Milford chronicle., 1943-11-12

conception of the American fight
= ing man.
The people expect that if there
is an enemy machine-gun nest hold
: ing up an infantry advance an Am
I erican patrol will volunteer to put
: those guns out of action so that
: the main force can continue their
advance. The nation knows that
4 when the marines make a landing
to establish a beachhead, regard
B less of enemy aircraft, artillery and
machiIfe-gun fire, the marines will
successfully establish and advance
that beach-head to prepare for fur
ther landings and action against
the enemy.
The people feel certain that if an
American bomber, while on armed
reconnaissance, sights an enemy
convoy, regardless of the enemy
fighter protection and anti-aircraft
fire the bomber will attempt to
break up or hinder the convey. Am
orleans will tell you that if a United
States destroyer sights an enemy
battleship preparing to attack
convoy the destroyer will immedi-
ately attack.
( The folks at home read about the
wonderful work the merchant ma
rine is doing. How at the start of
the war, with almost no naval pro-
lection, our comparatively few mer-
chant ships made long dashes TO
Australia and New Guinea with
much-needed men, supplies and air.
craft.
All these things the American
people know. They are proud of
their fighting me nand rightly so.
But there are many things the peo-
pie at home do not know about.
think about, feel about, talk about,
or even try to understand.
Some of these things are: the
hollow feeling in mans stomach
the night he moves up to the front
lines, the long. fearsome night
hours in a foxhole, the sickness
and filth of jungle campaign. the
helpless feeling as enemy bombs
and artillery shells fall close by.
They do not know the feeling sub
marine crew gets as it leaves it
home port for action against the
enemy. the questions in a sailors
mind as his sub enters hostile wa
ters, the long days and sometimes
nights under water, the breath
holding moments as depth charges
explode close by, the prayers as
enemy patrol vessels search over
head. the effort not to think while
on a dangerous bombing mission.
the tightness in stomach and
throat when a buddy falls, the
heart in your mouth as torpedo
flashes in the direction of your
merchant ship. the whistle of en-
emy bombs. the hell that breaks
loose as ones ship explodes and
the confusion that follows.
The service men do not expect
the people to understand these
things or to understand what makes
a soldier stick to the front lines
despite wounds and sickness. why
sailors continue to put to sea in
submarines. why fighter pilot at
tacks single-handed a formation of
enemy bombers on their way to
bomb an American airfeld. They
cannot know what makes a mer-
chant marine sign on again after
being torpedoed and adrift for many
days.
There are other things the fight
ing men do expect. After the war
they expect an honest and lasting
peace. an American foreign policy
that is firm, job. place in the
disqualification and
compensation for wounded COM
rades. They expect. moreover.
safe and peaceful world for their
children.
That is what they look forward
to after the war Now they expect
much less. What they expect now
and demand of the people they are
lighting and dying for is that they
10 an honest days work each work /
ng day in the shipyards, aircraft
munitions plants, rail
'oad yards and in every other war
ob. That. the service men believe,
s indeed very little to expect.