Happy Birthday Dr. Bartle, think of you so often while I work at the Brien Center.  Miss you

Berkshire Eagle, The (Pittsfield, MA)

September 26, 2008 
Section: Letters to the Editor 
Article ID: 10564081 

Friday, September 26 Doonesbury took a good shot Sunday at Newt Gingrich's 1992 letter to all Republicans how to use words in an election. I looked it up. This is what he is teaching. "Optimistic Positive Governing Words. Use the list below to help define your campaign and your vision of public service. These words can help give extra power to your message. In addition, these words help develop the positive side of the contrast you should create with your opponent, giving your community something to vote for!

"Share, change, opportunity, legacy, challenge, control, truth, moral, courage, reform, prosperity, crusade, movement, children, family, debate, compete, active(ly), we/us/our, candid(ly), humane, pristine, provide, liberty, commitment, principle(d), unique, duty, precious, premise, care(ing), tough, listen, learn, help, lead, vision, success, empower (ment), citizen, activist, mobilize, conflict, light, dream, freedom, peace, rights, pioneer, proud/pride, building, preserve, pro-(issue): flag, children, environment; reform, workfare, 'eliminate good-time in prison,' strength, choice/choose, fair, protect, confident, incentive, hard work, initiative, common sense, passionate.

"Contrasting words. Often we search hard for words to define our opponents. Sometimes we are hesitant to use contrast. Remember that creating a difference helps you. These are powerful words that can create a clear and easily understood contrast. Apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party.

"Decay, failure (fail) collapse (ing) deeper, crisis, urgent(cy), destructive, destroy, sick, pathetic, lie, liberal, they/them, unionized bureaucracy, 'compassion' is not enough,' betray, consequences, limit(s), shallow, traitors, sensationalists, endanger, coercion, hypocrisy, radical, threaten, devour, waste, corruption, incompetent, permissive attitude, destructive, impose, self-serving, greed, ideological, insecure, anti-(issue): flag, family, child, jobs; pessimistic, excuses, intolerant, stagnation, welfare, corrupt, selfish, insensitive, status quo, mandate(s) taxes, spend (ing) shame, disgrace, punish (poor... ) bizarre, cynicism, cheat, steal, abuse of power, machine, bosses, obsolete, criminal rights, red tape, patronage.

STUART BARTLE, M.D.

 Lee

Berkshire Eagle, The (Pittsfield, MA)

February 7, 2012 
Section: Main 
Article ID: 020712A04_art_3.xml 
Page: A04 

Letters to the Editor
Triggering rise in illegal abortions

This is in reply to the antiabortionists who tried to cut off Planned Parenthood's grant for political reasons. No one has mentioned the most common alternative to legal abortion: illegal abortion.

Desperate people who believe their future is grim without abortion have in the past largely gone to illegal - i.e., criminal - abortionists. A much smaller number (those who are physically able and can afford to continue the pregnancy) give the baby up for adoption - often a far more traumatic event.

 Abortionists work in unsanitary conditions and by necessity, out of sight. Before Roe v. Wade a large number of women had damaged tissues after these secret illegal operations. Many died. One of them was my mother's mother who died in 1905 after an illegal abortion (we have no idea why she died or why she wanted an abortion - people didn't discuss this at the time) leaving a five-year-old girl (my mother) and three siblings without a mother and left their father with a depression which went on for years. Our mother carried this loss all her life; it was a major negative influence on us children who (unconsciously) spent our lives trying to cheer her up.

Yes abortion is unpleasant but nowhere near as much as being maimed or killed. Maternal miscarriages or abortions carry very little morbidity if done professionally. There must be thousands of women who have been able to have full, responsible lives since Roe v. Wade wiped out criminal abortions. To be antiabortion today is to encourage criminal abortion. 

STUART BARTLE, M.D. Lenox

For the record, Stuart maintained in his entry for his 25th reunion that the SAL was the "fantasy" of people at the Harvard Crimson engaged in a long-running "sibling rivalry" with the Harvard Lampoon. You be the judge:

"Move Over," Mutters Lethargic New Apathy League to Energetic Group

Harvard Crimson
January 24, 1948 

A new organization has yawned upon the College scene.

