Show NAUTICAL NOVELTIES furnished by the U S navy recruiting station at salt lake city TWO SHIRTS AND AN OVERCOAT five years ago the U S S government distributed surplus clothing to the poor and indigent in the little town of big fork montana two navy shirts jumpers and one overcoat pea coat befell the lot of one lester eugene cooper a poor boy who at the tender age ace of fourteen x was as making his own onn way in this world the anchors and the initials U S N on the buttons so intrigued the ithe youth that he determined to learn more about the organization and the men that wore this strange uniform therein was bred his interest in the U S navy which five years later was to take him into her fold young cooper at the age when most boys are still playing indian had to provide his own food and clothing in addition to putting himself through school i the national youth administration hired him at per month as janitor for his local high school which helped a great deal but not enough to live and clothe himself properly he had to obtain outside employment this ile he i obtained on farms in the dimmed aate vicinity doing chores milking rig cows and other farma farm work ork after he finished cleaning up his schoolhouse his daily work began at in the morning and seldom 0 in finished before or in the evenings after that he had his lessons to get for school next d day ay and 1130 0 or 1200 midnight saw him hitting the hay for a well earned rest sundays and holidays were days for extra work vork and extra money in order to build up a small reserve for the time between tween n jobs and in order that ho he could continue his schooling but in the spring of 1933 his great day had arrived and he received his high school diploma as a graduate of the big fork hig i school big fork montana young 0 cooper was now in a position lo 10 make the L big hy change of his lifetime the decision or of which he had made five years before he T was ready to join the united states navy but the nearest navy station wa was mile away and busses and railroads coat money so grabbing his trusty 0 acle in hand he headed out o over oer er loh 1 and unpaved mountain raids lor tle nay Reer recruiting Stati Rai cn orl it at Lis i soula montana not thi 1 this torturous trip over un u mountain roads fah he tattled rattled squalls and torrent j of f rain during the greater part of the trip arriving at missoula the navy recruiter pronounced him fit and tod tell him to go back and await ins his call young cooper was so elated ut at the almost certain pro S hect of joining the navy that fiat the return trip of 1 26 mils which had taken him one and anc hau hal days in coming was made in seven sevell hours wo we can envision this sincere and honest young man tossing caution to the winds and breaking all the speed laws of the state of montana in his happy surge to get back to his work d A day routine and await his call for enlistment cooper was called for enlistment ment with the august quota and enlisted in the U S navy for six years on tuesday august 15 1939 all his friends and those who knew him and were familiar with his five year ambition to join the navy were on hand at the railroad station in this small town to wish him bon voyage and the best of luck the world pays homage to those who strive against almost insurmountable odds wit biti unfaltering faltering courage and shares i 11 the happiness when the goal is s attained I 1 the united states navy is proud to accept this young man of su suh h sterling character into her fold and our prediction is that in the years to come he will go fir far in his chosen field |