Askov American., 1943-08-05
News From The
Victory Front

| 1Ile experiences OI american
soldiers who took part in the
conquest of Tunisia were varied
and interesting as attested to by
reports received by the home
folks. The following letter from
S-Sgt. Andy Arnbal, former
Askov boy, now with the U. S.
Rangers in North Africa, was
received recently by his mother,
Mrs. 0. F. Sorenson, of Albert
Lea.
N. Africa, June 12-43
/ Dear Mother and Dad:-I guess
being that our address changes as
frequently as it does, has its good
points, in one way anyhow it gives
guy an incentive to write and he
has something to write about. This
time l have whole new address for
you. Well you have been writing
Corporal so long now that it should
be part of my name l guess, and of
course if it wasn't for the Corps we
just wouldn't have much of an Army.
Why look at Corp. Barney Ross and
the dozens of other Corporals that
make the newspapers worth reading
There is Corporal Koons of our outfit
/ who was the first American soldier
to be decorated by the King of Eng
land etc. (course he is Sergeant
now, but was a Corp. at the time.)
l hate to leave the good fellowship
etc., of the Corporals, but then just as
the old world keeps going around,
things just have to change
A year ago we used to sit around
and talk about this and that ''back
in the States" now we sit around and
still talk-but how nice and green
and fresh everything was in the Brit
ish Isles. guess it is because it's so
long ago (18 months now that we
left our homeland, it all seems sort
of hazy. We hear from the men who
are quite fresh from back there,
about all the changes, ETC., and it is
rather muddled and hazy picture
we get. But don't worry, it will not
take long to learn the old customs
again no matter when we get back
and if it is for my 26th birthday, then
I will be more surprised than any
body.
Well, the show here is over and
you all have been reading and hearing
about it day and night for quite some
time and no doubt each and every
one of the mothers and families with
theirs" over here have been wonder
ing where he is now? Well
l guess the story can be told now
more or less-by those of us that took
part in the business end of the job
here. We slipped into the Port of
Arzen Sunday morning, Nov g.
When we were adopting" the French
gun and batteries and navy there
President Roosevelt was just beginn-
ing his worldwide speech about what
was taking place there. So of course
| Arzen sort of became our adopted
city here on this continent There
are certain streets and buildings we
will never forget We could not rest
there too long so went over to Tunisia
and travelled around considerably
| there.
Most Of us now know parts of
Africa better than our own back
yard. We froze, thirsted, starved,
got sunbaked and Sand-crusted till
we wondered if there was any place
in this world worth all the trouble
and stuff we went through. You
have read and heard about all the
Djebels, Wadis, Plateaus, and Passes
and Oasis that are now history but
are still plenty fresh in our minds.
We had nicknames for lot of these
places. like little hill, where we
had quite an argument with the
| other party of this squabble, became
known as the Pimple. That was
near ElGuettar. Then there was the
time the 18th and 21st Panzer Div
chased us out of our nice little olive
grove at Gafsa. That was the time
the old saying, 'tanks to the rear,
tanks to the right, tanks to the left"
wasn't so funny, especially when
little band of us were % miles behind
the German line. But the Colonel
wild Billy Darby said to us,"let's
keep going and if the Panzers see us
God help them" We all made it to
Bon Cheb Ra Pass at midnight 1--WE
had of course been on foot) had our
fill of water. Cracked lips and
tongues aren't just in story books or
movies. When some World War No.
veteran says he dug fox hole with
his mess kit, he probably did-cause
we know its possible and did it more
than once. There are times when just
to get burrowed few inches down
in dear old mother earth's bosom is
the grandest feeling there is. A
funny sensation is to wake up after
sleeping or hours on your back on
the plain open rocky ground and find
that it has been hailing for two hours
that is when guy can say he was
tired enough to enjoy a good sound
sleep, don't you think?
If anybody ever said it doesn't
cpOxx, in frico bo ic GIRO tho hi0oocf