World War II Stories and Recollections

This is a collection of stories and experiences from St. Andrew's alumni who served during World War II. "This book grew out of a single letter, hand-scrawled on a sheet of legal pad, from Buzz Speakman '38 to one of his St. Andrew's schoolmates," writes Chesa Profaci '80 in the Foreword of the book and who along with Buzz Speakman '38 were responsible for this publication. The book begins with letters home from Holly Whyte '35. His letters begin around 1942 and the last one is dated October 1943. His travels begin in New Zealand to Guadalcanal Island to Tasmania and Australia and other places he cannot divulge. Holly's letters are followed by recollections from Frank Hawkins '35 and Alan Baldwin '36. Long-time English teacher and alum Ches Baum '36 shares his "buzz bomb" stories and speaks of fellow St. Andrean Findley Burns '35 who visited him while he served in Brussels. Win Schwab '36 shares excerpts of letters home from June 1942 when he takes his active duty physical to his journey home in December 1945. Win served aboard the USS San Francisco. Buzz Speakman '38 writes of fellow St. Andrean George Welch's '37 exciting times as a Navy pilot that unfortunately ended in tragedy. In chapter 14, Powell Pierpoint '40 reports on the History of the War Cruise of USS LCS and Chapter 15 is appropriately titled "War is Hell" by Arthur Dodge '41. George Brown '37, John Parry '37, Augustus Trippe '37, William Cory '38 and Edwin Sibert, Jr. '38 all have chapters dedicated to their war experiences.