Evening star., 1943-03-14
Marines Pray When Tossing Bombs at Jops,
Barney Ross Says After Getting p of Them
Fighting Hero Back
To Encourage Work
In War Production

Corpl. Barney Ross, the fight.
in ist marine" who accounted for 2.
Japs during heroic night on Quad.
alcanal, is going to tell it to the wal
workers.
I'D like to tell 'em all the boys
out there are hoping all the folks
here are doing all they can to make
things easier. These boys are doing
all that is asked of them and lots
more" Corpl. Ross ddeclared here
yesterday while on a visit to the
Navy Department.
1t was announced by the Navy
Department that the former light
weight and welterweight boxing
champion for the next five weeks
will make an incentive tour" OF
war plants and shipyards in the
areas surrounding New York, Bos-
ton, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago
Detroit and st. Louis.
He Doesn't Pull Punches.
Reclining in an armchair, mauling
in the ring, or hitting the Japs
Corpl. Ross doesn't pull his punches
He said he was scared stiff most OF
the time he was out there"
Il found out" he explained, that
I couldn't have a minute rest after
three minutes of fighting, and that
we had the greatest referee out
there we possibly could have-and
that was the good Lord up above. y
Every time the radio news told
us production was speeding up it
added to the courage and fortitude
the men already had" Ross con-
tinued. 1--WE just hope the workers
are doing their best to keep produc-
ing at all times.
Il can guarantee that man for
man we will do everything we pos
sibly can to get this thing over in a
hurry"
Speaking warmly. Ross said he
found when he got back that his
mother and wife could be better
marine than any of us out there.
They took an awful beating worry
ing about us.
Being Marine Was Ambition.
"Since I was a kid of 7 or I had
wanted to be marine. Wake Is
land was the thing that inspired me
most before I joined" That was
how Corpl. Ross described his de-
cision on April 81. 1912, to walk out
of his cocktail lounge in Chicago
and sign up for service.
About his most terse experience
on Guadalcanal, Corpl. Ross said
he had told the story so many times
that he might have added to it. But
he consented to recollect.
He recalled that Army forces were
up to relieve the Marines.
Two comrades, R. C. Atkins, and a
marine named Freeman were carry
ing a wounded marine known as
Whitley" while he walked along
side. Suddenly Jap machine gun
fire felled Marines Atkins and Free
man, who dove for small hole.
Ross said he jumped over a log
into a deep hole about 10 yards
away, where he found a wounded
marine named Manek, an American
Indian. From then on he said he
and his companions were shot at
with machine guns, mortars and
rifles for "15 solid hours" with him
self and only one able to return the
fire.
Started Flipping Grenades.
Il crawled over to Atkins and
Freeman, got their hand grenades,
and with those that Manek had /
counted 81 grenades. Before dark
l returned fire with my Springfield
80 calibre rifle. When dark came
l began Tipping the grenades.
Il couldn't tell for certain if I
was making hits. The Japs kept
trying for direct hit, and l am
happy to say there was some poor
MAI hSiildIlSillp tleTe.
More than 30 shots ricocheted
off my helmet. Some of the bows
picked the helmet up as a souvenir
when I got back"
Ross said shrapnel wounds he
received in the hands and feet while
Tipping grenades from behind the
log of his foxhole were trivial"
1T wasn't as bad as a black
eye" he added.
You think of a lot of things
you wouldn't think of under those
conditions" Ross observed. How
nice it would be to be back home
again is one of them.
You Also Say Prayer.
You also say few prayers and
think about your family and friends.
Why, l could see my wife balling
me out for being in that hole-she
told me to take care of myself"
Passing around his souvenir voo-
doc cane, which has a carved head
with six Jap teeth set in the mouth,
Ross said he swapped radio for
it from a friend who had a native
make it. Among the men there
were only six radios, he added. Most
popular with the men was hearing
the --latest hit tunes"
The fighting corporal left last
night for New York, where he will
rest few days and then begin
his war-plant tour.
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