The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-01-15
Infantry Poised For Action In The South Pacific
NEeRO OUTFIT
HAS kept All
MONTH VICIt
ny FLETCHER r. MARTIN

ADVANCE PACIFIC BASE tVis
AirmaiD-of The sandy shores Of 9
historic South Pacific beach which
As prefaced by countless miles OF
Coral Sea. the crack 2ith Infantry
Is stationed. Neatly tucked in tho
bosom of junguiar terrain, thi.
force fully equipped. is prepared
for any eventuality. Whether they
wilt be flung agains; the enemy
only the military command knows
IN the meantime the pushing OF sup
plies 20 forward areas is their task
Twenty-one months have SLOWLY
passed since this outfit embarked
from California for the South Pa
ciBc. Twenty-one months without
q let-up. except for those whose
health make necessary evacuation.
Under tropical conditions they sol
der on the docks and in supply
dumps. Despite this. they remain
ready for combat. having in their
possession full equipment for q
full infantry unit. Time crawls
work is hard. bit in the words OF
1t Col. Julian C. Hearne Jr.. COM
mander from Wheeling. w. Va:
Doing Essential Job
We feel that what. We are doing
Is essential in this war effort. Our
force is one prepared 10 do any,
thing. whether at the front or be-
hind the lines. Now we are behind
the lines handling essential sup
plies. We are doing. and will con-
finue 10 do a good Job"
The camp is thanked on all sides
by towering coconut palms. And
on the North are miles OF sandy
beach. A beautiful site which does
not show the wear and tear OF bat
tie. Yet only few months ago
here was fought one OF the blood
lest of battles. Americans showered
themselves in glory as they routed
q stubborn enemy from beach and
surrounding Jungles The military
burial ground several hundred feet
trom this site bespeaks the inten-
eity Of the struggle. Now all is
peaceful and quiet as the waves
break against the beach and multi
colored birds cloud the -ir with
strange calls
Their Health Good
The climate is hot and sultry.
/. Yet the health Of these men is re-
ssarkably good. The food Is good,
and tents ere spacious and clean.
Checker boarding the grounds are
huge trenches and dugouts. Al
though these have not been much
used for the last few months, be-
fore that the underground sanct-
uaraes were as well known as the
comfortable screened tents. Having
felt the wage Of aerial lombard
ments. preparedness is the byword.
During one such attack Pfc. Verna
e. Neal of Ruleville. Miss. crswled
80 yards In the face Of hurting
death md aided In the evacuation
Of several wounded Receiving in
3ufies In this cQurageous undertake
Ing, Pic Neal later receivpd the
81, g !, Herit swsrd and the
%THtSe seasoned 6nd well-disci-
pllhxd uuUbJ sun fondle their
Weapons. An apprecisble number
~. the non-commissAned oedcers
Are Regular Army. And the Spirit
Of military courtbsy, carried out to
The letter, Leaves little to be de-
sired. The men are influenced
largely by such old Army reg-lars
as F-Sgts. John J. Hansbury. Of
New Orleans go years.; Jacob Har-
rison. of Columbus. Ga, (26 years. ;
Harry Relf. of Montgomery, Ala,
60 years.: Robert Palmer OF Phenix
City, Ala. az years.; and S-Sgt.
Romalus Lewis. Of New Orleans
(l6 years..
OberIin Chaplain Listed
Except for the chaplsins, Cap
tains Norman G.. Long. OF Oberlin,
Ohio; Theodore H. Brooks. of San
ford, NC; and 1t Gil B. Lloyd,
Of Chicago, Ill, the ranking Negro
officers are Warrant Officers Rufus
Z. williams. Columbus. Ga; Chris
Guillory, Columbus, Ga: Sud A.
Draughn, Hattiesburg, Miss; c..
Clarence Owens, Chicago; Willie G.
Jones, Birmingham. Ala; and Roger
Porter. Columbus. Ga.
The record Of the oath Infantry
Is widely known. Action on the
Mexican border, the Cuban cam
paign which included tn attack
upon San Juan Hill. and services in
the PHILIPPINES History speaks OF
the long. hard and accomplishing
services Of this infantry force. Years
at Fort Benning. Ga, where they
served as the demonstration troops
for the infantry school And where
athletic records were shattered.
These accomplishments are written
in the record.
Landed In ~
Familiar with the work OF service
troops. familiar with the weapons
of the infantry, today thev are I'M
complaining save for the long ardu-
Gus hours. At nights the oldsters
talk OF howitzers and Springfields,
the new 'cruits listen"
After embarkstion the unit
landed in New Hebrides on May 4,
1912. There they found a detach-
rnent OF Marines a unit OF the old
Massachusetts National Guards
NOW Infantry. and the native
home guards The infantry was
formed into the North and East sec
tor defense perimeier Lines OF
communication we're established by
them for the entire island Travel
ing through thick underbrush an
Jungle foliage, 800 miles OF WI
were strung. l-Sgt +. d. Bank 6f
Phoenix City Ala, who w in
charge, told Of the sdventura
We were armed with thine
guns. knives. and map Hyfidn't
know the territory was wild and
unexplored. | had a compass and
map. We started out with food and
equipment TO bivousc along the
way. II was Ike blazing new
trail We hsd1o cut through the
brush ard the<Hn besmed like fire.
II wasn't easy. For nine months
we went forward. stringing. watch
ing. and sweating. - sweating,