Evening star., 1946-07-14

is characteristic of her now as the
wife of an Army man.
Gen. Spaatz-Whom she married
in 1917, three years after his gradu-
alton at West Point-has been
identified with the air forces
throughout his Army career In
1915, he was one of the first 25 Army
men to win their wings in the new
lst Aero Squadron.
She has known the anxiety Of
having him serve in two wars
which she points out is no more
than the lot of many other service
wives.
Even more anxious, perhaps, were
the days after World War l when
her husband was helping to pioneer
in the development of air power.
The early days of aviation in peace
time were pretty much of a strain,
she admits.
But she has never allowed herself
to be a ''worrier.' even though she
still can't be as casual as she would
like when transoceanic flights are
involved.
Has Fund of Humor
Mrs. Spaatz, who has dark hair
and hazel eyes, possesses a fund OF
humor that enlivens her conversa-
ton on almost any subject. And
one Of her favorite topics has to do
with aviation. Air-minded herself,
she thoroughly enjoys hearing air
forces officers get together and talk
shop. She thinks it's wonderful
they can spend their lives doing
something they find so fascinating.
She also Is much interested in
the National Association of Air
Forces Women, a welfare organiza-
ton founded by Mrs. Henry H.
Arnold to assist and supplement the
work of the Air Forces Aid Society,
Unlike her husband. Mrs. Spaatz
doesn't care for cards. When he
plays the guitar. however-probably
his most famous hobby-she some
times does little party singing
as she calls it. And her really se-
rious interest in music is demon
strated by her long service on the
Army Committee for the National
Symphony Orchestra Association.
One of her three daughters. in
cidentally, the former Beckie Spaatz.
who is now Mrs. Emmet Gresham, is
an accomplished pianist. Mrs. Gres-
ham, who married a fighter pilot
now out of the service and studying
at Duke University, makes her home
in Durham, N. c. She has two at
tractive babies still too young to
visit here often.
Another daughter. Katharine, who
is better known as "Tatty," was
overseas for more than two years
during the war, serving with the
American Red Cross in England
and on the continent, but is now
here with her parents. And the
youngest is l4-year-old Carla, who
has never been called anything but
"Boops."
Nicknames in Order
Nicknames are the order in the
Spaatz family. The general has
been known as "Tooey" since his
West Point days and though you
can't do much about making a nick
name of Ruth. Mrs Spaatz is usually
called Rutfie and occasionally
Rufus. And the grandchildren are
Dede and Tay.
During the war, Mrs. Spaatz made
her home in Alexandria in a house.
they acquired just the week before
Pearl Harbor.
| AS Alexandria houses go, she says,
it's Johnny come lately" as it
was not built until 1910! She set
about at once to do it over-an
almost impossible job in the early
days of the war when restrictions
were being clamped down right and
left on every building project. She
says she made all the mistakes one
makes in doing over old houses but
she adored it and. with the expert
ence behind her, would like to take
up something serious in that line.
She makes no claim of having
green fingers but she has lovely
walled garden at her Alexandria
home which was one of her favorite
spots. At Fort Myer her outdoor
interests are centered chiefly in the
vegetable garden where battle cur
rently is being waged with the
animal life that abounds on the post.
When she first arrived, she was
charmed with the squirrels and
rabbits that romped across the
lawns in such large numbers. Now
that they are menace to her gar
den, she finds it surprising to real
ize how much less attractive they
appear.
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