Daily News from New York, New York • 84

BrodHyrt DAILY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21; 1965 Queens Upglg Yes, hmmyF SmM's ks Marine By THOMAS PUGH and ARTHUR MULLIGAN In a letter to his 3-year-old nephew, Marine Sgt. Thomas W. Griffin, 24, explained why he won't be home from Viet Nam for Christmas this year. The letter, addressed to Master Thomas Wagner, 211-11 42d Bay- side. Queens, read: mother, Mrs.

Diane Wagner, 25, "Dear Tommy: Hi there big ieuow! 1 sure ao hope that you and your sister are doing fine. I guess you must be getting ready for Santa. I just lcnow that you have been a good boy so that nta will bring you and Debbie a lot of goodies. Says He Saw Santa "I really wish that I could come home and spend Christmas with ycu but I'm afraid that it won't be possible again this year. You see, I was just talking to Santa the other day; he dropped by to see how we were doing: and he wants me to stay here for a while longer to make sure that the children in Viet Nam havte a nice Christmas.

the sergeant sister, read the letter to him. Tommy Answers Letter Then he asked his mother to help him write an answer. It started off, "Dear Uncle Tommy, thank you for your letter. Even though Santa Claus thinks you should stay there, I still hope and pray you'll be home for Christmas." Mrs. Wagner, who has another child, Debra Ann, 20 months, said that her brother has been in the Marines four years and in Viet Nam since May.

He was married just six weeks before he was sent overseas. His wife, Maureen (Aunt Renee in the letter), lives with her parents in the Bronx. Griffin, a graduate of St. John's Prep, was attending St. John's University when he enlisted.

A member of the Marine Corps silent drill team attached to the Presidential honor guard, he stood guard at President Kennedy's funeral and at President Johnson's inauguration. (NEWS fotoa by Tom Gallagher) Writing a reply to his Uncle Tommy in Viet Nam, Tommy Wagner, 5, gives Kris Kringle mask a quizzical look. His mother watches. "So, you take care of Mommy and Debbie and I hope you will have a very Merry Christmas. Don't forget to give Aunt Renee and Grandma and Mommy a kiss for me.

I hope to see you soon. Love, Uncle Tommy." Little Tommy, named for his uncle, listened gravely when his Marine Sgt. Thomas W. Griffin Viaduct Will Link Ex'vays To Ease Jams Albany, Dec. 20 (UPI) Construction will begin next spring on a $22 million interchange to help relieve traffic congestion on the Long Island Expressway at the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway intersection, Gov.

Rockefeller announced today. A viaduct will be constructed Fires Shots at Granny, Jam Saves Cop's Life A 23-year-old Jamaica repairman, who went berserk Sunday night and fired 30 shots from an automatic .22 rifle in his home, including a few shots at his aged grandmother, was held in $2,000 bail by Queens Criminal Court Judge Lawyers Back Fight To End Court Logjam The fight by 10 litigants to end the Supreme Court logjam in Queens, launched early this month in Federal Court, yesterday received the backing of the American Trial Bernard Dubin yesterday. Chilly Days Are Here Again Lawyers Association The law group Concert for Kids The Metropolitan Brass Quartet as an elevated section ol th Long Island expressway from 46th St. to Maurice Ave. Rockefeller said the state Department of Public Works would ask for bids soon on the estimated $8 million viaduct.

The viaduct, to be built east of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, will carry six lanes of east-west traffic that will remain on the Long Island Expressway. Th present six lanes beneath the viaduct will be used by traffic to and from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway via the interchange. for Young Audiences will perform at a classical concert for young children at the children's holiday filed a brief, as a friend of the court, with Judge John R. Bartels in Federal Court in Brooklyn. The ten litigants took their fight into the Federal Court in a move to force action by the legislature on reapportionment as a step toward the creation of addi concert the Five Towns (Inwood to Hewlett) Music and Art Foundation will sponsor at 3:45 P.M.

today at the Five Towns Community House, North Lawrence. tional judicial posts in Queens. Want New Boundaries They asked the Federal Court to intervene and order the state to set up new judicial boundaries A Cop They Can Look Up To in the 11th Judicial District, comprising Queens. The district now has 15 Supreme Court justices. Gov.

