Memorial book honors alumni who died in World War II

Bill Sloane '43 will tell you that he felt immortal flying at a 55-degree angle, dive-bombing cargo ships on the Pacific.

He will tell you that, like the majority of his classmates, he voluntarily left Princeton after two years to fight for his country. He will tell you that he knew many of the men who grace the University's World War II memorial book that now sits at the Frist Campus Center.

And he will do this all with the humility of a hero.

"They are, in the words of Tom Brokaw, America's greatest generation," Rand Mirante, associate director of Annual Giving, said of Sloane and his war-era classmates during the ceremony that opened the exhibit on Friday.

Mirante initiated the exhibition of the University's World War II memorial book that honors Princetonians who died in action.

Displayed on the 100 level of Frist, the book lists the names, branches of service, place and date of death of 355 Princetonians.

Each page bears the name of an alumnus who died. One page will be turned every day for the next year in honor of their service.

Designed by Jean Labutut, a former University architecture professor, the book weighs about 60 pounds and has a bronze cover, which "symbolizes the heaviness and darkness of war," Mirante said. The crosses on the cover represent temporary funeral crosses that were placed on the battlefield.

The book was first displayed Feb. 22, 1946, to honor George Washington's birthday. It acted as a temporary memorial in Nassau Hall before the University engraved the names of those who died in the foyer.

The book, however, does not account for all Princetonians who lost their lives to World War II. "Many died later due to war wounds," Mirante said.

He also told the story of a family whose son had been reported dead on Russian lines. The family refused to acknowledge his death and would not allow his name to appear in the memorial book, he said.

Mirante said the book's exhibition is appropriate because 2002 marks the 60th anniversary of America's first full year of involvement in the war. Sloane said Sept. 11 increased the significance of the display.

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"It's a good time to have [the exhibition] coming out, after 9/11. We're in a difficult period because you can't put a hand on terrorism," he said. "It was much easier for people when they knew who they were fighting against. You were fighting for your country in uniform. You knew you were fighting against other soldiers who were following their orders as well."

Sloane said the purpose of the memorial is to remind viewers of war's consequences.

"There are people who gave up their lives to do what they believed in," he said.

Another alumni veteran, Charlie Rippen '66, who fought in Vietnam, reflected on the connection that these heroes have to the University's motto.

"The memorial site is not just a place of sadness," he said. "It is a place of inspiration and ultimately represents Princeton in the nation's service."