45

chorus was doing work which was an improvement upon their
pre-war accomplishment, but private lessons in piano, violin, or
organ had to begin "from scratch."

Assemblies were held at Farrington Hall, during the school's
university visit, in charge of Mr. Lawrence Daggett and Miss
Marjorie Dunstan. Mr. Daggett's "Pop Corn" amateur horns will
long be remembered as lighteners of war-time tensions, and a
series of excellent speakers throughout the war years made many
of the assemblies notable occasions. Among these were talks by
several of Punahou's returning heroes. First, in November, '43,
came Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Larsen ('33) whose report on his
experience in the Solomons was underlined by his evident weari-
ness and loss of weight. It was with relief that his old teachers
saw him again in a few weeks when rest and food food had com-
pletely restored him. The next year, Major Richard Young, one of
the outstanding Chinese graduates gave a thrilling account of
General Stillwell's work in Burma and China where Richard had
been his personal aide. "V.E. Day" was celebrated at the
amphitheater in a joint meeting with the university and other
neighboring schools. Plans and speakers had been ready for
days as rumors of the end flew over the radio. President Fox
and Frank Bowers spoke for Punahou.

Only a few days later Captain "Bill" Paty ('38) was home from
his German prison camp and told his tale of dropping as a para-
chuter during the Normandy invasion, being captured and held
prisoner in France, escaping, being recaptured, and escaping
again into the Russian lines, then coming home via Odessa. He
made a point of explaining how a happy home and a happy school
experience had helped him to endure the hardships of prison life.

All these details will show, it is hoped, how the students
wove their war experience into the fabric of their ordinary school
life with surprisingly little distortion of their normal habits. And
yet, at the same time, they were making notable contributions to
the war effort, especially through Punahou Service, the Food Produc-
tion Corps, and by their sales of war stamps and bonds. The war years
were by no means lost years.

35