Laurel outlook., 1944-06-07
Letters From
Our Boys

49,
strategic air forces in Europe, all
service command station somewhere
in England:
Jesse E. DeFrance, End 1t. A. c.,
the husband of Marjorie f. De-
France of Laurel, Mont, is now
overseas and has participated in a
course designed to bridge the gap
between training in the States and
soldering in an active theatre OF
war. At one of the air service COM
mand stations known as control de-
pots, Lieutenant DeFrauce was care
fully processed by classification eX-
perts who make certain that he was
well fitted for the job assigned to
him.
Security training, personal hy-
giene, a talk by a special service
officer informing him of facilities
for healthful recreation and a lect-
ure by the chaplain are all in turn
a part of the soldiers preparation
for duties overseas.
His next station will be one from
which Americas fighting planes
take off to smash the Nazi war ma
chine.
Before entering the army he was
operating Genes Super Service in
Laurel, Mont.
Public relations office, headquar-
ters U. S. strategic air forces in
Europe, an Eighth air force bomber
station:
Staff Sgt. Allen w. Mack, son of
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Mack of 521
Avenue F, Billings, Mont, is serv-
ing at a ball turret gunner of a
flying fortress crew of the eighth
air force now carrying out opera
tional missions over Germany and
enemy-occupied Europe.
The air medal was recently award
ed to Sergeant Mack for exceptional
m~eritorious achievement while par
ticipating in five separate combat
missions over continental Europe.
Sergeant Mack enlisted in July
1912, and has completed specialized
training at schools at Lowry Field,
Colo, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Prior to his entrance in the air
corps, the sergeant was employed
an aircraft mechanic by Boeing
Aircraft company in Seattle. He is
a graduate of Billings high school,
of 40.
PFC. C. G. Scott, NJ. c., Pacific,
May %, to Mrs. C. G. Scott:
This has been an interesting day.
Because it was Sunday we had no
work details, so five of us started
out at $50 this morning to see
We went along the beach,
examining all the shells and sea
life.
The beach is not as you would
it-no sand, just all coral.
1t looks more like volcanic rock
and is very sharp.
By far the most outstanding
thing we saw was the fish-espec-
tally the many little blue ones up
to three inches long and built like
goldfish, but a brilliant blue. They
are more blue than the sky or any
I have ever seen. We cap
tured one and have it in a bottle.
Some had scarlet tails, others were
orange and blue striped lengthwise
and some had black and yellow
rings. There were so many differ
ent combinations l cannot remem-
per them all. We saw only one
.arge fish, about two feet long.
ion't know what it was.
Among other things we saw sew
eral alligator hides tackled to trees
to cure. We did not visit the place
where they are found; that will be
a future project.
I think | learned a few things
about the coral today-how it is
I waded in the water, look
ng for things, and found some coral
n different stages of hardness,
shapes and color. 1t starts like a
plant, something like the body OF
/ n Clusters of tiny fingers
stick upward, similar to those Of
title cacti. AS it grows it branches
md then hardens like rock. | found
he clusters in lavender, green,
range, black and white. Broken
look like the forks of a
horn.
There were different kinds of
lesh-like plants growing oil the
'ocks. Perhaps they were animal in
tead of. plant life, for the flesh :
ooked like fish when we cut it off. !
Near the shore the water was
a little farther out there i,
vas a deep crevice which | stepped Q
.cross into more shallow water.
The water in the deep crevices is /
,lue as a be. l..
At places along the shore the 4;
oral is broken up almost like peb- .
lies, and among this are many sea Z
hells. The shells are colored, but
he coral seems to turn white after
t is broken up. .
AS we went along we saw old .
oxholes and log pillboXes. The I