
for the Pre-Flight School in Me
morial Hall Wednesday afternoon.
Coming to Chapel Hill to appear
in a joint recital as pai't of the
UNC Student Entertainment
Series Wednesday evening, the ar
tists gave an informal mid-after
noon show for the Pre-Flight
School that rated a straight 4.0 in
entertainment value.
An impromptu appearance was
made on the program by Cadet
David Macklin, 43rd Battalion
member from New York, who
teamed with Adler on several num
bers. Macklin formerly was a
member of the Borrah Minevitch
Harmonica Rascals.
Rear Admiral Hardison New Chief
Of Naval Air Primary Training
Rear Admiral Hardison, USN
Local Enlisted Man Is Honored
Charles James COKER, PhMlc, USN, attached to the Pre-Flight
School, has just received a Presidential Unit Citation for his service
with the FIRST MARINE DIVISION, REINFORCED between 7
August and 9 December 1942. The Presidential Citation is quoted as
follows:
“Cited in the Name of
The President of the United States
THE FIRST MARINE DIVISION, REINFORCED
Under Command of
Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift, U.S.M.C.
CITATION:
‘The officers and enlisted men of the First Marine Division, Re
inforced, on August 7 to 9, 1942, demonstrated outstanding gallantry
and determination in successfully executing forced landing assaults
against a number of strongly defended Japanese positions on Tulagi,
Gavutu, Tanambogo, Florida and Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands,
completely routing all the enemy forces and seizing a most valuable
base and airfield within the enemy zone of operations in the South
Pacific Ocean. From the above period until 9 December, 1942, this
Reinforced Division not only held their important strategic positions
despite determined and repeated Japanese naval, air and land attacks,
but by a series of offensive operations against strong enemy resistance
drove the Japanese from the proximity of the airfield and inflicted
great losses on them by land and air attacks. The courage and de
termination displayed in these operations were of an inspiring order.’
FRANK KNOX
Secretary of the Navy.”
Rear Admiral Osborne B. Hardi
son, USN, heroic commanding of
ficer of the aircraft carrier, USS
Enter'pi'ise, in the battle of the
Santa Cruz Islands in October,
1942, has been designated as Chief
of Naval Air Primary Training
and will assume his new duties
early in February.
Admiral Hardison will succeed
Captain Dixie Kiefer, USN, Chief
of Staff of the Naval Air Primary
Training Command, who has been
Chief of Naval Air Primary
Training on additional duty basis
since Nov. 20, 1943. Captain Kie
fer is former executive officer of
the aircraft carrier, TJSS York-
town.
Both Admiral Hardison and
Captain Kiefer are holders of the
coveted Navy Cross.
Admiral Hardison was born in
Wadesboro, N. C., on Dec. 22,1892.
He attended the University of
North Carolina, and entered the
Naval Academy from the Seventh
North Carolina District in 1912.
He was graduated on June 2,1916.
After graduating from the
Naval Academy, he joined the
USS Texas and was in that battle
ship when she operated during the
World War as a unit of the Sixth
Battle Squadron, British Grand
Fleet. After detachment from the
Texas in August 1920, he served
in the USS John Francis Bumes,
USS Wickes, USS Claxton, USS
Parrott, and USS Mayflower. He
reported to the Naval Air Station,
Pensacola, Fla., for flight training
on Jan. 2, 1923, and was desig
nated naval aviator on June 23,
1923. Since that time he has
served continuously in naval avia
tion ashore and afloat.
Admiral Hardison had com
mand of the USS Enterprise from
October 1942, until April 7, 1943.
For that service he was awarded
the Navy Cross, the citation read
ing as follows:
See ADMIRAL, page U