Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-08-19

The Negro Marines suffered their
first battle casualties of the war
when one was killed and four were
wounded They were thrown into
front line fighting. when japanese
threatened American lines and
knocked at least one Jap machine
gun out of action an killed several
Of the enemy-the first Japs sent
to their ancestors by Negro Marines
in this War.
DIVE in FONHOLES
Members Of the unit stacked the
big stuff" in neat rows and dived
into over-regulation foxholes when
the Japs pattern fired the beech
yith mortar and artillery shells.
Il haven't got time to think
about anything but the Lord"
said 19-year-old Private Edward
H. Seals, son of Mrs. Emma CAL
houn, 1928 Germantown Street,
Dayton, Ohio. He explained that
this was prompted by the crash
Ct q Jap plane.-bested in a dog
fight with Naval aircraft-150
feet from him the night of D-day.
Il prayed night and day after
that" he said.
The Negro Marines set what
Second Lieutenant Howard E. Tue
ker, son Of Mrs. J. E. Deardortf,
1886 Fifth, East, Salt Lake City,
Utah. a platoon leader. believes to
be a record of unloading several
thousands Of tons Of ammunition In
SO hours.
OFFICER PLEASED
Besides the two prospective pas
tors. private First Glass Fred
washington and private First Class
Augustus Witcher. the unit con-
tanned a former professional boxer,
a dance band leader several de-
Tense plant workers former
electric washing machine salesman,
and others with a wide variety of
pre- aipan occupations.
I'm very pleased with the way
thew worked" said Captain Louis
P. Shine, son of Mrs. Frances Shine
(no street address,, Usage, w. Va,
unit commanding officer,
Said the 26-year-old Guadalcanal
veteran:
81 was plenty scared myself. we'd
dig in our foxholes when the firing
cot heavy. Sometimes the men were
almost completely buried in show
ers of sand.
I'D kid them and tell them,
WHAT are we doing herel Come on
lets get back to work where we
belong Then I'd start back to the
boats. They came right after me.
"They worked around the CLOCK
and did a swell Job. Several officers
congratulated us on the way we
had the ammunition they wanted
already when they wanted it."
All Of the dozens of types OF am
munition had to be stacked Sc
parately They ranged from huge
aerial bombs TO rifle ammo. Now
divided between scattered inland
dumps, the boxes and road system
approximate the business districts
Of several small communities.
The unit unload5 all ordnance
from incoming ships. They handled
it for the Second and Fourth
Marine and 9th Army Divisions
during the Saipan campaign. AL
though still working on a 24-hour
schedule, they're about caught UP
and are looking forward to little
well-earued rest.
Neither Private First Glass Wash
ington nor Private First Glass Wit
cher is actully an ordained pastor.
but both hope to be after the war.
Washington, son of Mr.. and Mrs
James washington, Magnolia, Ark,
conducts regular Sunday night SER
vices, reporting an average atten-
dance of so to 10. Witcher leads the
singing for the Sunday service and
holds a PRAYER meeting and song
service each Wednesday evening.
IT held first services here on D
plus-1O," said washington, using
the story of Daniel, because i
thought it fit in best, both from
morale standpoint and because it
showed that protection is simultan-
eous with danger"
WORKED AS WELDER