Saturday, November 19, 2011

Lee Remembrance of Mt. Pleasant ~ 60th North Sanpete Reunion ~ Nancy and Ronnie, Bill and Monica


The Following comes from Lee R. Christensen's book:


 "You Knew Me As Buddy and other Tales"

His book is a compilation of letters he has sent to friends over the years.  His memories of going to school at Hamilton Elementary, North Sanpete and Wasatch Academy are filled with his wonderful humor.

Beth is Beth Lund (maiden name)










Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Buddy

The Following comes from Lee R. Christensen's book: "You Knew Me As Buddy and other Tales"
His book is a compilation of letters he has sent to friends over the years.  His memories of going to school at Hamilton Elementary, North Sanpete and Wasatch Academy are filled with his wonderful humor.











Sunday, October 16, 2011

Wasatch Academy "1940" Prestigious Alumni Award ~ Given to Lee R. Christensen


Taken from Lee R. Christensen's book:  "You Knew Me As Buddy".



KATHY:  There is a letter to Mary that goes with that award.  
It was a group award,  and I ‘m thanking Mary  pages 134 35.   
lee



KATHY,  My baseball cap is on backwards so my face  would show up in the
photo.   LEE


Whatta Guy !!!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Three Third Generation Descendants of Pioneers ~ Shared by Lee R. Christensen






Photo of three third generation descendants of pioneers


 L to R  Mary Jane Christensen,
great grandniece of CCA Christensen,  

Barbara Beckstrom, 
great grandniece of Peter 
Monsen 

and Beth  Lund,
great grandniece of C N Lund. 
 About 1930.  

All graduates 
of Hamilton Grade School,  

Mary Jane 1933, Barbara and Beth 1934.    

All three 
still alive.


Monday, July 25, 2011

Lee's Memories

The Following comes from Lee R. Christensen's book: "You Knew Me As Buddy and other Tales"
His book is a compilation of letters he has sent to friends over the years.  His memories of going to school at Hamilton Elementary, North Sanpete and Wasatch Academy are filled with his wonderful humor.







Sunday, June 12, 2011

Monday, May 16, 2011

Eric L. Clitheroe ~ Another Wasatch Academy Graduate -1927 ~ Making Headlines at Wasatch, Westminster, Coe College and Purdue University




Eric was an honor student with the following credits to his name:






And in the Salt Lake Telegram May 24 1928, we find him making headlines again

            Salt Lake Telegram 1928-05-24 Elections Held at Westminster









In 1937 we find him In Carroll Iowa to speak at Presbyterian Pulpit

Newpaper:

Carroll Daily Herald

Publication Date:

Friday, August 20, 1937

Newspaper Location:

Carroll, Iowa, United States Of America

Dr. Eric Clitheroe , Parsons College, To Speak Aug. 29 Will Fill Presbyterian Pulpit Here; Noted Scholar, Speaker FIELD PIECE SHOWERS DEATH ON TIENTSIN-So casually do Japanese troops take the battle.



In 1948 we find him as a Guest Minister from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa




Rev. Gwaltney returned Monday
 from his vacation Guest minister
during his absence was Dr.
Eric Clitheroe professor of Bible
studies Coe college Cedar Rapids
Iowa


And beginning in 1951, we find him at Purdue University, Indiana.  

And a Scholarship in Philosophy Continues to this day in his name.

Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University



The Eric L. Clitheroe Scholarship in Philosophy



This merit scholarship was created in 1987 in honor of Prof. Eric L. Clitheroe, who was a member of Purdue’s Philosophy Department from 1951 to 1973. Each year, it awards at least $500 to an outstanding undergraduate philosophy major. Friends and former student’s of Prof. Clitheroe’s established the initial endowment for this scholarship.




Eric died June 1986, Lafayette, Ind.    

Much  thanks goes to Lee R.  Christensen for helping me out with this post.  

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Lieutenant Commander William E. Hall, USNR, (1913-1996) Medal of Honor Winner






Lieutenant Commander William E. Hall, USNR, (1913-1996)



William E. Hall was also a graduate of Wasatch Academy ~ Class of 1932






William Edward Hall was born on 31 October 1913 in Storrs, Utah. Graduating from University of Redlands, in California, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve from his native state in May 1938. After flight training at Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Long Beach, California and at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, in September 1939 he was designated a Naval Aviator and commissioned in the rank of Ensign. He then reported to Scouting Squadron Five (VS-5) on board USS Yorktown, his assignment until February 1942.

 In early February 1942, soon after the United States entered World War II, he took part in raids on Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. Later in that month he transferred to USSEnterprise and, in April, was sent to Scouting Squadron Two (VS-2), operating from USS Lexington.

On 7 and 8 May 1942, Lieutenant Junior Grade Hall and his squadron participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea. His dive bombing skill contributed to the destruction of the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho on the Seventh. The following day, as U.S. and Japanese carriers exchanged attacks, he aggressively engaged superior numbers of enemy planes, resulting in the shooting down of three. Despite serious wounds, he brought his SBD "Dauntless" scout-bomber safely back aboard his ship. For his "extreme courage and conspicuous heroism" on these occasions, Hall was awarded the Medal of Honor.

