Evening star., 1943-12-17

nc ktpI SWlllllllIiS from DOdL &c
boat, caring for wounded men. He
finally came back to our boat ano
stayed.
We had another doctor along
named Kelly who talked to the mer
and his excellent swimming gave US
all courage. When things got bad
some one always had the courage tc
talk us into trying harder.
You think of many things wher
there doesn't seem to be a chance
You think of your pretty wife anc
the two little girls you don't expect
to see again. You see men dyine
all around you, You see heads
arms and legs blown off.
You see men become hvsterica
and drown. You hear little
corporal plead for some one to Kill
him because he's shot in the
stomach.
And then you see a thin line 0!
hope and everyone gets in there
again and tries.
A destroyer came in close and
lobbed several shells over heads right
INTO japanese gun positions behind
us. They socked into the hillside
and we all cheered like mad.
The sun was coming up and We
waited for daylight, expecting the
Japanese to pot shot us. The only
remaining fire after the DESTROYER
shelled them was some little blank
bland with a rife. His aim was 2.
bad AS his purpose and as far as ]
know he didn't hit any one.
Then the naval bombardment
started.
Saves Only Money Belt.
I got my pocket knife out and
cut of my jungle boots. My socks
slid of into the warm water. ]
went through my pockets and threw
away everything except one picture
Then tied my money belt around
my neck. 1T contained II Aus
tralian pounds. and my dozen or SC
credentials. I handed the picture
to Pvt. Roy Gautschi and said, Put
that in your pocket"
Now naked, l could swim better
and Corpl. Jackson was the kind of
leader you wanted to work for. He
worked his way around the boat
plugging up bullet holes with
wooden screws. He gave orders in
a stern voice and you know he
meant what he said.
Some day l hope he's a general
Somebody spotted shark. It was
of to our left and I found As il,
the boat, and cooked it. When ]
aimed it, another rubber boat came
INTO sight. l unlocked the auto.
matte and tossed it back in the boat
The shark never bothered us. We
guessed he went on closer to shore
American planes came next. Low
flying Marauder medium bombers
flew over the peninsula. We coulo
see their tracers pumping into the
trees. A Liberator heavy bombe,
flew low overhead and we raised out
OF the water and waved at it. We
could hear the motors of the am
phibious tanks and Higgins landing
boats now charging toward the beach
below us.
Two Heads Under One Helmet.
Finally, after three hours in the
water, a small ship came our way
At first we didn't speak about it; il
was too good to be true. Then ii
came in closer and Corpl. Jackson
said, that's the most beautiful sight
l ever saw in my life"
They threw us a line and we
pulled our boat alongside. Corpl
jackson had us climb off one at a
time. I stood on the deck with
nothing on except money belt
Somebody handed me a cup of coffee
and sailor stuck a cigarette in my
mouth.
The captain. Harold Halter OF
Vienna, Ill. came up. He is the
press relations officer at Gen. Mac
ArthurS headquarters and he had
gone in with us, He told me the
names of several of his good friends
who were dead. Three men were
dying then.
The roar of planes filled the all
and we all hit the deck. Picking
up somebody's helmet, I covered
under it until I realized that the
kid next to me didn't have one. We
pressed our faces together and hid
our heads under the same helmet
After awhile, our antiaircraft fire in
the harbor chased the japanese
planes away.
Somebody said there were over
20 of the enemy planes.
Some of US transferred to land
ing craft that was going to Orange
Beach. At noon, set foot on New
Britain soil, the last correspondent
to arrive and I had planned on
being the first.
A sailor had given me a pair of
pants and shirt, and now other
correspondents shared their rations
and water with me- One gave me
socks and another shoes.
Sergeants to Get Promotions.
japanese straflng planes dived
over Orange Beach and we all ran
for cover. I crouched under a tree
beside a soldier and trembled all
over, for the first time.
Tonight, Damien Paper of Para
mount News and I dug a foxhole
near a command post. Brig. Gen
Julian Cunningham told me the first
days objective had been achieved.
They're sending us guns and am
munition," Capt. Wright said. "Ill
promote sergeants to fill the places
of four lieutenants killed. Well re-
and be back at them in a
couple of days"
Father Forsythe, our chaplain, is
here now. He's going down on the
beach to bury the wounded who
died tonight.