Imperial Valley press., 1944-10-20

ed the alarm was rung by someone
of school age, inasmuch as some
classes had been dismissed shortly
before the alarm sounded.
Coronado IS the present ADDRESS
Of Stanley Jacobs, sen OF Mr.. ana
Mrs. Ralph jacobs of Ell Centre.
Stanley was at the naval training
station in San Diego II weeks and
expects to be at Coronado for the
next two months. He will celebrate
his nineteenth birthday anniyer-
sary October 28.
T-5 Ernest zinn from FL Centro,
California, smiled, crinkling his
Californian arc African tanned face
as he sat at his birthday party in
Santa Barbaras BiltmOre hotel at
the ASE AGF Redistribution sta
ton. He Wryly remarked My last
birthday Was spent getting ready
to attack and cross the Volturno
river in Italy I didn't know it was
my birthday until four days later
That's how you lose track CT Gays
over there"
At the corpcrals side sat his at
tractive young brunette wife, Betty
zinn Of 642 Wensley avenue, Ell
Centre, California and other friends
The party was surprise, given by
the army IS a regular feature in
the Biltmore dining room, for over
seas returnees. The 25-year- old vet
cran laughin2ly said, We're guests
Of our Uncle Sam. This time, I can
really say its a pleasure"
The places the corporal has been
were far from being pleasant-and
his Silver Star award atteStS he
wasn't exactly pleasure seeking. His
Silver Star was awarded for valour
at Anzio, where he WaS commune
cations man for the 18th infantry
regiment of the famed Third divi-
sion. I'm infantry battalion had in
filtrat2d through the German lines
for a two mile advance, holding
tenaciously onto a very tough piece
Of ground. With Nazis on both
flankS, and to the rear, it was very
unhealthy position. COmmunica-
ton was limited to only a single
line Of wire IN a two mile rugged,
water filled, ditch rur-;rg through
enemy lines.
Aware Of its purpose, the Ger
mans constantly shelled the ditch
covering it further with snipers in
search of repairmen. That was the
wire the young California ccm-
munications man had to keep re-
paired-a far cry from his peace
time job as electrical repairman.
Enemy patrols sneaking into the
ditch at night would remove sec
tions Of wire, disrupting the vital
link Of communication TO the be-
lc3guere6 battalion. Corporal linn
| and another soldier would crouch
ingly slog in knee-high water,
/ through the danger brackcted ditch,
finding and repairing breaks. Find
ing one of his budCieS, another
communications man, dead in the
ditch, shot the night before by enc
my snircrs didn't add to his peace
OF mind.
He continued running the gaunt-
let Of Nazi shell anc small arms
fire for days until reinforcement,
cleaned out the hellieh pocket oi
enemy resistance. That ditch Wa;
Just like a shooting gallery, Corp
oral Zinn recalled. I guess 1 Wa:
just kind OF lucky"
After 81 War-filled days of cease
less activity Oh the front at Anzio
his outfit was recalled to the beach
FOR rest. You could hardly call
il rest with the shells constantly
flying about unused the young in
fanSryman. we were there for 18
days, training new troops. Train
train. train, that's what the Army
docs in between battles. Sometimes
YOU get a real rcst-not often
though"
From Anzio, Corporal Zinn's out
lit sp91rhaad2d the slugging drive
10 Cistcrno, advancing after that
weary and bloody fight to Rome.
where he had IL days of compara-
tive respite from after the Germans
were Criven out. Returned to Naples,
his outfit Wss being rcadied for the
invasion of southern France when
The army's rotation plan relieved
him to return to the United States.
Corporal zinn smiled Il was SIRE
happy to be on that boat coming
back here"
Corporal linn is a warm, ready
t0-Snile soldier, who thinks serious
~. He was somewhat pcrtuIbcd over
peoples arathy regarding dcmOera-
/ cy. 'P?orle have got To vote anC
h1v2 an interest in their ccuntry'a
"rfairs', be said as his forehead
WIinklcd.
Stating his desire to return 10
his electricians job after the var.
the corporal indicated he might have
other post war plans as he gazpd
tondly at his pretty wife. Asked
about her pest war plans, Mrs. Zinn
good naturoclY replied That de
penos on him'. Then she burst into