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    A Smattering of Stuff
    A Smattering of Stuff
    A Smattering of Stuff
    Ebook138 pages1 hour

    A Smattering of Stuff

    By Donald Rosser

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    Welcome to A SMATTERING OF STUFF, a collection of columns I have written in recent years. If youre interested in such things as Money, History, Science or Show Business, youll find Rosser columns to your liking. But, first, Ill introduce myself.

    I was born in 1927, when Calvin Coolidge presided, and slept in diapers while Lindbergh flew the Atlantic. I grew up in Brooklyn, on a penny-a-day allowance, during the Depression., and I fondly remember my public schooling at P.S. 217 and the Brooklyn Technical High School.

    In 1944, I enlisted in the Army Air Force and plotted meteorological charts in the Weather Service. On the GI Bill, I attended Alfred University, where I ran on the track and cross-country teams and met wife Helen. My career was in journalism and education, on the Pierre, S.D., Capital Journal, the Rapid City Journal, and the Atlantic City Press.

    I taught senior English at Atlantic City High School until the New Jersey Eduation Assn. recruited me as its press officer/house writer. I have lived in South Jersey since 1954 in the towns of Brigantine, Willingboro, Moorestown, and Mount Laurel.

    After moving to a retirement development in 2007, I was asked to write for the communitys newsletter, THE VILLAGER. This collection of columns is the result. Topics include matters of general interest back to the Stone Age. Some address my experiences in events like the Depression, Pearl Harbor Day. and World War 2.

    Duplicate bridge and cycling are my main recreational activities. I have toured Europe many times with the Lafayette Riders and, after I qualified for the 75-and-above category, I won five gold medals in the annual New Jersey state time trial. My bridge rank is Life Master. Now I do crossword puzzles and nap a lot.

    Finally, its your turn read on. I trust that my essays will not put YOU to sleep.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherXlibris US
    Release dateOct 30, 2012
    ISBN9781479733422
    A Smattering of Stuff
    Author

    Donald Rosser

    Welcome to A SMATTERING OF STUFF, a collection of columns I have written in recent years. If you’re interested in such things as Money, History, Science or Show Business, you’ll find Rosser columns to your liking. But, first, I’ll introduce myself. I was born in 1927, when Calvin Coolidge presided, and slept in diapers while Lindbergh flew the Atlantic. I grew up in Brooklyn, on a penny-a-day allowance, during the Depression., and I fondly remember my public schooling at P.S. 217 and the Brooklyn Technical High School. In 1944, I enlisted in the Army Air Force and plotted meteorological charts in the Weather Service. On the GI Bill, I attended Alfred University, where I ran on the track and cross-country teams and met wife Helen. My career was in journalism and education, on the Pierre, S.D., Capital Journal, the Rapid City Journal, and the Atlantic City Press. I taught senior English at Atlantic City High School until the New Jersey Eduation Assn. recruited me as its press officer/house writer. I have lived in South Jersey since 1954 in the towns of Brigantine, Willingboro, Moorestown, and Mount Laurel. After moving to a retirement development in 2007, I was asked to write for the community’s newsletter, THE VILLAGER. This collection of columns is the result. Topics include matters of general interest back to the Stone Age. Some address my experiences in events like the Depression, Pearl Harbor Day. and World War 2. Duplicate bridge and cycling are my main recreational activities. I have toured Europe many times with the Lafayette Riders and, after I qualified for the 75-and-above category, I won five gold medals in the annual New Jersey state time trial. My bridge rank is Life Master. Now I do crossword puzzles and nap a lot. Finally, it’s your turn – read on. I trust that my essays will not put YOU to sleep.

