Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-09-12
MORE THAN SHOOTING

MORE THAN SHOOTING
81 can shoot" Willis Rice said
to the classification man. When a
war comes along a mans got to
do what he can do real good.
Willis Rice used to take out his
rifle and shoot around Missouri.
little things-rabbit and such
but the hitler thing is the hard
er it is to hit.
There's more to the army than
shootin'," the classification man
said.
Guess you're right Willis Rice
admitted.
1--WE send a man where he'll do
the most good"
makes sense to me-" said Willis
Rice.
The classification man thought
minute. Here was nice, smart
boy, standing just right-about five
seven, private chauffeur. The
kid knows what makes a wheel go
round and how to make it turn.
"Going to send you to Fort
Knox, he said, Going to make
tank man out of you, Willis Rice"
Anything ! got, the Army's
welcome to- Willis Rice grinned
The classification man grinned
| right back.
PUT IN TANK CORPS
you are going to be in the only
colored tank group in the world,
he said.
Fort Knox, Kentucky was, hot.
Fort Knox has monkey cage
and Willis Rice did a lot of climb
ing. Forty-five minutes a day he
walked a cat along those thin lad
ders. He hung by his hands, and
by his feet; he pulled himself up
ropes. He snaked down the side
of the monkey cage and thread
ed his way through bars like a
needle. AT the end of the day he
was dizzy.
This monkey cage sure rocks
me to sleep these nights" he said.
There wasn't much close order
drill at Fort Knox. A man doesn't
need 1t for tank stuff. But he has
to carry a pack. He wears it when
hes taking motor apart, and
When hes shooting on the range
and when he's walking through
mud on bivouaC. A man has to
get used to that pack. Has to get
SO it's almost part of his body
For three weeks Willis Rice and
that pack went around together
almost everywhere.
NERVOUS FIRST TIME
The day is mighty short when
there's SO much to cram in yo1r
head, when there are things to
learn about radial motors and
diesel engines and mechanics and
weapons and signal ordtrs and
map reading. A day flies like a
scared duck when you're out on
the range and you're learning how
to shoot pistols and rifles and
machine guns and 75's. A man in
a tank has to do a lot of shoot
ing.
Willis Rice was nervous when
he drove tank for the first time.
L felt like lady getting driv-
ing test" he said. He was be-
Wilaered when he crawled through
the turret and sat at the controls,
but when the motor began to roar
and the tank bucked forward he
felt exhilarared and full of power.
Then he knew he was in the right
business, was doing the right
thing. II didn't know till then
what really wanted to do" he
said, "but after that I didn't want
to do anything else
At Camp Claiborne, Louisiana
on June 1, Willis Rice sewed the
red, yellow and blue patch of the
75lst on the shoulder of his uni
form. He had never been really
deep South before, and the hot
sun and bayous were foreign to
him. He had friends, though, and
the easy camaraderie of his out
ut was right up his ally. He lik-
ed Pvt. Thomas Washington, q
tall boy from Birmingham, and
Sgt. Louis Monks, who was In
charge OF the hutment where
Willis Rice lives. The three are
buddies.
Willis Rice gets a kick out of
the impromptu conferences in the
company stree whenever there is
a new true or tank or jeep to be
named. T : men personalize
their vehicles. 1t used to be that
the 761st could name a vehicle any
way 1t wanted. Now. though. the
first letter of the name must be
the same as that of the company
For instance Sleepy" is Service
Company truck-'because it's so
slow Samson" is a wrecker-
because Samson was a strong
man." Bronco" is a. B Company
l. xSI- L.