Evening star., 1943-07-21

heavy, springless tread of old men.
Troops Were Tired.
THE boys are tired" Maj. Horner
said. ''They marched all last night
after fight and they couldn't sleep
much because of the heat today.
Then at 2:30 we received our or
ders to attack again. They had no
supper and very little water"
What about rations?" asked
Capt. Albert H. Smith OF Baltimore.
We'll have to 60 without rations
until they catch up with u.s." Maj.
Horner said. Then he turned to
Capt. Robert A. Peterman of Hicks
vile, N. Y, medical officer, and said:
How does it look, doc?"
Capt. Peterman crossed his fingers
and said:
Il can't tell, but I don't like the
evacuation setup in this tough coun-
try"
He watched the troops slogging up
the slopes to their assembly point.
,~ Colonel Arrives. -
The regiments colonel drove up
1OI conference.
THE tanks already have entered
Barrafranca," an officer reported.
They say the enemy has withdrawn
from the town"
"All right" said the colonel. "We'n
go through the town to the high
ground beyond. but let's have a re-
connaissance"
This sudden development threw
the plans out of kilter and the time
OF the march was delayed until
midnight.
Second 1t. John Walker of Ma
hanoy City, Pa, drew the assign
ment to reconnoiter the terrain inn
mediately behind Barrafranca and
accompanied him. We drove slow
" down the road. wary of mines.
Ahead OF us was hulk of a burning
tank which had gone up on an en-
emy mine. We detoured around a
haystack and came back into the
road.
We drove into Barrafranca, which
our troops had entered only a few
minutes before! People stood on the
narrow sidewalks and doorways ap-
plauding each soldier and vehicle
that passed. They seemed genuine
In their welcome to the troops. Sew
eral ran alongside the vehicles beg
ging for cigarettes.
We drove slowly down the narrow
main street to the edge Of the town
where few troops iounged on the
roadside. ,..@
Asked for Cigarettes.
whats ahead?" 1t. Walker asked.
This is as far as any one has
been,' said 1t Allen Ferry of Alton
Bay, N. H. 1t. Ferry led the first
infantry troops into Barrafranca
behind the tanks. "rhe people gave
us quite welcome"
They were applauding us as
though we were conquerors,
laughed Staff Sergt. Frank A. Rizzo
of New York City. "You should have
seen us. Any they just about. went
crazy when we gave them cigarettes
and some of our rations."
"This tops off a full day." said
Sergt. Alton B. Barred of Mount
Pleasant, Tex. Eve had fight yes
terday. We marched all last night,
then this morning. Our company
was caught in a tank battle and we
got shelling along with it. We
were right between the tanks and
that's no place for the infantry to
be-
We got in the jeep and began look
ing for road leading to the north
west OF the town. 1t. Walker drove
up a narrow lane to the crest of a
ridge where we left the jeep and
went ahead on foot. We had the
light of full moon.
Hear Woman's Voice.
we walked ahead steadily. We
heard voices and dropped to our
knees. Lt Walker had the Tommy
gun poised. Then woman spoke.
1T must be Sicilians civilians" It.
Walker said. We continued down the
slope into little valley and passed
a new high wall into dry stream
BED where the trail ran out. Vehi-
cles could not travel this way
We drove back through the dark
town to our encampment. The
troops lay on the hillsides sleeping.
Some were wrapped in blankets.
Others slept with no covering, look
ing as though they had fallen
asleep as soon as they sank to the
ground.
I picked soft looking spot, moved
a few rocks and fell asleep. It was
midnight when I awoke, cold and
shivering. The company on the
next hill was having hot supper, but
our food and water had not arrived
for some reason. The men had to
be content with boxed tx" rations.
Maj. Horner gave me blanket.
The plans now are that we march
at 3 a.m., he said. I'VE get through
Barrafranca and push OF from
there"
Enter Barrafranca,&
Shortly before o'clock, the troops
began to swarm out of the wheat
fields and OF the ridges where they
had been sleeping. Slopes that ap-