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      Book preview

      A Smattering of Stuff - Donald Rosser

      Copyright © 2012 by Donald Rosser.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

      To order additional copies of this book, contact:

      Xlibris Corporation

      1-888-795-4274

      www.Xlibris.com

      Orders@Xlibris.com

      123607

      CONTENTS

      Introduction

      Chapter 1

      WAR AND PEACE

      America’s Greatest Year

      Something To Remember

      From Rabbits To Riches

      The Year 1930

      Saving Warner Brothers

      Fire Base Ripcord—America’s Untold Battle

      Flatbread Through The Ages

      Chapter 2

      SCIENCE AND CULTURE

      The Electric Light

      Of Roses, Elephants & Football

      Television And The Electric Chair

      Roll Out The Barrel

      Boopnagle And Stud

      The Domain Of The Dead

      The Calendar Of Romulus

      The Ben Franklin Bridge

      To The Editor:

      Charlie Chan Vs. Fu Manchu

      Chapter 3

      COINS AND CURRENCY

      A History Of Money

      How The Dime Got Its Name

      A Pfennig For Your Thoughts

      The Almighty Dollar

      The Two-Dollar Bill

      The Beans Of Albany

      Chapter 4

      STORIES AND HISTORY

      Nucky’s Words From The Dead

      Homonyms Vs. Spell Czech

      Of Philadelphus And Asp-Iration

      Le Vente De La Louisiane

      Famous Last Words

      The Schicklegrubber Saga.

      Florida—Fact And Fiction

      Last Words Of The Holy And The Damned

      A Popular Vegetarian Drink

      Of Mint Juleps And Mad Hatters

      Last Words Of The Rich And Famous

      Last Words From Wordsmiths

      The King’s English Or Louisa’s Secret

      A Selective History Of The State Of New Jersey

      Black Monday And Black Tuesday.

      Last Words Of The Strong And Powerful

      Chapter 5

      PEOPLE AND PERFORMERS

      Silence Is Not Goldwyn

      A Name From The Past: Guess Who

      God Bless America

      The Saga Of A Lapsed Attorney

      Thanks For The Memory

      Ed Wynn’s ‘Red’ Protégé

      The First Western Megastar

      A Dropout Who Made Good

      A Dropout’s Tale

      The Saga Of A Plucky Puck

      INTRODUCTION

      Welcome to A SMATTERING OF STUFF, a collection of columns I have written in recent years. If you’re interested in such things as Money, History, Science or Show Business, you’ll find Rosser columns to your liking. But, first, I’ll introduce myself.

      I was born in 1927, when Calvin Coolidge presided, and slept in diapers while Lindbergh flew the Atlantic. I grew up in Brooklyn, on a penny-a-day allowance, during the Depression., and I fondly remember my public schooling at P.S. 217 and the Brooklyn Technical High School.

      In 1944, I enlisted in the Army Air Force and plotted meteorological charts in the Weather Service. On the GI Bill, I attended Alfred University, where I ran on the track and cross-country teams and met wife Helen. My career was in journalism and education, on the Pierre, S.D., Capital Journal, the Rapid City Journal, and the Atlantic City Press.

      I taught senior English at Atlantic City High School until the New Jersey Eduation Assn. recruited me as its press officer/house writer. I have lived in South Jersey since 1954 in the towns of Brigantine, Willingboro, Moorestown, and Mount Laurel.

      After moving to a retirement development in 2007, I was asked to write for the community’s newsletter, THE VILLAGER. This collection of columns is the result. Topics include matters of general interest back to the Stone Age. Some address my experiences in events like the Depression, Pearl Harbor Day. and World War 2.

      Duplicate bridge and cycling are my main recreational activities. I have toured Europe many times with the Lafayette Riders and, after I qualified for the 75-and-above category, I won five gold medals in the annual New Jersey state time trial. My bridge rank is Life Master. Now I do crossword puzzles and nap a lot.

      Finally, it’s your turn—read on. I trust that my essays will not put YOU to sleep.

      Chapter 1

      WAR

      AND

      PEACE

      AMERICA’S GREATEST YEAR

      The years click by, but one stands out from the rest: 1945. We were in the fourth year of all-out war, fighting Germany in Europe and Japan in the Pacific. Heartbreak lay ahead as well as jubilation.