Admitting under protest a membership of over 3,000, the Student Apathy League dwarfs the more active HLU, HYRC, and HYD. League spokesmen point to their slogan, "Boredom Is a Fundamental Right," and state that they passively oppose everything, including passive resistance.

"I don't know how I ever was elected president," murmured Stu Bottle '50, "because we were too apathetic to held an election. But I guess I'll have to stay in office. I'm too apathetic to resign, and even if I did, the members would be too lazy to accept my resignation."

Fearful that membership drives of more active organizations would deplete their swollen ranks, the SAL admitted it might lodge a mild pretest with College officials. "All this reform balderdash is getting rather trying," sighed President Bottle. "It's getting so a man can't stagnate in peace....

"Of course, we realty don't know how many members we've got. We can't be bothered to held a meeting, and the members would be too lazy to come." 

A few months later...

Bottle Can't Be Bothered . . .

April 17, 1948

Apathy took a back seat this week as no breeze proved strong enough to waft the well-worn felt of Stu Bottle '50 into the Student Council ring. The somnambulent prexy of the Student Apathy League, aroused from his daily stint on an Eliot House settee, muttered a barely audible "no" when told of his nomination.

In spite of wild cheering at the nomination meeting Tuesday, Bottle announced complete surprise that any meeting had been held at all. "How could I possibly run?" he sighed. "I haven't even walked for two weeks." 

The announcement by the tittular head of apathy, known to millions as the Sleepy Warrior, threw into temporary chaos an abortive revolt by a small and disorganized faction of the group to nudge a slate of Apathy men onto Council lists. Latest reports show, however, that in six other Houses, the apathy men remained true to their creed and failed in droves to attend the meetings.

Indications 

Indications were strong that nothing would happen. Vice-president Bob "Yawn" Crichton '50 gestured vaguely in the general direction of the Union, and murmured from behind his satyr-like visage, "Union, nice place to live, no quorum. But it's so far from Cronin's . . ." and he lapsed into customary horozontalism.

This came from "Blue Infantrymen" a history of the 3rd Battalion (about 800 men), 310th Regiment, 78th Infantry. Stuart was in Company K of the 3rd Battalion:

After marching all night, the battalion crossed the Remagen bridge under heavy artillery fire early on March 10. That afternoon, it advanced through withering artillery fire and air strafing and bombing, to secure high ground south of Kretzhaus. This high ground overlooked the Remagen bridge and the area for miles around and was the key point from which the enemy directed artillery and mortar fire on that area. In order to reach the enemy observation posts on the top of the hill it was necessary to scale nearly vertical cliffs in the face of direct fire from these enemy positions at the summit. This was undertaken without hesitation, the enemy equipment, including three radios was destroyed and the defending enemy were killed or captured.

This salient was held for 3 days before friendly troops closed in on the flanks. During this time, a strong enemy counterattack toward the Ludendorff bridge was repulsed. The counter-.attacking force consisted of at least a battalion of infantry supported by heavy artillery fire and spearheaded by seven enemy tanks.

On 15 March, Major General Louis A. Craig, Commander of the 9th Infantry Division, assigned the battalion the mission of capturing and holding at all costs, Kretzhaus and the Kallenborn road junction. The battalion was made responsible for accomplishing the mission regardless of the other units in the vicinity. This high ground and road junction which controlled eight roads and a railway line was the last enemy strongpoint covering the Remagen bridge, and had already been attacked four times without success by other units.

Despite the fact that its commander had been wounded, and with greatly reduced strength, the battalion took this ground and held it against the most determined resistance by tanks, artillery, automatic weapons and small arms.

For this action the Third Battalion, 310th Infantry received a commendation from Major General Louis A. Craig, Ninth Infantry Division Commander. The commendation read in part: "It is particulate desired to emphasize the fine combat work of the Third Battalion. It was engaged at one of the most hotly contested areas encountered and its participation at 150 536 March to secure the vital road junction finally cracked the last determined stand of the Germans near the observation line closest to the bridge. This is a fighting organization and is a credit to itself and to any organization it teams with."

