The White Falcon - 25.12.1942, Side 2

2
Atmy work is first, but these Coast Artillery men still have plenty of time to decorate their
Christinas tree (left), and then gather ’round the tree for a preview of tonight’s festive party.
Trees svre scarce, but most units have managed somehow to lure one into the fold.
Holiday Spirit Joins AEF’s
6n The World’s War Fronts
From Bermuda to Australia, and from South Africa to Greenland, America’s Figlit-
i'rig:M£h will observe Christmas with simplicity and caution, adding a personal touch
'.of cfieer to the day by whatever means is found available in their local garrisons.
Tt^p 'primness of war shrouds
.timerh.onpred gaiety and rev-
erence because celebration will
be,/;pjejgitye(! only if it doesn’t
;iptei$er,e with military assign-
.ipents/- ,,Fpr many, this means
nickel,/- anothpr shell-shrieking
tday rpp.lhe far-flung battlefields
of,.fbi^^jpba.l.conflict. But others,
either stationed at overseas pat-
rol bases or still undergoing
training in the States, will enjoy
their second war Christmas
under Uncle Sam’s supervision.
Turkey and all the trimmings
will serve as the piece de re-
.E.istapep qn every GI table for
(.^hej.-.cjhrigtipfjs Day spread, and
!,ti)e .rtiphU would do credit to the
nation’s swankiest dineries. The
much-abused “slum burners”
Will roast 5,000,000 pounds of
.gpb'hlers, piore than a pound per
.man.
Littlel if anything, is omitted
from today’s dinner. The
'pieai. wiH begin with fresh fruit
cocktail and soup, advance to
the .’turkey, etc., and terminate
with four desserts, candy, nuts,
cigarettes and cigars, plus what-
ever individual mess sergeants
have cached for the occasion.
The evening meal consists
of cold turkey, potato cakes,
or any other delicacies the men
haven’t stomached during the
dinner session. In addition, virt-
ually every mess-hall in the
Army, whether a frame barracks,
tent or Nissen hut, will be the
scene of pre-arranged entertain-
ment and festivity.
In many warm climates where
AEF forces are stationed, paliri
trees and tropical plants will re-
place the evergreen.-
Christmas trees arid sparkling
lights will stand in every mess-
hall in the United States. Many of
the garrisons will permit 24- or
48-hour leaves, but there’ll be
plenty to insure an active cele-
bration for the fellows who re-
main in camp.
In addition to improvised ent-
ertainment, stars of stage, screen
and radio wil be kept busy mak-
ing personal visits to camps, and
committees near Service bases
will fling open their doors to
the men. But, here again, the
Christmas spirit will be just a
rumor in many instances be-
cause of military obligations.
Of course, one of the high-
lights of today’s overseas
observance will be the merry
scramble to investigate the con-
tents of packages marked, “Do
Not Open Until Christmas.” Not
many gifts, however, have with-
stood the appeal of premature
“sneak-previews,” so few of the
men will be surprised.
Gen. Bonesteel
Christmas Party Headlines
Rec Center Slate Today
(Continued from Page 1)
petforin yiour duty with the same
tebp'rit 'you have shown during
' 1942 '’arid With ever-increasing
'ability'arid competence. The en-
thusiastic, ! all-out effort which
each individual puts into his or
her own job, be it one of opera-
tion, training, supply or admin-
i istration, will determine the suc-
cess of the whole.
For this Christmas, I wish you
one and all a day of good cheer
and happy thoughts of your lov-
ed ones at home. For the New
Fear, I can only express the de-
termined desire that burns in
j every American heart; the com-
; plet'e arid overpowering defeat
<$fi our foes and the liberation
of-all the oppressed peoples of
the earth.
C. H. BONESTEEL,
Major General, Commanding.
The hard-working Red Cross
hostesses will be confronted with
extra chores today when they
will tour the hospitals and dis-
tribute “ditty bags” among the
units, in addition to their -re-'
gular duties at the Rec Center.
Every ward in the local Army
Rec Center
Following is the complete
Christmas-Day program in the
Red Cross Rec Center:
1430 hrs.— Piano Recital.
1500 hrs.— Band Concert by
Special Service Band.
1600 hrs.— Christmas Carols,
sung by the “Post No.
One” male octette.
1730 hrs.— Movie.
2030 hrs.— “Mystery Party.”
hospitals will be visited before
the women rush back to the
Center in time for the full com-
plement of entertainment and
party-ing which is scheduled.
And according to Publicist Jane
Goodell, there will be plenty of
appealing features offered to the
men from mid-afternoon, when
a piano concert is given by a tal-
ented pianist, until late at night
when the Christmas party rings
down the curtain.
While enlisted men are pond-
ering over the affairs on the
docket • for today and tonight,
the Red Cross staff will be plan-
ning next week’s New Year’s Eve
program. Tentative plans in-
clude a gala dance to usher in
the new and bounce out the old,
but several added features are
certain to augment the No. 1
attraction.
War Clouds Fail
To Dim Local Yule
Ol’ Nick’s pilgrimage to the local garrison will run
the gauntlet from a Nativity pageant by a Field Artil-
lery unit to a “colossal, stupendous Hollywoodian” mu-
sical revue on the boards of an Army hospital theater.
For the benefit of pulchritude admirers, the hospital
show will be brightened by the frequent appearance of
lovelies from the Army Nursing Corps.
Virtually every unit here has
planned some special attraction
for its big Christmas party, either
last night or tonight. But mili-
tary alertness will be maintain-
ed, and only soldiers who are
off-duty at the time will be per-
mitted to attend these functions.
Santa Flies
With Gifts
For Doggies
Santa Claus literally will tra-
vel from cloud to cloud when
he hauls his overburdened cargo
around the local garrison!
Although the local motto, “Al-
ways Alert,” will be of para-
mount importance, the Base
Special Service office will strive
to spread as much Yule spirit
through the Command as pos-
sible. And one of the major pro-
jects was to be the dropping of
candy via parachute to secluded
outposts to insure some semb-
lance of a Christmas party for
every enlisted man here.
The unique plan was conceived
by Special Service when a ship-
ment of two-pound boxes of
candy, graciously donated by a
firm in the States, arrived for
distribution. Colonel S. L. Bert-
schey, S. S. Officer, immediately
(Continued on Page 12)
The barnstorming Chaplains’
tour, which proved highly suc-
cessful on Thanksgiving Day,
again will provide the religious
background for the holiday spi-
rit. The Chaplains will begin
their abbreviated, appropriate
services at an early hour, and
continue circulating among the
Command until every available
group has been reached.
The Chaplains will be shad-
owed or preceded, as the case
may be, by bands of carolers
who, also, have an ambitious
itinerary. The “big league cir-
cuit”—various Headquarters,
Navy, Air Corps and local digni-
taries—will keep the tuneful oc-
tette of “Post No. 1” fame
scrambling around the country-
wide to fulfill their obligations
before the clock runs out.
(Continued on Page 12)
Hip boots, cotton fleece and red flannel tricked up with the
inevitable tin hat combined to make this GI into Santa Claus,
or a reasonable facsimile thereof. Local children were delighted
when Santa reached into his barracks bag and offered them
American chocolates. Santa also took a couple of kiddies on his
knees. (See page 12)1