The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1944-11-09

OTIS CARNEY

Lester Dowd, eh?"
eyes, sir" I said, wondering it
the question of legitimacy would
arise.
He poured over the records.
"Where is Yale University" he
asked, unable to resist the temp
tation.
'sNew Haven, sir" said when
the laughter had died.
you're the boy we're looking
for" he continued earnestly. eve
need officers. We need men like
Dewey, men like Farragut, and
Jones. We're counting on you
boys. Wait a minute" he said,
looking closer at my college rec
ord.
sDowd, have you had two years
of college math?" he faltered.
IT took it, at prep school, SIR" I
countered truthfully.
'But have you had two years
of college math?" he insisted.
what sort of math is that, sir?"
''It's just two years of college
math," he Numbered dumbly.
''The Bureau requires it. Look
here"-he pointed to a list of
specifications-"Two years of col
lege math for W candidates"
"But, sir, I had advanced math-
ematics in prep school" I chung
to my point. A little thing like
some misplaced trigonometry was
not going to come between us.
"The Bureau says you have to
take it in college. I hate to lose
you, my boy, but if you haven't
had two years of college math
"Do you actually use it?" !
asked, wondering how much time
John Paul found for scientific al
zebra.
NO." he admitted wistfully.
'That's the funny thing"
never took any mathematics
in college, and consequently
never got into the VI class. It
was disappointment. From the
beginning my preference was for
the Navy, a sentiment that can
not logically be explained. Per
haps it was the lure of ships.
Perhaps it was a vain conception
that the Navy was ever so choosey
regarding it's personnel. There
was conviction among us that
it took a pretty good man to get
into the Navy.
We get the cream" beamed
Commander Whitman at dinner
one night. He was stationed at
the Great Lakes Training Center
He knew father in the last war
and was a frequent visitor at our
house.
'"To the cream" I toasted the
Commanders statement.
''Be it ever so thin," muttered
Father, who was an Army man
Beyond this may have lurked q
subconscious desire to Illustrate
the best-laid plans of the draft
board. This never amounted tc
a willful evasion of the law.
could not convince myself thai
the Army had my best interests al
heart. The Navy was different
They gave you your choice. They
did until the gimmick of college
math appeared.
At first I had an Astronomical
draft number.
'You won't 60 until the Ger
mans get to Indianapolis" Mr.
Green, the head of the board, ad
vised ruefully from his office il
Libertyville. There, with a pref
ty eye for symbolism, he had Sc
up headquarters. When the Jap
started coming through the floor
he was forced to revise the est
mate. And then I redoubled my
my efforts. More than ever
wanted to serve with the Navy
The lure of ships can be a very
potent thing at times.
Barred from VT, I was none
theless determined to be enlisted
by shutdown. The Coast Guare
needed men.
''Why don't you go and SCI
them?" urged the enlisting off
Ger. They're on the seventh
floor of the old Post Office Build
ing"
They actually were.
It was blowing hard outside
The winter wind had pinched m.
eyes up protectively. I got jus
inside the Coast Guard quarter
when the examining doctor eros
sed from one room to another. HI
was in his shirtsleeves and taking
large, rapid strides. Spying mt
in the doorway he pointed will