The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-15

| way across from Port Moresby.
 Our left flank had made contact with the Australians, and we felt more secure, though the Japs were still trying to ignore our presence They hadn't given us much of shooting war yet.
 During the lull, I returned to Port Moresby and shipped out the' pic- lures I'd made. Three days and one Japanese air raid later, was flying back to the front.
 FLY MOUNTAIN BLIND
 That first attempt failed. So did the next. Storms and fogs blanketed the Owen Stanley Mountains. Heavy n1!sts lay on the jungles. Third time my pilot, hauling Q load of badly needed supplies, decided to fly through "blind."
 We hit wild storms over the ridge and came down on fog-bound rain soaked strip in Q fine landing, typical of the Transport Command pilots.
 At the front again, I wound up at Q small native coastal village, about Is miles from Buna. Bombers were roaring overhead and Q few minutes later we heard the hollow crash of bombs.
 Soon we had advanced to within two miles of Buna, just away from Endairadere Point. We knew the main body of Japanese were within splitting distance, but we couldn't sec a sign of life. Fortunately, the jungle hid us, too.
 That evening Australian Beau fighters came in to strafe Buna, and patrol of five American pursuits downed three Zeros. I watched the fight and saw two zeros crash in the sea.
 Only a few minutes later, Jap air attack on our positions drew blood. Time after time the zeros circled, firing at our men.
 For another 25 minutes other Jap planes circled over our land front, dropping dozen of 50-pound bombs. My shelter was the hollow under a big tree.
 SLIT TRENCH VALUABLE
 Until then, I had never realized the value of a slit trench during air raids. But row-well, I chiSeled one out for myself in about 10 seconds flat, digging with my helmet and a mess kit. OtEers did the same.
 Free water is only four feet below the surface in this terrain, between jungle and sea, so you can imagine how wet two-foct deep trench is.
 Covered with mud, weeds, vines; soaked. with rain and unable to smoke, move or talk, American sol- diers lie out in these New Guinea Cofiins" sometimes 24 hours at stretch without complaint.
 Since they can make no fires, they have only bully beef and hardtack to eat until they are relieved.
 Mortar fire from the Jap side be- came continuous. These shells warn you with a short. sharp whistle. Then they open with a sharp crack. Some 30 dive-bombers and Zeros came in from the sea. After circling orce or twice, they swooped to sea level, checking on shore movement under the trees and in the man. grvoe. Then they came back and plastered us with bombs and ma chine gun bullets.
 LAPS GOOD SHOTS
 I flattened, face down, in a slit trench. Bullets spattered on all sides Bombs bursts, closer and closer, shook the earth and covered my back with sand, mud and debris. The last and closest lifted me bodily out of my slender pit.
 We were consoled to learn that the Zeros on this attack had been shot down later.
 But the Japs had accommodated our positions well and showed themselves. on the ground or in the air. to be good marksmen. Further more, until I went back on home leave, our troops had not taken a single prisoner. To make a Jap quit, you had to kill him.