The Jaysee Echo (Rochester, Minnesota), Volume 11, Number 10

              CONTACT
By ANDY
Now that things around JaySee are
predominately petticoated, we'll have to
"change our pitch" to appeal not only to
us 4-F's and youngsters, but also'to those
members of the weaker (?) sex.
One story of possible interest is that of
the "Powder-puff Brigade"—the women
who ferry British bombers from the factories to the bases. There are several,
well-known in aviation circles before the
the war. One was a co-pilot with an American airline—the only woman in the Army
Air Corps, while another, the baby of the
crowd, is in her early twenties. The ages
of the rest?    Oh, no!    That's a military
secret.
* * *
An aviation expert once said that no
human could ever walk away from a landing made at any speed over 160 m.p.h.
However, after watching a St. Paul boy
"land 'er in" at 250 m.p.h., a group of
North African fliers just laughed at his
prediction. Lieutenant Alfred Schwab
of St. Paul returned from a low level
strafing raid with his throttle control and
landing gear motor riddled by enemy fire.
Unable to slow down, or lower his wheels,
Schwab gradually eased 'er clown to a
long, level stretch of desert pasture. He
struck the earth with a terrific jolt,
bounced, then hit again two miles farther
down the field. Soon he was leapfrogging
all over the place like a jeep after a Jap
with a mile or so between leaps and with
no prospects of a happy landing in sight.
Perhaps he would have gone on indefinitely
bouncing like a molecule gone mad, had
it not been for a large flock of sheep grazing on this particular strip of terra firma.
"Down came the airman like a wolf on
the fold"—with wool flying in every direction. The shock caused his ignition to
short, thus bringing his plane to a skidding halt.    Only casualties were several
sheep.
* *        *
Americans owe a great deal to Don
Swenson and hundreds of others like him,
whose stick-to-it-iveness in the struggle
for a better recognition of air travel and
aviation in general has shown itself to be
of inestimable value in today's nation at
war. They have provided efficient bases
for the training of our Army, Navy and
WTS flyers. Without them and their
airport service (which was, in most cases,
an upnul struggle against lack of finances
usually putting the struggling field operator in a precarious position just one jump
ahead of the sheriff) our airline systems
could never have survived as they did
without government subsidization. Not
one of the many have become rich as a
result of their newly found place in the
sun. Every cent of surplus goes into new
equipment always with the thought in
mind of improving the service and facilities, yet lowering the rates.
Congratulations, Mr. Swenson, and
all you others as well, for a difficult job
well done.
Boys Leave School
To Go On Farms
Uncle Sam knows there is more than
one way to win a war and that the job
of supplying food for the men in service
and the United Nations is as important
as the actual fighting in the ranks.
For this reason certain Junior College
fellows have been asked to leave school
and return to farm work for the duration.
Those called this year are Alfred Schu-
man, Keith Hagen, Robert Erickson,
Lowell Dahl, Francis Healy, Robert
Francis, and David Calhoun.
umcAi
THE JAYSEE ECHO
VOLUME XI
Rochester, Minnesota, Wednesday, June 2, 1943
NUMBER 10
J. C. Lists 300 In U. S. Forces
1
For several years the last issue of the "Jaysee Echo" has been dedicated
to the graduating class. This year it is dedicated to our former students who
are in the service endeavoring to preserve the heritage which a few years ago
we thought was secure.
As I write this, North Africa has been cleared, the Mediterranean is being
cleared, and supply lines shortened. The supplies of the enemy are under
constant bombardments, and our troops have taken Attu. What a contrast
to the dark days of 1942 when some of you left the halls of R.J.C. For several
months now the news has been of victories, not defeats. To you who have
done so much, we dedicate this issue. It is a small token of our appreciation,
for your contribution to this change. This issue goes to all parts of the world.
It carries our sincere best wishes and a pledge of support for continued success.
The best of luck to all of you.
*   *
R. J. C. SWELLS LISTS OF
"COMS" AND "NON-COMS"
From the halls of our own Rochester
Junior College have walked approximately
three hundred and eighty-five men,
of whom fifty are commissioned and
approximately thirty-five non-commissioned officers in the forces of the
United States. Most of these fellows
were stars in one way or another at
R.J.C, either excelling in sports or other
extra-curricular activities. It is usually
fellows like this who manage to get ahead
in this world, and how well they have
proved it by attaining ranks as officers in
the forces of these United States. These
men have worked hard, and, no doubt,
deserve the titles conferred upon them,
but it still takes all types of men and the
best of cooperation to win a war. Congratulations to all of you men who have
attained your present ranks and the best
of luck that you may climb higher on
that ladder to succes.
