The Colonel, the Adjutant and the Sergeant
Bob Rosenthal and Horace
Varian enjoyed harassing each other during the war, and that did not
change until Horace’s death. In the 70’s, Russell Zorn innocently wrote
Varian, asking the date of Glenn Miller’s visit to Thorpe Abbotts in 1944,
which gave rise to this exchange, in which Irv Waterbury (at that time the
President of the 100th Bomb Group Association) became involved.
Dear Horace:
Enclosed is a card from Russell J. Zorn, who requests information about
Glenn Miller’s appearance at Thorpe Abbotts in 1944. Since you know
everything, would you please take care of this.
Ever so ta, Rosie
My dear Colonel:
I referred Brother Zorn to you! Sure that your rich musical background and
your well known (even then) interest in the Performing Arts, would have
fixed the date in your memory. Coupled with this, you had little to do
except fly once in a while with a competent co-pilot at your side, so you
must have taken in this event along with all the other free entertainment
the Government provided. I’m going to write a book about all the smart-ass
people I knew in the 100th, who, 30 years later, write smug
insulting letters. I see that even you congenial secretary no longer
permits her initials to be used! Small wonder.
H.V.
Dear Mr. Varian
Colonel Rosenthal wished to apologize for saying that you know everything.
You letter obviously refutes that. He thinks you used to know everything
but things are decidedly different today. Do you suppose that Irv
Waterbury would have some insight into this problem. Perhaps the most
charitable thing to do on this exchange of letters is to forget the whole
thing.
Rosie (per one who knows)
At this juncture, the question was referred to Irv Waterbury, who had a
friend who kept a diary of Glenn Miller’s war-time engagements. Irv had
such friends for all occasions. Varian received a copy of Rosie’s letter
to Irv, which follows;. doubtlessly to the delight of Rosie and Irv it
generated one of Horace’s famous "zingers."
Dear Ex-Sgt:
I felt confident that you would take care of that Zorn problem. It just
confirms how things really got done back in the Big Trouble.
Ex-Offico, Rosie
Dear Ex-Flyboy:
I would guess that the comment above is based on the hoary account of the
exam given a officer-candidate in which he was asked how he would erect a
100-foot flagpole. The correct answer, of course, was to say, "Sergeant,
put up that flagpole." There are, however, other answers to that question.
I have some additional thoughts about what could be done with such
flagpole and will be glad to submit them upon request. Perhaps the
ex-Colonels and ex-Sergeants of this world could organize to solve even
more challenging problems.
Humbly, Horace
Dear Adjutant
With regard to your thoughts on the flagpole, if you carry it out halfway,
would it be half mast or half-assed?
Everlastingly, Rosie