The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-07-21
In The
Background

: - f~AN@NNN ~ q NRA
dent veteran is an eager youth
with a crew outgoing to school
under the C l Bill because war
interrupted things.
But the G / bill of rights in
cludes veterans of all branches
OF the armed forces under its
generous wing. And it includes all
ages-and all wars. At least two
Of the veteran students now TAX
ing courses under the bill are
over seventy. Their educations
were interrupted, you might say,
by the Spanish-American war
rather than World War IL. But
you're never too old to learn.
The oldest veteran on the ed
ucation roster is a wiry little sail
or named Edward w. Thompson,
IS who is enrolled in radio and
electronics course in Miami And
he has been studying these alb
Struse subjects for over two years.
He's never missed a day of school.
And the authorities say his work
Is well above average.
Certainly Ed Thompson earned
his rights under the bill. His car
eer in the Navy dates back to
l889-and the days when wooden
ships with auxiliary sails were
still in the navy
Thirteen years old and four feet,
II inches tall. Ed Thompson ran
away from home and enlisted in
the navy. He was out again in a
short time, as you may imagine.
But he enlisted for keeps in 1895
and served Fl years He started
out after boot training as what
was called a Royal Yardman.
That was the fellow who climb
ed to the highest sail on the mast,
in such old-time ships of the line
as the USS New Hampshire.
AT Santiago, in the Spanish
American war, Thompson was
signalnSan on the bridge of the
USS Texas.
In 1916, he retired--2l years to
the good He was back in uniform
in a year-to take part in World
War /, After that, he got out of
the navy and worked hither and
yon as an oil field man in South
America, railroad hand and
even an elevator mechanic.
By the time World War II came
along, Thompson was nearly IS
years old--but he was naval
reservist with the grade of chief
petty officer And he was in no
mood for peace He got a special
dispensation and once more he
was in the navy. He found out
then about the modern, electronic
navy He saw that you have to
know your stuff.
That's why, now that World
War II is over, Thompson is
studying so vigorously. He doesn't
want to get caught mapping if
there's another war. In the next
one, he says, naval aviation is the
thing He says, There's a great
chance for a young fellow in
thatW
At rs, Ed Thompson figures he
won't pass up such chance,
AT the age of seventy, on the
other hand--navy veteran An
thony Di Lascia is going to school
for other reasons. Tony is study
ing the flute, under the G l bill
and his 10 years only make him
a more conscientious pupil. Also,
he has been playing flute all his
life anyway. and he was band
master at the Navy yard in Brook
lyn for years.
In all. Tony has a record of
90 years Of service in the
navy. plus an earlier hitch
in the army. And he says no
one can say am not entitled
to my schooling under the
CT Bill"
Tony Di Lascia was born and
raised near Salerno, Italy-A
community which has since been
made famous by other, younger
CTS He came to this country in
his teens-and went right into
the army.
That was in l901--and he saw
action in the Philippines, He
switched to the navy in 1903
and became a member of the
manipulating piccolo,
BY the time of World War /.
Tony was bandmaster in the
Brooklyn yard, playing for all the
ship-launchings and ceremonies.
He was retired once--30 years
ago. But came Pearl Harbor, and
what did Tony do? He led the
band at the Brooklyn navy yard:
They had more ships to launch.
So you can see veteran training
is for Tony something of a re-
fresher course. He is a pupil of
the noted flutist Antonio Lora, ali
the Manhattan school of music
And he is a disciplined believer
in plenty of practice. This he gets
in good weather--on the front
steps of his apartment house in
a residential neighborhood of
New York. It's only a couple of
miles from the Brooklyn Navy
yard, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. out of