The Wilmington morning star., 1943-07-12
American Paratroopers Anxious
To Go Before Sicily Assaulted
BY SERGT. JACK FOISIE
Correspondent For Stars And
Stripes, And Former San
Francisco Chronicle
Distributed By The Associated
Press


Distributed By The Associated
Press
AN ADVANCED AIR FIELD IT
NORTH AFRICA, July 9.-Delay
edD-American parachute trooper
who will be landing amid the enc
my in Sicily less than an hou
from now are ready.
This is the moment they hav'
long awaited. One year of con
centrated training is behind them
Many of them will now get thei.
first taste of war-the TOUCHES
kind-invasion of Europe.
They're lounging in the shadow!
of the wings of the big transport!
which will carry them over tht
black shadowed Mediterranean tt
carefully designated dropping
zones.
The paratroopers have known
for several days what they were
going to do. They had studied
maps, memorized orders and com
pleted coordinated plans.
But not until this morning were
told that tonight is it,
They cheered that announcement
and at least one good crack came
from the Murray, no more
"C' rations.' (Men carry ''D''
and "K' ration packages into bat
tle.)
Throughout the day the men
checked and packed their gear
and equipment. Each of the many
pockets in their jumping suits
were utilized. Their natty jump
ing boots-the trademark of their
profession-were laced with extra
tightness.
The bivouac atmosphere remain
ed business-like and grim. No
horseplay, no heroics, no boasts,
no doubts.
The Yanks were ready and con-
fident. The tenseness mounted as
the time grew short.
Last chow was served at $3.50 P.
M.
Now the sun was going down
from behind the Tunisian djebels
where just two months ago the
foe fought his last round in North
Africa. The evening breeze( stir
red by the cooling of the hot earth,
was picking up sand off the run
way, enveloping the field in a
brown haze.
A colonel who would lead the
combat team into action was CIV
ing last-minute briefing to enlisted
men, officers and one war cores
pondent who would ride with him
and jump with him.
1t was a kind of a sacred hud-
dle-this briefing. The generals
staff officers who came to wish
them luck stood off to the side.
1t was strange, fascinating sight
men with faces blackened and
American flags freshly sewed on
their sleeves gathered at the feet
of their commander
The colonel, tallest of them all
and his face more literally smudg-
ed with blackening until he was
darkest Of them all, spoke his final
commands: Slowing of equipment,
no smoking while in flight, the ap-
pointed rendezvous, time OF de-
rarture, time of replacing "Mae
West" life jacket with chute, time
over dropping zone.
He outlined their procedure after
hitting the ground. His words
were calm, cool and direct. The
time for Pep talks had passed. The
operations had started.
"You'd better do it in hurry"
the colonel added, 'for there are
going to be lot of itchy trigger
fingers
The briefing ended. The men
had a few minutes for smoke, a
drink of water and a little talk.
I asked some of the enlisted men
going in the lead plane the same
question, 'how do you feel about
'it?"
This is how they answered.:
Corp. Nicholas Kastrantas of
Pittsburgh, Pa, said Il feel bet
ter than I have for long time.
You see this is taking me closer to
home" He paused, then added,
'.say. can you put my nickname,
Baby in there? That's the first
English word learned"
Private David McKeown of Phi
ladelphia said "I'm rarin' to go.
I'm all on edge and my nickname
if you want to use it is Dandy
DAN.
Private Robert C. Bue of Day
ton, O., said I'm certainly glad
to leave Africa.
Private John Noncak Of Fulton,
N. Y. said II feel just like the
rest of the boys"
Private Louis Mendieta, who has
no home town, said "I can live
anywhere in free land. l might
someday want to live in Sicily. So
I figure we'd better get going"
TSergt. Jack Gavin of Lincoln,
Neb., operations man of combat
team: 1--WE are going in with the
colonel so everything is going to
be all right
Private Francis Dogget of Day.
ton. O.: IT feel pretty good right
now"
Private Nalty R. Keen of Brook
haven. Mass: ''I've been waiting
10 months for this. Say, will the
folks back in the States read your
story? If something does happen
Id like them to know"