                                                             ********

The 3rd Battalion, 310th Infantry, because of its persistent gallantry, exceptional heroism and esprit de corps in the face of unusually difficult and hazardous conditions made an invaluable contribution to the success of the Allied offensive on the Western Front. It never failed to accomplish an assigned mission and because of its consistent record of achievement it was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its combat action for the period 1-15 March 1945. 

In the early 00's one of Stuart's sons happened across a man of his age and general social milieu. When introduced, the man said "Bartle? Bartle? Are you related to Stuart Bartle?" Yes, he was told, closely related in fact. "Well, I'll be damned. I've wanted to thank him all these years! Please thank him for me. He wrote me a 4-F for Viet Nam. Hell, he wrote lots of 'em. He was famous!" For obvious reasons, this service was not offered to members of his own family. Also, for obvious reasons, it was kept very quiet for 30 years, despite "fame" in some quarters. Having seen what happens to infantry draftees even in a just war, apparently he just couldn't  bear to see it again in a war he considered so unnecessary and destructive.

When Stuart was in the occupation, he was promoted to Sergeant. He says it was because the Army had no choice - there were only three original members of K Company (of about 150 that were in the first combat on December 13, 1944) that arrived in Berlin. As Sergeant, his sole duty - so he said - was to acccount for the men in his charge (about 12 guys) every morning when the Lieutenant and another Sergeant (MP) came by to take attendance. They were staying in a commandeered townhouse. Sergeant Bartle was supposed to be down on the street saluting each morning when the Lieutenant and MP showed up. Instead, he would lean out the window of the top floor and shout,"All present and accounted for, Sir!" with perhaps a hint of sarcasm in the "Sir", and without having bothered to check to see if everyone was actually present. In Stuart's mind, combat was over, the Germans presented no threat and his unit was simply waiting to be sent back to the US. They drank as much as their very skimpy pay would permit - a lot in postwar Germany in fact - and had a good time goofing off. The MP hated him. One morning, Stuart noticed that this MP was smirking a little, but failed to heed the warning, and, as usual, shouted "All present and accounted for, Sir!" The MP then, with evident satisfaction, pointed out that one soldier in Sergeant Bartle's charge was actually in the brig that morning. Shortly thereafter Sergeant Bartle became Private Bartle; he was happily and honorably discharged from the Army as a private.

One day while in training in Mississppi in 1943, Private Bartle gets a messge that he must go to the colonel's office immediately, someone is waiting for him. (The colonel was the commanding officer of the camp.) This is the rough equivalent of an undergraduate getting a message to go immediately to the president's office. Private Bartle walks in with trepidation and there is waiting for him none other than his father - the same father who had more or less disappeared from his and his brothers' lives after the stock market crash of 1929 - which occurred when Stuart was not even 5 years old - and who, other than a very few erratic and unpredictable appearances, hadn't acted as much of a father. Not only that, his father had become a Major. Major Bartle said "Stuey!! Great to see you!" and turned to the sergeant that was acting as the colonel's secretary and said "I'd like to see the colonel." The sergeant looked none too pleased and made a face as if to say how unlikely that this request would be granted and reluctantly walked over to the door, knocked and went in. He came out looking surprised and said "The colonel will see you." Major Bartle walked in and a minute or two later Stuart heard laughter emanating from the Colonel's office. The door swung open, the colonel stood there and said "Private Bartle, come on in!" When he got in there, Stuart heard the colonel say, "Your father has been telling me how smart you are and I checked: it appears to be true -  you have the second highest IQ in the Battalion. How would you like to be in the Signal Corps?" This of course meant that Stuart would not be on the front lines - he could leave training for a likely bloody encounter with a fierce enemy. Major Bartle looked at him expectantly. Stuart, thinking that he could not face the guys in his unit if he had found a way to get to the rear through the influence of his father, muttered something like "I don't think I could do that."  So he declined. Both the colonel and Major Bartle were nonplussed. It was accepted that one tried to avoid frontline duty, and the front lines were beyond doubt where Stuart's Battalion (3rd Battalion, 310th Regiment) was headed, either in Europe or the Pacific - especially since he was in a rifle platoon, the guys who walked into battle without armor. Indeed the infantry pretty much only walked, ran, ducked, lay on the groud or dug holes. Being in the signal corps was a relatively honorable way to avoid that. That was the last Stuart saw of his father until after the war.