Fred Brandner Letter

821 Lincoln Way
Ames, Iowa

Dear Bill:

Physical education was not required for war veterans, but if K. S. T. C. had been competing in cross country in the fall of 1920 we might have met six months sooner. About the middle of 1921 I finally persuaded the Veteran's Administration to let me run in a meet if the track coach would allow me to enter. On the Tuesday before our first outdoor meet of the year, which was on our home track, the following conversation, which you probably forgot long ago, took place.

F.B. Coach, will you enter me in the two mile run, Saturday?

B.H. Can you run?

F.B. I can beat any two miler that you have.

B.H. Now wait a minute, we have several boys that are pretty good, but we can enter three men in the event.

Then just before the two mile run on the next Saturday, coach Bill told me to stay as close to the other runners as I could and see if I could take third place. I had other plans, but said, "OK". After seven laps an opponent was running in first place. I was running second. The gun shot for the eighth lap and then came the GREATEST THRILL of my life. I passed him and then went on to win the race.

Then did Bill come running over to me to say, "Congratulations"? No, he asked me, "Don't you know that it's a dumb thing to pass a runner on the curve?". I was greatly amused, but answered, "No coach but if I run for you again I'll not do it any more."  "Oh, you'll run for me," he answered. I look back on my track days with a heap of satisfaction because I did run.

This is how I must sum it up, Bill. You gained a fair runner for a short time but I gained one of the best friends of my life.

Most sincerely yours,

Fred A. Brandner