Some were plucked from the ranks of Deering's unit and sent to Korea and combat. Others remained far from the war. Like Deering, who was able to finish his degree at Colby, they returned home and resumed their lives. "I was terribly lucky," he said.
Colby casualties included David Avery Dobson Jr. '50 of Lawrence, Mass. A Navy cadet, Dobson died in the crash of his F6F Hellcat fighter while training in Texas in March 1952. At Colby Dobson was an accomplished skier; a memorial trophy was established in his honor.
Spring of 1952: Colby Air Force ROTC cadet Douglas M. Harlor '55, who had the highest average on the rifle team, gets pointers from Staff Sgt. Richard Ramsey.
John E. Thompson '51 was killed in April of that same year when his F-84 Thunderjet fighter was hit by ground fire while flying reconnaissance over Wonsan, Korea. Thompson ejected but his parachute didn't open and he was lost at sea. His wife, Joanne Thompson, was notified that he was missing in action. The couple's son was born after Thompson's death.
The third casualty was a World War II veteran from the Class of 1940 who was recalled to active duty in Korea in 1951. His widow wrote to Ellsworth W. "Bill" Millet '25, then alumni secretary at Colby:
"Dear Mr. Millet,
My husband, Lt. Charles Graham, was killed in action in Korea July 18th by fragments from an enemy mortar shell while defending company positions in the vicinity of Chorwon, North Korea. He was with the Second Inf. Division. Last April he was wounded and received the Purple Heart. . . . "
Graham '40, a star athlete from Calais, Maine, was survived by his wife, Laura Davis, and a 5-year-old son, Billy. Billy was eligible for a scholarship provided by Colby for children of alumni who die in their country's service.
That Colby students were dying was sobering news for students on Mayflower Hill, who could lose their college draft deferment if their grades were poor. And there was no guarantee that the Selective Service deferment policy would stand if the war went badly. In the Echo of Jan. 16, 1953, a story appeared with the headline: "Students Won't Face Draft Before September."
