Imperial Valley press., 1944-06-21

'CUllllllutu lIOUl rage j.
off the barge l had waterprOofed
my typewriter by tapping it up in
a gas cape. But the water came
only to the floor of the jeep. We
didn't even get our feet wet but
the waves did slosh in and get
the seats of our pants wet.
1t was several miles to our BIZ
vouac area. On the way we passed
many bodies lying alongside the
road, both German and American
but mostly German. Some of the
French people along the roads
smiled and waved. while others
kept their heads down and wouldn't
look up
1t was dark when we got to our
bivouac, grape and apple orchard
on a hillside. We pulled in and
parked under tree First we post
ed Sentries, and then Wescott dug
into his big ration bCX in the jeep
and got out some grapefruit juice,
crackers and sardineS.
NAZI PLANES APPEAR
While We were eating. the first
German planes Of the night came
ever. One dropped its bombs not
aWfully far away - enough to give
us our first touch of nerves. There
were anti-aircraft guns all around
and they made an awful racket
The night began to take en- an
ominous and Spooky aspect. We felt
lonely. There were still snipers
/ around and shell holes every Where
and we could hear machine gums
/ in the distance.
1t was midnight by the time
we had finished eating and got a
camouflage net over the jeep in
preparation for the first light next
morning We decided to get what
sleep we could. We didn't have Cul
bodrollS yet, but we Cid have two
blankets apiece. We just lay down
on the ground
OFFICERS BED DOWN
Another jeep had pulled under
the tree with US. Altogether ON
group sleeping en- the ground con.
sisted of two colonies, three ell.
! listed men and myself. We slep
in all our clothes.
German planes kept coming ovel
one by one. Our guns kert up thei
booming and cracking all nigh
long, in fits and jerks.
After an hour or SO one CT ou
| colonelS said we'd better move ou
blankets SO our heads would be un
der the jeep9 because pieces o
flax were falling all over the or
chard
He laid the flax wouldn't kill yol
unless it hit you III the head.
said I guessed it would if it hi
you in the stomach. He said i
wouldn't I still think it would.
Anyhow. I moved my lead un
der and left my stomach out in TIL,
open. My head was right behint
the front wheel. under the fender
1t was a good pace, but the head
room was 90 Scant that every tim'
would turn over I would get {
mouthful of mud from the fender.
ALL GOT COLD
Then we got cold. Our two blan
ketS might as well have been hand
kerchiefs, for all the warmth there
was in them. We lit cigarctS anC
smoked under our blankets. W.
couldn't sleep much anyhow, fol
the noise of the guns.
Sometimes planes would cCme il
low, and we would lie there scrunch
ed up in that knotty tenSeness yo,
get when waiting to be hit.
Finally daylight came. At dawn
our planes always come over anC
the Germans leave. so the daYs arr
safe and secure as far as the all
is concerned.
We all got up at dawn, welcoming
a cl.aLCc 20 move around and ge
warm. Private We colt opened some
*" rationS and we ate a scanty
breakfast off the Ecod of the jeep
i Then a colonel made a reconnais-
sance tour. When he came bach
he said that our little orchard
which looked so rural and pretty
in the dawn, was full of dead Ger
mans, killed the day before We
would have to help bury them
pretty soon.
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