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1949 Spelling Test

 

Remember at Sunday Formation we had to have a letter prepared to send to our parents? This was my letter just as I wrote it on Sept. 23, 1949:

Dear Mom:
I got a wack on rump from Major Keen Wed. for getting 60 on my spelling test so thur. I wrote each of my words five times and today I made 100 in spelling because that paddle didn't feel so good.
Major Keen is my spelling and reading teacher, Valmer is are history and arithmetic teacher. Major Parsons is are English teacher. Capt. Staton is are Geography teacher.
The reason I could not use my stationery is because im writing this letter in English. I will put it the pretty onvelope win I get to my room. Ha: Ha:
The other day we had to formation and my button was lose and I got reported but the next time he would stick me.
I like school here, my uniform is pretty. you couldent beleave it had been used before. my roomates name is McCormick G. he lives in Ohio and he makes a good roonate except he talks to much.

Love Don

P.S. bring my baseball.

From North to South

 

In September, 1948, I traveled for the first time from a small farming community in the North to a small community in the South. It was an interesting experience and one I shall not soon forget. It was also my first experience in a military environment, which served me well during the Korean War. My experience at GMS broadened my understanding of people and greatly improved skills on study skills.

William Franklin George, Musician

 

This story has been removed by Mike Ruth May 30, 2020

Those cold winter nights....

 

Do you remember those cold winter nights when it was required that we keep our window open. It was the rule that we keep a window open every night regardless of season. However, those West Virginia winter nights, and those cold concrete rooms with no heat made my business all the more in demand. I charged twenty five cents a week per room to go all over the dorm and quadrangle and shut the windows after the officer in charge (faculty and cadet) had gone to bed.

The business was most successful. In those days (probably 1946 or so) a quarter was a lot of money. That Christmas for the first time I had saved enough money to buy my mother a meaningful present, a Waring Blender. 46 was the first year the Waring Blender was on the market. Why I was not caught plying my trade in the middle of the night is a good question. Unfortunately the business was seasonal and come spring time I went back to sleeping all night.

Mr. Zicafoose was in command of the furnace which heated the entire school and there was no heat till he fired up the monster furnace in the morning. I'll never forget how cold those rooms were till the radiators started banging the welcome news that heat was on the way.