| Show JAge I Age Barrier Service to e Combat News bat Duty Irks Colonel at 57 I Editors Editor's note The Salt Lake Telegram welcomes news of Utah men In the armed services and will ill devote the Service News column column col- col mn to telling of their activities In so 80 far as censorship permits Also desired with these news new's Items are re pictures suitable for tion on Its It's not unusual to have explosives explosives ves provided by the ordnance department department de- de but when the area brass hat unlimbers a barrage youve you've really got a load of dyna dyna- mite The brass hat is dynamic capable capable ca- ca pable able Colonel Robert Sears ordnance ordnance ord- ord nance ance officer Ninth corps area who doesn't mince words In calling his is shots After 37 years of army discipline pline including four years at the United failed States military academy at West Point the colonel has a a. pet gripe ripe Erect well proportioned and hard lard 8 as s nails nalls this officer who looks 15 ye years rs younger than his 57 1 years said I greatly resent being placed placed In n the overage group Ive I've been told old I must fight light this war behind a 9 desk instead out the field on the le unhappy warrior said Officers placed in the overage group roup are considered too old f for or combat duty Is there anyone telling me I cant can't put up with the th- arduous strain train of combat duty uty 7 Im I'm 57 years ears old and 27 years young and andI I can give away 30 years and keep up with thee the army said Coland Colonel Colo- Colo nd nel el Sears One of the few army officers to tobe tobe toie be ie listed in Who in American Amerian Ameri- Ameri can an Sports it doesn't take the colonels colonel's impressive athletic record to 0 convince you he could do just that hat A flat stomach a carriage that would make a second lieutenant envious and a handshake that suggests suggests suggests sug sug- plent reserve power the colonel could give the parachute troops a run for their money Why when I was 36 years old I was in seven events in the one pies ics one of the busiest men on th he the team he said At 37 I 1 was on the American team eam that won the Thompson fencing trophy from the British Ruled O Out t In 1932 1982 In 1932 I was asked to to compete compete com corn pete at 48 years of age ge in the thetos Los tos Angeles Olympic games but was ruled out because I was supposed supposed sup sup- posed to be too old to run two and a half miles I I dislike telling all this but Ill I'll pound it down the throat of anyone who can get me into the war The colonel is very much in the war As ordnance officer officer officer-he he was graduated from the army ordnance school in 1924 and from the army Indus industrial rial college Jn n 1929 he 1929 29 he has spent 22 years in the work of supplying supplying supplying sup sup- plying the army with munitions which includes planes and tanks Warm human and credited with being a producer it is not hard to realize why the colonel has made the Ninth corps area ordnance department department department de de- de- de one of the most efficient In n the nation It is hard to tell why some people think they are old and others do not It depends on how they hey feel and how they want to tofe fe feel l. l Some get old around 45 years fears and want the youngsters to take ake over said the officer The hard light left the colonels colonel's eyes and the twinkle beloved by byall byall byall all working in his department ap ap- ap- ap I moved around four times in six months and I really thought I Iwas Iwas was going to get some combat action before I was assigned here Colonel Sears said This is the Center of Scenic America and Ive I've had the chance to v view ew it from the top of every mountain within seven miles of Fort Douglas Not long ago I climbed to the top of one of those high ones anc and was thinking how grand it was to be atop a mountain where no noone noone noone one perhaps had been in a long time Then Ill I'll be darned if I didn't see an orange peel stuck Inthe in inthe inthe the snow He laughed When the colonel laughs he takes you back to the days before Hitler He laughs all over anc and often gleefully brings his hand down on his desk with with wit a whack hard enough to shake his office Recalls Boxing Bout He laughed heartily when he re recalled recalled re- re called boxing a pound pound Portland Portland Portland Port Port- land Ore policeman I I was heavyweight champ oi of the Multnomah Athletic club and gave away 40 pounds to fight this manI manI man mm man I had it all my own way for four rounds Then that cop hit hil me Twenty minutes later I 1 came cameto cameto cameto to in the dressing room You know Ive I've met men in all al part parts of the world who told me they helped carry me to the dressIng dressing dress- dress Ing big room Twenty years after that fight I 1 actually cashed a check in Portland Portland Portland Port Port- land with a 8 fellow who said he helped carry me to that dressing room Again th the colonels colonel's arm went up and again the desk took a a. beat beat- ing Meanwhile office workers in other parts of the department looked up grinned and went back to work with renewed vigor They love the old man man cor cor correction the colonel Married for 30 years Colonel Colone and Mrs Sears have three sons lons each an athlete of note Captain Robert C. C Sears a a. graduate graduate graduate grad grad- of West Point commander o of Hicks field Texas was twice In International international in- in champion gymnast Roderick noted amateur boxer wrestler and golfer is a graduate of Harvard as is David who holds the Harvard record for single sculls and is champion caliber in boxing and wrestling David Sears Sear is planning to enter ente I i 1 2 jiu eu i I i r a I. I V l r 9 j j 4 1 1 f L LH IS A ANYONE YONE TELLING ME THAT I CANT CAN'T PUT UP lIP WITH STRAIN OF COMBAT CO DUTY Colonel Robert Sears He lie has bee n a an army ordnance officer for 22 years ears the navy and Roderick Sears a reserve army officer is on active duty in Washington D. D C. C I Forgive me for t talking too I much but I had to get that overage overage overage over over- age stuff off my chest said W the colonel I |
