CAPT. WALTER F. HENRY
Commanding Officer
CDR. WESLEY E. SKILL
Executive Officer
Published each Monday for all personnel
on Adak by Special Services. Provisions
for NavExos P-35 (Rev, July 58) complied
with. Mimeographed at NavSta Adak. Funds
furnished from non-appropriated sources
at no cost to the government. Articles
contained herein are not to be construed
as representing the official opinion of
the Commanding Officer or the Navy dep
artment, inasmuch as the Adak Sun is not
an official publication.
EDITOR: H. T. DAVIS, YN1 055J or 365
COR N £ A
One of the satirical pulp magazines
has an unusual cover on the January
issue. The subject of the cover is a
gala New Year’s Eve partyat a New York
night club. In the center of all the
carefree gaiety sits a man wearing an
air raid helmet and reading a book.
His facial expression is a caricature
of worry and fear, because , the title
of the book he is reading is Radiation
and Its Effects.
The magazine is not an organ of the
great intellectual or artistic talent
of our time. The cover can casually
be labelled "sick-humor'V and shrugged
off without reflection. However, it
cannot be denied that there is some
merit to this commentary on the world
situation, 1961 A.D.
These are serious times, percarious
times, not for anyone in a special
classification - nation, political
party, social class - but for all hum
an beings. Extreme problems cause
extreme reactions. Some seize-the day.
Purposely ignoring the problems of the
world they immerse themselves in the
gaiety of the moment. For them this
New Years Eve will be more riotous
than ever before. At the other extreme
are people so depressed with world con
ditions that they find it impossible
to see joy anywhere. As on any other
(continued next column)
night they will on New Years Eve sober
ly or fe rfully worry the night away.
To improve themselves and their
world both the revellers and the pess
imists need new perspective,new motiv
ation.
In 1960, vihich began with no more
promise than 1961, God was generous
with His blessings and grace to the
world, the nation and individual human
beings. A little of the energy, which
will be dissipated in gay escapades,
should be devoted to the prayerful
expression of gratitude to God for all
His free gifts of the past year.
Pessimists seem convinced that no
j thing can improve the sad condition of
j the world. Even their gloom can turn
to joy. The change is possible for
anyone who will practice the Christian
virtue of Hope. This Virtue, most
necessary in our era, permits one to
recognize that human problems, no mat
ter how complicated, .are new insoluble,
because they are not wholly dependent
on human talents# Hope is confidence
in the.Goodness, Haliness, Omnipotence,
of Almighty God Whose infinite Love
created this world and everyone in it.
Whether you are. extremely gay or
extremely gloomy or just an Ordinary
person, vacillating between gaiety and
gloom, the only successful formula for
a truly happy 1961 is Gratitude and
Hope.
r
By - Chaplain Francis A. Fay
x ATTEND /•