Imperial Valley press., 1944-08-08
By ERNIE PYLE

| IN NORMANDY (By wireless -
The great attack, when we broke
out of the Normandy beachhead,
began in the bright light of mid
day. not at the zero hour Of bleak
and mysterious dawn as attacks are
supposed to start in books.
The attack had been delayed from
day to day because of poor flying
weather and on the final day we
hadn't known for sure till after
breakfast whether it was on or off
again.
When the word came that 1t was
on, the various battalion staffs OF
our regiment were called in from
their command posts for a final
review of the battle plan.
PICTURE OF FRONT
Each one was given a mimeo-
graphed sketch of the front-line
area, showing exactly where and
when each type bomber was to
hammer the German lines ahead
of them. Another mimeographed
page was filled with specific orders
or the grand attack to follow.
Officers stood or squatted in a
circle in a little apple orchard be-
hind a ramshackle stone farmhouse
of a poor French family who had
left before us. The stone wall in the
front yard had been knocked down
by shelling, and through the
s.
and tree limbs knocked off and
trunks sliced by bullets. Some en-
listed men sleeping the night be-
fore in the attic of the house got
the shock of their lives when the
thin floor collapsed and they fell
down into the cowshed below.
Chickens and tame rabbits still
scampered around the farmyard
Dead cows lay all around in the
fields.
The regimental colonel stood in
the center of the officers and went
over the orders in detail. Battalion
commanders took down notes in lit
tie books.
The colonel said, Ernie Pyle Is
with the regiment for this attack
and will be with one of the bat
talions, so you'll be seeing him. ~
The officers looked at me and
smiled and I felt embarrassed.
Then Major General Raymond O..
Barton, Fourth Division COM
mander, arrived. The colonel called,
Attention." and everybody stood
rigid until the general gave them,
Garry on"
An enlisted man ran to the mess
truck and got a folding canvas stool
for the general to sit on. He sat
listening intently while the colonel
wound up his Instructions.
MAKES 1T SNAPPY
Then the general stepped into the
center Of the circle He stood at a
slouch on one foot with the other
leg far out like a brace. He looked
all around him as he talked. he
didn't talk long. He said something
like this
This is one of the finest regl-
ments in the American army. 1t was
/ the last regiment out OF France IN
| the last war. II was the flrSt regl-
ment into France in this war. 1t mas
! spearheaded every Cne OF the dl-
visions attacks in Normandy. y
will spearhead this one. For many
years this was my regiment and l
feel very close TO you, and very
proud"
The generals lined face was
study in emotion. Sincerity and
deep sentiment were in every con-
tour and they shone from his eyes
General Barton is man OF deep
/ affections. The tragedy CT war, both
personal and impersonal, hurts him
/ At the end his voice almost broke
and I for one had lump in my
throat. He ended:
That's all. God bless you and
good luck"
GET GOING
Then we broke up and / went
with one of the battalion command
ers. Word was passed down by field
phone, radio and liaison men TO the
very smallest unit Of troops thai
the attack was on.
There was still an hour before the
bombets, and three hours before tht
infantry were to move. There wal
nothing for the infantry to do bu
dig little deeper and wait. A ces'
sation of motion seemed to comf