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NAVY SUPPLY CORPS SCHOOL

A. Beaver's Tale

The sun was shining one day last week, which, in itself is a notable event in Boston. But we digress. Two student officers from California were overheard remarking about this unusual occurrence, and one of them, in a truly democratic spirit, observed how delightful it was to have the sun shining. "Yes" replied his unbonding compatriot, "but the trouble is that here in Boston we're 3000 miles farther away from it!" . . .

Seemingly out of place every morning when the junior class lines up at formation is a slightly-built, always smiling officer clad in a distinctive, powder blue uniform. Having heard scuttlebutt going around that he was from (a) the Bolivian Coast Guard, (b) the Chilean Army, and (c) the Nicaraguan Merchant Marine, we sought him out the other evening, just by way of accurately determining his identity. We found out that he is Captain Manual Higueras of the Peruvian Air Force.

Capt. Higueras, who was just promoted from lieutenant in February, is a regularly enrolled student in NSCS and is a member of junior company King. Since there can be no "special students" in the school, he performs all the duties required of student officers, such as entry watch, formations, etc.

Concerning his personal history, he enrolled at the air academy of Peru (roughly comparable to West Point) in 1933 and has been a member of the P.A.F. ever since. Although the present visit is his first to the United States, this Peruvian officer has had a great deal of contact with U.S. military men in his own country, serving as aide-de-camp to several U. S. armed forces representatives, including the present Marine major general, James T. Moore.

Capt. Higueras has been in this country for more than a year. Landing in San Francisco after a 24 day cruise up the west coast of the Americas, he immediately struck out for Marine Base, Quantico. Va., where he was in charge of a squad of Peruvian soldiers working at the airfield there. After eight months in the South, he was ordered to NSCS, where he is now sweating it out over rough rolls, smooth rolls, and TPA's with the rest of us. Not a pilot, he specializes in aviation supply.

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Although answering our tactless and obvious query, "How do you like the United States?" in a gracious manner, he became more exuberant when he mentioned Peru, for it is still quite apparent that Capt. Higueras longs for his home in Miraflores, a small suburb just outside of Lima. The reason? A beautiful wife (this is not hearsay; reference, his pinup pictures of her) and a three and one-half year old son. . . .

New motto for the Supply Corps:

When the battle gets hot Just do as you're told;

Close out that rough roll Before it gets cold

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