Evening star., 1943-07-19
Field Kitchen Men,
Unpub|icized, Rank
Among War Heroes
BY the Associated Press,

by tHe ASSOCIATED fTeSS.
WITH THE ATION
FORCES ON NEW GEORGIA.
Every one hears about the Marines,
Air Forces, the infantry and the
artillery, but who gives thought
to the nonf1ghting fighting men?
Take the Signal Corps or the field
kitchen men.
When our infantry leapeG into
the water, shore bound during the
occupation of New Georgia, leaping
right with them were the Signal
Corps men.
AS the infantry heroes crashed
through the brush picking off the
japanese, several men donned leg
irons, climbed trees through which
bullets were Whizzing, and as though
they were working along U. S. High
way 66, strung the wire that con-
nected divisional, task force and
Individual units.
Pick OFF Snipers.
Occasionally cne hooked his pliers
to his belt, yanked out his automatic
and, after sending japanese sniper
hurtling from some treetop, rehol-
stored the automatic, took up the
pliers and went on with his wire
splicing.
Capt. Mathew Mccormick of
Cranston, r. l., and First Sergt.
Dave Howard of Providence master
minded the unit I watched dis
tinguish itself in this invasion.
During a recent air raid Signal
Corps men manned the switch
boards throughout the hall of bombs,
and. while their tent was ripped
to shreds, called medical aid from
other units, collected reports OF
casualties, transmitted messages and
then, when the raid was over, kept
right on the job after taking out
just enough time to send for coffee.
Cut Enemy Communications.
Many times they have strung wire
behind the lines. Many times they
have foraged into jungle under
growth and shipped Jap communica-
tions. Next timH you hear of an
enemy island being occupied by our
fighting men, thing of the field sig
nal companies and their tasks.
Without the field kitchen men, the
Army would be sorry lot.
Never did anyone work under
more adverse conditions. In the
Jungle it's bad enough, but after
five days of torrential downpour
there is little with which to keep
the fires burning. But the field
kitchen men keep the fires burning,
shielding them at night so they
won't give off light and furnishing
coffee practically every moment of
the day.
And what coffee! Certain cynics
maintain the general surroundings
are so bad the coffee just naturally
tastes better here, but after having
tasted the berry in many countries,
in the Navy, with the marines and
with foreign services, I maintain the
coffee served by Mess Sergt.
Llewellyn Nelson OF Bridgewater,
Me-, deserves the accolade.
Recipe for Brew.
The duty of preparing the brew
that keeps jungle fighters going is
entrusted by Sergt. Nelson to Max
Esposito, New Haven, Conn, for
mer radiator repair man.
The recipe calls for 3 pounds
of coffee, ounces of salt and
IS gallons of boiling water. When
properly brewed, add four tall cans
of evaporated milk, S pounds of
sugar, and serve.
Serving sometimes necessitates as
much bravery as trigger pulling.
During the same raid in which the
signal men manned the switch
boards-and when practically every
one else was in foxholes pushing
woodchucks aside to let some one in
who knew now to dig-the boys
under Sergt. Nelson were first up
from the floor and water was started
for coffee.
The fact that one bomb landed
directly on kitchen, injuring sew
eral in that area, didn't halt these
brewmasters.
The kitchen boys have been so
valuable as morale builder that the
chief of staff congratulated them,
describing their work as excellent" :"
When their grandchildren ask
them what they did in the great
war, they can proudly say:
I'VE prepared the best coffee ever