Milford chronicle., 1944-12-08

Petty officer C. w. Collins is
spending several days with Mr.. and
Mrs. Miller r. Wilkins.
n -
Corporal Donald F. Kirby. son of
Mrs. Cora Y. Kirby, route 2, Mil
ford. is completing his training on
Liberator bomber at Pueblo
Army Air. base. He is a gunner on
his crew, and is being fitted to be
a valuable member of a team"
that will carry the fight into enc
my territory. His wife, Vermadel
D. Kirby, lives on route 8. Kirby
| entered the service in August 1943.
a -
In a letter TO his sister, Miss
Betty Jane Palmer. of Milford,
Staff Sergeant Charles VI. Palmer
enclosed an article from the Army
newspaper. Stars and Stripes"
concerning the Second year anni-
versary of overseas duty of the
outfit that he is in. The article, in
part follows,
Exactly two years ago, the men
of the 324th Fighter Group leaned
on the railing of an outward bound
transport, watched the Statue of
Liberty fade in to the night and
wondered where the hell they were
going.
Celebrating their second ami
versary they are still wondering,
but where they've been we'll. that's
Il different story. For the 324th has
flown and fought its blazing way
from Cairo to Casino. from Sicily
t. the Siegfield Line Led by Colo
mel Leonard {. LydOn. of Stuart,
Iowa. the 324th has Travelled 10000
miles since leaving the states. 1t
has seen Australia. New Zealand, ,
India. Egypt. Tunis. Italy, Corsica.
and France. Over so per cent of the .
enlisted men who started out with
the 324th are also still with the
outfit. On it's second birthday, the
group has an imposing collection
of decOrations-two Legion of Me-
rits. 81 Distinguished Flying Cross
es. two soldiers Medals. 21l Air
Medals. 402 Oak Leaf Clusters to
the Air Medal. 81 Purple Hearts,
seven Oak Leaf Clusters TO the d.
+. C., - Bronze Star Medals. one
Oak Leaf Cluster to the Purple
Heart and four CroiX de Guerre"
Staff Sergeant Palmer went over
seas in November 1912. and took
part in the Invasion of North Afri-
ca Also since then he has been in
Sicily. AnZio, Corsica, and at pre-
sent time is in southern France.
a y
Pfc. Thomas Harrington of Mil
who is serving with Col. John ".
otton's 362nd Infantry regiment
Of the 91st Division, sent home an
article from Stars and Stripes
paper which gave an account of the
3G2nd as the spearhead of the at
tack Futa Pass. The article in part,
follows:
"Futa Pass. it may now be told
was captured at dawn September
% with the 362nd Third Battalion
commanded by 1t. Col. George T.
White of MedfOrd, Oregon playing
i major part in the action. Out Of
with regiment and
and fighting alone, Col
Whites men were among the first
9Th Army troops to stand atop Fu-
-a Pass. They had swept across the
Gothic defensive zOse's deepest
network of prepared Notifications
I feat that won them a division ci-
alton.
Many other Gothic positions >
we're captured by the 362nd to aid
he reduction of the defensive sy-
item.
The Gothic battles of the 362nd .
Regiment will occupy an impor- /
ant chapter in 5th Army history.
These infantrymen, whose only
previous experience was 35 days of
ombat from Casaglis to the ArnO
river in late July and early Aug
lst preached the Sieve River de-
enses in jumpOff attack on =
september 10. They then began the !
lOn-stop advance up the Apenni- !
.es. y
The article continues in some
ength and tells of the action in de- I
all. mentioning the various things I
hat some of the men did and me- {
ais which they received for their I
ctions. Staff Sergeant Henry H.
=. Wendt. OF Blair, Nebraska ad- {
anced ahead of his platoon and ]
nSaged two German tanks. He {
almly opened fire with his baZoo- /
a. One tank limped away with n,
estroyed turret and the other :,
'ithdrew when its cannon received !,
direct hit" a a