Evening star., 1943-03-05
Former Washington Newsmon
Becomes Legend in Desert War
CorpI. Dickerson
Seen Fighting
After His Death
Bv EDWARD KENNEDY,

I.
Formerly member of The Stars Staff
CAIRO, March 5.-There are
strange stories in the desert of a
phantom fighter-a soldier officially
reported as missing and generally
believed dead, but whom other SOL
diers say they have glimpsed IN the
thick of recent battle.
The soldier is Corpl. Marshall
Dickerson of the French Foreign
Legion. He is an American, a SOL
der of fortune and q newspaper
man, who was born in White Post,
Va. He served as a captain in the
Bolivian Army and once was on the
staff of the Washington Post.
Corpl. Dickerson, who went
through the siege of Bir Hakeim
and broke out of it with the Fight
ing French, was reported missing
after the battle of Hamemimat
Ridge October 80 in the early part
of Gen. Sir Bernard l.. Montgom-
ery's offensive at Ell Alamein. Some
comrades said they saw him fall in
a bayonet charge under a hail of
enemy machine gun bullets. No
body ever was identified as his,
however, and the French listed him
as "disparu"-missing.
Aided in Bayonet Charge.
But, two months after his sup
posed death, New Zealand SOL
dler came to Cairo on leave and
said:
I'VE were going into a bayonet
charge. In the excitement of battle
I glanced around and there next to
me was Dickerson going in with his
bayonet. He was obscured by a
haze Of dust. was surprised as I
thought him dead and believed I
was mistaken until his voice rang
out: 'Okay, boys! Let's give it to
them I was certain it was his
voice
After we took the point I looked
for him and could not find him
A member of a United States Air
Force ground crew told a month
later:
"Liberators were taking off on a
bombing mission. Just as one plane
left the ground l got glimpse of
the rear-gunner sitting behind his
gun. 1t was Dickerson. I believe
he's now in the American Air Force
under an assumed name"
An investigation disclosed nothing
to confirm this.
Seen in British Uniform.
Then a British soldier looked at a
photograph of Corpl. Dickerson in
Foreign Legion uniform: Il saw
that man as we were fighting around
Tarhuna. But as I recall he was in
British uniform"
The fighting around Tarhuna was
the last serious resistance offered
by the enemy in the Tripoli region
and took place the latter part of
January.
There are several others who
swear to seeing Corpl. Dickerson in
battle, but they never find him aft
erWard.
All the stories have the same ring:
Corpl. Dickerson shows up in the
heat of battle, pushes resolutely
forward, urging others on, then
disappears.
There are no official records to
bear out such accounts. Only the
soldiers stories give hope that he
is alive
He was a friend who always
dropped into the Associated Press
office on leaves from the desert, and
I would like to believe he is living.
But as result of painstaking in
Vestlgation / am convinced he is
dead.
I first met Corpl. Dickerson in
one of the most desolate stretches
Of the western desert after the
breakout from Bir Hakeim. 1t was
twilight, and duststorm was blow
ing. Stukas had pursued the de-
parting French, and there was dam
ger of an attack at any moment.
Talked About Washington.
After the ordeal of Bir Hakeim
the French were unnerved. I came
across a British signalman who had
come out with them, and he said: :
You American? We had an Amer
lcan with US in Bir Hakeim. There
he is over there"
walked over and found a tall.
handsome corporal with strained
face but resolute eyes, standing for