THE LIGHTER SIDE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 13427, 14 April 1944, Page 3

THE LIGHTER SIDE

AIK SQUADRON'S .MORAUK

SEVEN-PIECE SWING BAND

Advanced Air Headquarters, Italy, February 19.

There is nothing like victory to key up the morale of a fighter squadron, but a little quiet merrymaking on the side is important, too. This is as true of the 99th allNegro squadron as of any other.

The 99th has a mascot, a sevenpiece swing band, a five-man choral society and 17 victories. Its officers live in a clean Italian villa that belonged to a Neapolitan doctor, and the men in a stone and brick schoolhouse. This is the first roof the 99th lias had since it came abroad. One of the brightest elements of the 99th fs 11-year-old junior Davis, tittle Negro who was annexed in North Africa after a bomb had left him orphaned and homeless. He Sot his name from Col. Benjamin O. O a 'is, former commander of the BQuadron.

Junior is the pride of the camp, the battle for Sicily was unJ er way they flew him to Sicily, and was in on the invasion of Italy. Oapt. Henry M. Letcher of Washington, said “bombings don’t bother unior. He jumps into foxholes 'he a cat, much quicker finding cover than we are.” The 99th says it * ants to adopt Junior after the war att ta k e h' lll to the United States. he special Service Division of 01 ® squadron, where the band hangs ’* s ° n the ground floor of the There is a library i-. a con slomeration of musical fitments. Sergeant John P. terbu^ 61 "’ 34 H °Phins Street, Wa- * onn -» is the arranger, coning’ and leader of the orchestra. Sicily we Save a public deia th rati ° n f ° r tlle peo PJ e right out ihsy’d Street ‘ It: was the fi rs t time fyg , eVer heard swing,” he said, latjy pla >’ s the hospitals reguaverael 6rever the squadron moves, a S three bookings a week.