The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-01-30
SYLVIA DAVIS TRAVELS WITH
 TROOP OF US0

II
 During the past three years, Syl- via Davis, recently returned from New York City for visit with her parents, MT and Mrs Trevor Davis of Juneau, has led an exciting life Following graduation from Ju- neau High in 1941, Miss Davis at tended Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and was graduated from there in l944.
 The next step was to New York i City, where she studied with Gala milan and other famous violin teachers, and played with the Ma tional Symphony Orchestra at City Center and Carnegie Hall After some valiant house-hunting, Miss Davis and her sister. Shirley, who
 is graduating this March from the
 Feagin Schol of Drama in Man 1 hattan, found that rarest of New York commodities-a cleverly laid out and roomy apartment. Together the girls painted the en- tire apartment, giving the. floor a
 gleaming black coat of lacquer, and
 decorating the kitchen with Mexi-
 can motif.
 Offered USO Tour Sylvia and Shirley had just set
 tied back in their shining new
 apartment, when Sylvia was offered a USO tour. After bit of hesita
 ton on her part, she found herself aboard a large ship headed for
 Hawaii with members of 20 other USO units,
 1 Miss Davis group, composed of
 six concert musicians, was billed as
 "The Musical Interlude." Other
 units aboard the ship included
 dancers, magicians, comedians, etc. The entire 2l groups stayed togeth-
 CT through the complete tour of
 island hopping.
 By the time the tour ended we
 felt We had known each other all
 our lives said Miss Davis. Saipan On t-J Day On V-J Day she and her musical companions were on Saipan. In celebration the mess sergeants had all taken off for three days Cthey couldn't decide which day was the official V-J Day, so decided to play safe, explained Miss Davis) All we had to eat during their self-awarded vacation was hash,
 said the former Juneau Rainbow ' girl. Most of the time it was
 burned-but we were all too exeit- ed over V-J to mind"
 Gratifying Ovation During the day The Musical h.
 terlude" played to large group of
 Marines. Although the concert mu-
 sicians had worried about the effect
 of classical music on these nlEl
 who are famed for toughness and
 super masculinity. Miss Davis said ! the Marines awarded the perform
 CTS a highly gratifying ovation. Besides Saipan, the USO troop
 played on Hawaii, Tinian, Two Jima, Guam, and other war-torn islands before returning to San Francisco for the long train ride
 to New York
 | Front Line Fighting
 On Two Jima the musicians saw some of the last take-offs for Ja-
 pan. On all the island bases they
 received a new insight into the war in general and an idea of what front-line fighting must have been.
 They played in hospital wards, out door CT stages, specially erected , tents and once in a luxurously ap-
 pointed auditorium.
 We had a grand piano, a beau- tiful stage. and wonderfully intel i ligent and well-groomed audience , of officers" said Miss Davis. We
 were waiting for plane out, how ever, and our concert clothes were ! packed. We were dressed in CT . fatigues!"
 In the middle Of this particular program a loud speaker from the
 airfield announced that the plane was ready to go in five minutes After scrambling for their instru-
 ments the six musicians left the , stage in a frenzy of haste with cheers of good wishes and bon : voyages" rising from the audience
 Give 200 Concerts
 During the tour the unit played 1 more than 200 concerts, one above
 the Atlantic oceon in a four mo
 tored C-54. Since the larger instru- ments were not carried, only four { of the unit could play. Miss Davis and three companions played g I quartet with four soldiers acting as ,. live music stands to hold the sheets l of music before the performers. Il T can't believe anybody heard
 the program above the four mo d tors said Miss Davis, but they : cheered when we finished I . Miss Davis is to be featured in .
 concert of Chamber Music sponsor T ed by the Order of Rainbow Girl: : in Juneau February IA and Is 1T e the Northern Light Presbyterian = <,t,,,rot, She will return to New