The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-02-26
JUNGLE SOLDIERS

tured by the roaring might OF mo
bile armored forces, but down IN
the region OF the Panama Canal the
United States Coast Artillery has
performed a Herculean task which
until the end of the war must re-
main hidden under the matted tan
zle Of the Panamanlan jungle
over an area OF hundreds OF
square miles there is hardly a hill
.op that does not have It's search
light. listening post or powerful
anti-aircraft battery
The saga OF tough American
lighting men may one day be writ
ten by one Of the many articulate
YOUNGSTERS among them. but today
they are concerned only with ke p
ing a 24-hour alert against the COM
ing Of the enemy and the labor OF
improving their positions
Some OF these posts are so re-
mote that il takes days OF travel
By launch. mule pack. native dug
outs and hard climbing TO reach
them with supplies.
a partial description OF one OF
the searchlight positions will give
some idea Of the gigantic obstacles
overcome by these jungle soldiers.
After riding for miles through
deepest Jungle on what was once
& banana railroad, and walking
several hundred yards there looms
ahead steep hill.
Imagine, II you can, a 40 or 90
story skyscraper with no elevators
and q stairway twice as steep as
normal. Picture the steps as cut
in slick mud and held up by wood
en- risers held by long stakes.
And when you have this picture
well in mind. recalling that even
pack mules cannot negotiate them,
remember that this is one OF the
improved routes and you have some
idea OF the trails leading to re-
mote jungle positions.
Yet up this incredible route the
coast artillerymen have taken gen
orators weighing thousands OF
pounds, huge guns. giant search
lights as large as a small automo-
bile, lumber TO build their efficient,
screened shelters, kerosene-burn-
ing refrigerators and all OF their
supplies.
Once at the top, you are reward
ed with one OF the most majestic
views OF Panama. Below for IN
ending miles spread the rolling car
pet OF Jungle. Far in the distance
the morning sun fires the surface
OF Gatun Lake where hundreds Of
thousands OF tourists have travers-
ed the canal in luxury, innocent of
the jungle life which surrounded
them on all sides.
OF course not all Of the many
positions we're IS hard to reach as
this one. Some are located, natural
iy. near esta blished routes. Others
are supplied by roads hacked
through the jungle and gouged
from mountainsides. over a trail
which loops, dips and curves like
a scenic railway, but which 10 q
paved boulevard compared to the
harsher routes, you reach a gun
position where you see further DIFF
ficulties overcome TO establish
these posts.
When this work OF terrifying the
canal was started there was no
road Of any kind.
Supplies we're brought Ny boat
as far as possible. From the end
Of navigation, mule packs were
used to carry through the jungles
which were hacked open with
machetes. When the mud got too
deep for the mules, soldiers muscl-
ed the materials over the trail on
their backs with incredible labor.
For three weeks during the dry
season they took advantage OF
widened trails to haul materials
to the foot Of the hill IN wagons
pulled by tractors. But even
though the season was technically
dry, the tractor carburetor often
was a bare few inches above the
mud and water. Twenty.four
hours a day during this season the
equipment was pulled, pushed
dug out Of the mud by relays OF
toiling men. But the base was
established and they are ready for
an invader.
There is a special skill to walk.
ing through the Jungle and even a
rugged pedestrian finds il quickly
firing until he gets the knack. He
steps constantly on what seem
to be Arm tuft and the oily. bub
bling mire oozes up 10 his knees
A few hundred yards Of this and
the city-bred walker IS windsd. but
the hardened troopers In these sta
tons are in the best OF health and
are described by their ofacers al
having the best morale In the
Army.
Even in time OF war they ar,
allowed three days OF each month
TO visit civilized communities bu
many OF them, by preference. re
main at their posts for months
without leaving.
Here they are doing a real FOL
Of soldering and they are prou-
OF H. They are crack troops The,
can move through virgin jungle a
the rate OF a mile an hour-a Tea
that cannot be appreciated unless
u Is seen.
These Jungle soldiers would vel
come a fight with the Japs IN thi
tangle which they have dominated
Each gun crew feels II Is the bes
in the OUTFIT Each listening pos
can prove TO its own satisfaction
II Is the best IN the area The.
will admit the others are suficien,
" good 10 make them the best d
vision In the whole coast artillery
which is the best branch. they cor
fess. OF the Army.
And what Is more. they sweal
they are led by the best general q
IlrrIn SAM nm