      The year opened with a desperate German tank-led counterattack in progress in Belgium. The Nazi plan was (1) to drive a wedge between the Americans and the British army; (2) to capture the vast fuel depots at Liege; and (3) to use this fuel to propel the spearhead to Antwerp on the English Channel.

      With 55 divisions, the Wehrmacht launched the attack in fog, frigid temperatures, and cloud cover that kept the Allies’ superior air forces on the ground. The invaders penetrated deep into Belgium, creating a bulge in the Ardennes front line. However, the outnumbered 28th Infantry Division held on to a vital crossroads at Bastogne. When the surrounding Germans demanded surrender, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe responded with one word: Nuts.

      After Gen. George Patton’s Third Army broke the Bastogne siege, American and British forces hammered the Wehrmacht from two sides, and warplanes attacked from the air. The Panzers never reached Liege, and the tanks ran out of gas. On Jan. 25, with the enemy pushed back to its starting point, the Battle of the Bulge was over. It was a costly victory; allied casualties surpassed 77,000.

      The next barrier for the Allies was the Rhine, with Germany on the other side. The Wehrmacht blew up all the river crossings but, miraculously, on March 7, American soldiers found one damaged bridge that was still standing—the Bridge at Remagen. Troops pouring across established a bridgehead; Army engineers built pontoon bridges for vehicles; and the drive into the German heartland began.

      On April 12, our wartime leader, Franklin D. Roosevelt, died of cerebral hemorrhage at Warm Springs, Ga. Only five months earlier, he had been elected to an unprecedented fourth term. The grief was worldwide.

      On the Italian peninsula, the Fifth Army captured Rome and surrounded the German army. The surrender came on May 2. A week earlier, partisans had executed Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator.

      In Germany, American forces reaching the Elbe River from the west saw Russian allies from the east on the other side. Adolph Hitler, the German dictator, committed suicide on April 30, as Russian troops entered Berlin. On May 8, we got V-E Day, Victory in Europe. It was a birthday present for President Harry Truman.

      In the Pacific, to regain the Philippines, Army troops had retaken Leyte, then invaded the main island, Luzon on Jan. 9, reaching Manila on Feb. 3. Japanese defenders were ordered to fight to the last man. As a result, the city was demolished before the carnage ended on March 3. Soon, our Corregidor nurses and Bataan Death March survivors were freed from three years of harsh captivity.

      Implementing an island-hopping strategy, the magnificent U.S. Marine Corps was invincible. A bloody fight started at Iwo Jima on Feb.19. The volcanic island was riddled with defensive positions and dominated by Mt. Suribachi, which Marines captured on the third day. (I still choke up whenever I see, on film, the raising of the flag on the summit.) Enemy soldiers fought virtually to the last man, and civilians jumped off seaside cliffs rather than live under American rule. The end came on March 26.

      On April 1, the greatest armada of the Pacific war launched the invasion of Okinawa, an island that is part of the Japanese homeland. It was the bloodiest battle of the war and, again, civilians chose death leaps. The island was declared secure on July 2. Next would come the invasion of Japan, with estimates of up to a million U.S. casualties.

      On July 30, the U.S.S. Indianapolis was torpedoed in the Philippine Sea and sank within 12 minutes, taking down some 300 crewmen. In life jackets, the 880 survivors fought the elements and the sharks for four days. Finally, a Navy scout plane spotted men in the water and radioed for help. By then, only 316 were alive. It was the greatest loss of life at sea in U.S. Navy history.

      The cruiser had been on a secret mission. It left San Francisco for the island of Tinian in late July with the world’s first two atomic bombs. From the Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber named for the pilot’s mother, the first bomb fell on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, destroying the city. The pilot, Maj. Casey Tibbs, was a lieutenant colonel when he landed. (At Keesler Field, our base commander declared a holiday and sent a truck into Biloxi to get the beer for the celebration.)

      Hiroshima death estimates (immediate and lingering) range from 90,000 to 166,000.

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