During most of the rest of 1942, Hall recovered from his injuries at the Naval Hospital, San Diego, California, receiving promotion to Lieutenant during this time. Early in 1943 he began duty as an instructor at the Naval Air Station, Daytona Beach, Florida. Achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander in March 1944, he served for a few months at Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida, then transferred for staff duty at Naval Air Station, Seattle, Washington.

Hall also briefly served with the Night Attack Combat Training Unit, Pacific, during the War's final months. For his last duty station, he was ordered for staff duty with Commander Fleet Air, Western Pacific in September 1946, from which he was released from active duty a month later. William E. Hall remained in the Naval Reserve for nearly another decade and a half, retiring in November 1960. He died on 15 November 1996 and is buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Hall

Friday, April 8, 2011

Verl Johansen


Double click to enlarge 


                                           Lee

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Repost by Popular Demand "And It Comes Out Here".













Kathy:  Re your news  clip "And it comes out Here".  Peter ought to be ashamed playing an easy to blow  one pound clarinet while Elna carried the heavy twenty-five pound sousaphone  that takes massive puffs  to go "woof  woof".  In my day Bry Jacobs played the  big instrument in the high school band and we  did not have one in our Hamilton  band.  The clarinet was popular both bands and we had many Benny Goodman  imitators.   On page 39 of my book I talk about three of them.      lee


Tuesday, January 18, 2011

A re-post of Hamilton Grade School Poets with additional insights from Lee R. Christensen

This is a re post with added insight from Lee R. Christensen added below in blue






















 Comment from Lee R. Christensen Re: Poetry of Students, David Gunderson’s Collection: As usual, I may be stretching it, but: PM Nielsen shown as District Supervisor had a daughter, Margaret, who returned to North Sanpete High School about 1937 to teach English and girl’s PE.. PM, about then, living in Salt Lake City and a widower married Etta Rolph Peterson, a widow and originally from Mt Pleasant featured on theses pages as a young girl. Margaret I think was the producer, director and chorographer of the NS High dance revues. One number featured Joe Matson and a partner and could have made Broadway. Another one starring Lynn Paulson and buddies was unintentionally pure burlesque. Lee


Kathy: In an earlier comment I mentioned Margaret Nielsen who joined the North Sanpete High School staff for the school year 36-37. That was a sparkling year for new faculty at the school, most of it home grown. Eugene (Granny) Peterson, quarterback on the team in 1928, returned as coach. Grant Johansen returned as history/civic teacher and later was elected mayor. Harry Sundwall, from Fairview, was the typing/ short hand teacher and later a nationally recognized professor at Arizona State Univ. Margaret moved on to become the third or forth highest ranking WAC in WW2. lee

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Lee Comments About Camp at San Luis Obispo
















double click, then click with the plus (+) sign to enlarge











Lee R. Christensen Recently Comments:





  Reading your posted news clip “Camp San Luis Obispo” where a dozen or so artillerymen from Mt Pleasants Btry “D” are mentioned recalled, for me, that pre war summer of 1941.


















. Mt Pleasants National Guard unit, Btry D, was called up for Federal service 3 March 1941 with the rest of the California/Utah 40th Division under the 1940 Draft Act.. National Guard units were called up for “one year” and men 21 to 35 drafted for one year.













National Guard units prior to call up were at about ½ strength – when we went to summer camp we hired cooks – only two of our four howitzers were manned. So on call up we had many vacancies. Locals and near locals joined to get their year of military service over with in a home town unit. Prior to call up I do not recall anyone from Spring City, Fountain Green and certainly no one from Indianola in the unit. Jacob Houtz joined from Indianola, Vernal Christensen along with a half dozen others from Spring City and Cliff Anderson form Fountain Green. Some out of County students from Snow College, Walt Goodwin from Wayne County, joined Btry D rather than the Ephraim Band or the light artillery Manti unit. Some long range thinkers may have seen a war in our future but most of us just wanted our year of military service out of the way so we could get on with our lives.













Another big recruitment plus for Btry D was the local CCC camp. At least half a dozen men from there joined and in the case of Jones Belcher from Alabama we got an experienced military cook. Two others from the news clip, Clyde Tucker and John Milner were CCC transfers, both southern, Georgia and Tennessee.













The extension of The Draft Act, by one vote, late summer of 1941 meant the national political leadership was getting serious about the possibility of war. The extension meant National Guard units and draftees could be sent overseas. In October, prior to Pearl Harbor, Mt Pleasants Btry D along with the rest of 2nd Bn 222 FA, Richfield and Cedar City, was alerted for assignment to the Philippine Islands, code name “Plum” to sail from San Francisco, 10 Dec 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor intervened and the Unit had a totally different history as Btry “A” 204th FA.