Rockefeller, Attorney General Lefkowitz and the Legislature were named defendants in the action. All 10 litigants have have cases awaiting trial in Queens, they say. In their demand for judicial reapportionment, the 10 complained their "equal protection" rights were violated due to an insufficiency of Supreme Court justices in the Queens district. NYU Survey Cited He will get a hearing Jan. 6 on charges of violating the Sullivan Law, felonious assault and firing a weapon in his home.

But it could have been far worse for Elmer Whitsett of 155-44 115th St. like shooting a cop. Lucky for Whitsett and lucky, too, for Patrolman Ronald Norstadt that Whitsett's rifle jammed as he faced Norstadt at point-blank range. Norstadt and Patrolman Joseph Franchina were on radio patrol duty shortly after 7 P. M.

Sunday when they got a call that Whitsett was shooting up the place. Whitsett was still firing when the two cops arrived. Til Kill Anyone" The two began mounting the steps to Whitsett's second-story apartment when his voice boomed through the door: "I'll kill anyone who comes up here." With that, Whitsett continued his firing through the bedroom door. When the shooting ceased, Norstadt raced up the remaining steps and kicked in the bedroom door. Before him was Whitsett, his riile pointed directly at the patrolman.

But his gun jammed, police said, and the agile Norstadt pounced on Whitsett. A few moments before, police said. Whitsett had fired a few shots at his grandmother, Mrs. Easie Eddy, 61. Police said Whitsett has had marital problems.

His wife, Barbara, 22, said the couple had many arguments. Cable Flaw Cuts Whitestone Juice A failure In a cable cut power for nine minutes yesterday in a residential section of Whitestone. The Consolidated Edison Co. said 388 customers were without power from 6:53 to 7:02 A.M. in the area from 20th to 33d Aves.

and from 155th to 157th Sts. Just returned from a sunny Caribbean cruise, Alvera Mol-lenhauer of Greenlawn feels the difference in, the chill air here. She arrived on the liner Rotterdam. Joseph Kelner, president of the Trial Lawyers Association, cited the findings of a nationwide survey by the New York University tribute toys to children at Cum Institute of Judicial Administration, which covered 94 courts, 15 of which reported delays of more than 30 months. berland and Maimonides Hospi tals Thursday morning.

More than 100 members of the society. plus many alumni, have been col The report showed a delay of 44.8 months in Queens; 47.5 months in Brooklyn; 47.2 in Nassau, and 40.8 months in Suffolk. Westchester topped the list with a delay of 52.1 months. lecting toys for the last few weeks in readiness for the visit to the children's wards. Alley Rat Gets Strike on Gil Washington Senators manager Gil Hodges missed the feature attraction yesterday morning at his bowling alley, Gil Hodges Lanes, at 2231 Ralph Brooklyn, when a gunman held up a woman bookkeeper and made off with more-than $3,500.

Hodges strolled into the alley moments after the bandit forced Mrs. Jean Coppola, 39, of 1346 E. 65th Brooklyn, to open the office safe and hand over the weekend The stickup man met Mrs. Coppola as she arrived at work and, holding the gun in his pocket, told her to lead him to the safe. Hodges later told police the exact amount of cash was not known.

"The important thing is that nobody was hurt," he said. Police said the gunman was described as about 35 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall and wearing a tweed jacket. Collegians Will Distribute Toys Student members of the Accounting Society at New York City Community College will dis- (NEWS foto by Ed ClarityV Patrolman Tom Corley looks like a giant shielding Colleen Mink (L) and Rosemary Kronenberger, dressed as nuns, at groundbreaking for new St. Yirgilus Convent, Broad Channel. But both have good growing ahead.

And he's 6-6. Girls, both 7, are second-graders in St. Yirgilus School..