Among the highest of the commissioned
officers in the services of Uncle Sam are
Lieutenant Colonel Norman Markle and
Lieutanant Colonel Leland Fiegel. Both
of these men were good students at J.C.
and popular with everyone.
Lieutenant Colonel Markle spent one
year at J.C. and was interested chiefly in
dramatics. During his time here, they
opened the Little Theatre, and it was he
who built the first stage setting for the
plays that were to follow. From R.J.C. he
went to West Point and played in different reviews. This fine fellow is now a
Lieutenant Colonel in the Tank Corps
and still devotes much of his time to
writing and directing plays for the Army.
Leland Fiegel is of the same caliber as
Markle and has done just as much for
his country. At R.J.C. it was Fiegel and
his sister who teamed together and did a
fine job of it. Now it is Fiegel, his crew,
and airplane that are doing a marvelous
job in this war. Fiegel always did good
work and left a fine record behind him at
J.C. The world will always remember him
for his remarkable achievements during
this war.
J. C. SALUTES
Lieutenant-Colonel  Leland  Fiegel:
A graduate of the class of 1934, who was
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
for his important military mission to Moscow in 1942.
Lieutenant-Colonel Fiegel received his
silver oak leaves in March, the same month
in which he observed his twenty-ninth
birthday.
Mrs. Fiegel resides in Rochester.
Lieut.-Colonel   Norman   K.   Markle,  Jr.:
Colonel Markle who was promoted
recently, is now at Camp Polk, Louisiana,
where he is executive officer of the Fourt-
eth Armed regiment of "Lucky Seventh"
armored division.
He graduated from R.J.C. in 1929 and
from the U.S. Military Academy at West
Point in 1936.
Lieutenant Jack Bannon:
Lieutenant Bannon is a veteran of many
Flying Fortress raids on two war zone
fronts, and is reported to be in line for the
Distinguished Flying Cross. A navigator,
he entered the army air forces about two
years ago. He graduated from R.J.C. in
1939.
Major Maurice Dale:
Major Dale, class of 1928, was of late
promoted and was awarded the Purple
Heart for "outstanding performance of
duty and meritorious acts of extra-ordinary
fidelity and essential service during and
following the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor."
Mrs. Dale and two sons will reside in
Robbinsdale, Minnesota, for the duration
of the war.      	
COURAGE
Courage is the soul that fears to do,
Yet does it.
Courage is the man who fears to face,
Yet faces it.
The man who says and stands by his
convictions,
Is not a coward.
The man who fears to do, and does not,
Or fears to face, and faces not,
Or says and then is blown hither and yon,
He is the coward. —M.E.N.
This survey has been made to give an
idea of how the particular services stack
up as to the number of J.C. men enlisted.
However, because military censorship prohibits giving the exact number of men at
any one place, most information is quite
general. Also, because of frequent transfers and more recent additions to the
ranks, it is impossible that these figures
be 100% correct.
In all, there are about 350 former J.C.
men and women in the various branches
of the service. Of these, the Army Air
Corps has claimed by far the greatest
number. Many ofthese are flyers, many
others are doing ground work.
There are more recent inductees, more
who are attending college in preparation
for aeronautical engineering. The U.S.
Navy has in its ranks about 35 of our men.
Of these, two are in communications, four
in the medical corps, nine in the Navy Air
Corps, and one in the See Bees (Construction Battalions). While many of these
men are in active service, others are in
various stages of their training. There are
also two fellows remaining in school who
are awaiting call in the Navy Air Corps.
About twelve of our men are out developing the technique needed to get the
situation well in hand. By this time, however, some of them are veterans of several
campaigns. One of these Marines is enlisted in the medical corps.
In the various branches of the army, J.C.
is indeed well represented. In the regular
army there are about 75; in the army medical corps, thirteen; in the army dentistry
division, five; special service, three; army
photography, three; anti-aircraft, two;
coast artillery, four; and in the signal corps,
five.
Of the approximate total at least 25
are overseas, and in a very short time
several more are expected to follow.
One point to be noted is that so many
of the J.C. men are officers or will be soon.
Our record along that line is fine indeed.
A service flag will soon be hanging in
the corridor of Rochester Junior College
with a star to represent each student in
the armed forces, each one a boy we can
well be proud of, because he is helping in
his own way to defend America and all
that America stands for. We are grateful to them for all the sacrifices they are
making and our hearts are with them
now and always.
J. C. Goes All Out
For Victory
Rochester Junior College has taken an
active part in the Victory Program
throughout this entire school year in the
form of Glider Pilot training, Crosscountry
training, Red Cross activity, war stamp
sales, and lately preparations have been
made to purchase a service men's flag.
While the Girls' Club was still a separate
activity,  Lorraine  Pruett  and   Margaret
Johnson led its members in taking part in
Continued on page 4, col. 4
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