Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-12-14

MN 1Oth, Dtt. - Nl.No -
There IS no finer soldier in the
world than the American dough-
boy
Youths who just a couple Of
years ago were students IN
school. soda ierkers, machinists,
carpenters, clerks, teamsters and
followers OF dozens of other
occupations, are today slogging
through mud in Italy proving
their superiority over the Ger
mans.
These lads learned war the
hard way
In battling the Germans in
TunisIa- Sicily and Italy they
have discovered that war isn't
fought by copy book rules. The
Germans have pulled many tricks
and made the going mighty tough
LEARN TO TAKE COVER
One Of the first lessons the
Americans learned IN actual COM
bat was the absolute necessity of
taking cover in bombing and
Strahng raids
Joe Doughboy has learned an
other lesson the hard way and
ms one Is 10 leave alone all OBJ
iects that in the early days they
were quick 70 seize as souvenirs.
Jerry figured Americans would
be anxious 10 pick up various OBJ
iectS as mementoes. Fountain pens.
watches, Luger autOmatlCS and
other such items were left around
clearly exposed but each was at
tached 10 a mine that exploded
the second the object was lifted.
These BOBBY traps and hidden
mines are now taken care OF by
specially trained units.
HAZARDOUS ASSIGNMENT
The boys doing this "de-minIng'
are performing one of the most
hazardous Jobs in the war. They
90 over territory from which the
Germans have been driven with
literally fine tooth combs, digging
out mines and BOBBY traps by the
hundreds
The demolition and destruction
by the Germans As they are driven
back, mile by mile, IN Italy. al
most SurpaSseS the imagination.
Not a solitary bridge has been left
intact as they retreated north
from Naples. Road blocks have
been made by the hundreds
One Of the common methods OF
Jerry 10 create a road block in the
little Italian villages from which
they are being driven is 10 dyna-
mite four houses standing flush
with the streets az the four cor
nerS of the main road functions.
TREES BLOCK TRAFFIC
In other places huge trees that
have stood along the roads for
scores Of years have been cut
down 10 block road traffic
The work of the American en-
CineerS fills one with pride as he
rides along the roads back of the
battle lines watching these hui
man beavers literally perform
miracles
Where the Germans have de-
Stroycd a bridge over a wide
river the engineers throw up a
pontoon affair in what seems to
be only a matter Of minutes
An amazing sight is 10 sec
scores Of trucks. command cars.
iccpS and artillery caiSSonS roll
down steep incline. through a
couple of feet OF water and up
Tho other side over a roadbed
that would scare the average
mofori>t silly.
The spirit of The lads up In the
front lines Is something 10 write
home about
AZ ono spot IN Italy not far
beyond the front lines. the writer
riding along IN a lccp with Dick
TrcCaSkiS. crack ms correspond
ent. and a couple Of other writers,
encountered a long file Of dough-
boys advancing along a road
toward the battle line Walking
20 or so feet apart IN two files
one on each side of the road these
Youngsters might have been on a
cross country hike so far as their
attitude Indicated