davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-10-22

LOhA SluCbClCs
Tech. Sergt. William E. Rowland,
s11 West Fulton avenue, Falls
Church, Va, has also received the
DFC. Radio operator on a Flying
Fortress, the 20-year-old flyer has
participated in more than 80 aerial
attacks. He previously had been
awarded the Aid Medal with three
Oak Leaf Clusters. Son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ernest C. Rowland of the
same address, Sergt. Rowland was
graduated from Mckinley High
School before he entered the serv-
Ice in March, l943.
Hobbs Pilot on B-17.
First 1t. John o. Hobbs, 81, son
of 1t. Col. and Mrs. Edgar o. Hobbs
1915 Sixteenth street NV, has been
awarded the DFC while serving as
pilot of Bit.
A graduate of Franklin High
School, Reistertown, Md, he also
attended the University of Mary
land.
First 1t. Harold w. Kline, %, sor
of Mr.. and Mrs Edward M. Kline. So
Bryant street NV, was awarded the
DFC for displaying great combat
spirit and aggressiveness. Through
out enemy opposition, he demon
strated the highest order of pro-
fessional skill heroism and devotion
to duty" Pilot on a B-24, Lit. Kline
has flown SO missions and wears the
Air Medal with three Oak Leaf
Clusters.
Capt. William E. Haynie, 364(
Thirteenth street NV, pilot of q
giant transport plane which hauls
vital military cargo to Allied forces
fighting the Japanese in China, has
been awarded the DFC.
The citation credited Capt. Hay
ME with more than 300 hours oi
operational flight in transport air.
Evening star., 1944-10-22
Realistic Picture Of Fighting in France Painted
by Doughboy With Eyes for Small incidents

From the front lines in France a
Washington doughboy writes of the
small, human incidents that make
life bearable and sometimes hui
morous on the battlefield and of
the overall strategy of interrelated
Army branches working together
toward one end.
Corpl. r. L. Downing, infantry,
1907 Twelfth street NV, sent the
following letter to his father, Rob-
ert B. Downing, who is a guard at
the National Museum:
Il am in a huge barn, using a
milking stool for a desk. This paper
is German issue, and inclosed you
will find German stamps. The Ger
man soldier is compelled to write tc
the homeland periodically, under
strict censorship. They have troop
newspapers similar to our Stars and
Stripes.
This farm is run by German
speaking. If not Nazi-sympathizing
people. The two girls are married
to German soldiers. We notice their
reception of us is very different
from the French. The French don't
exhibit their welcome so much, be-
Evening star., 1944-10-22

W II y StI dlSlit
through the loose, struggling forma-
ton of the enemy fighters and
calmly picked them off one by one.
This is 1t. Boteler's story, as
stated in an 9th Air Force release
from fighter station in England:
I was leading my flight at
around 5000 feet when my No. 3
man spotted the four 'Messies' flying
right above the tree tops at mod
crate speed.
when I caught sight of them
they were almost directly under the
fight, so I made wide turn to the
left to come around and made a
dead astern approach.
"I noticed that three of the Huns
were flying In staggered forma-
ton, spread apart, with the fourth
plane some distance behind and a
little to the right side.
my first pass was made on the
lone Jerry.
"I closed in on him at about 300
miles per hour from dead astern,
fired a couple of short bursts, and
saw them slam into one of the en-
gines.
"The aircraft Immediately started
into a shallow glide, bellied-in and
burst into flames when it hit the
ground.
After that I started after a l1o
on the left.
TT was tagging behind the other
two. I started to close in for a
kill when another Thunderbolt cut
me out by diving right in front of
my plane.
II made another pass on the same
aircraft, which by this time was
flying at treetop level. I closed and
fired several bursts before overtak-
ing him and saw a few strikes hit
home. Then my flight members
finished him off-they set the Ger
man plane on fire and it crashed
into the ground like a flaming
torch"
1t. Boteler has completed 80 mis-
sions and has been awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross. His par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. Basil D. Boteler,
live at the Thirty first street ad-
dress
Evening star., 1944-10-22

me about 4 feet off the ground
appearing to chase a boy running up
the road. 1t didn't get him.
"One morning in defensive posi-
ton, had deep dugout that I was
sleeping in. 1t was a clean one
Along came a soldier on guard, wax
ing us all up. He said, Get up
Downing, the ferries are attacking
this morning. Put on your belt and
helmet and stand in your fox hole.
At first sleepily, I then noticed the
racket while going toward the front.
I had become used to lot OF can
nonading since tanks nearby us were
always firing.
THE tack-tack of machine guns
and whizzing- -burping noise Of Ger
man machine pistols mixed with the
sharp crack of rifle fire. punctuated
by the blast of mortar shells and air
vibrating crash Of artillery smote
me like dash of ice cold water. I
started to shiver in my knees and
could not stop it. 1t made me so
angry at myself that I couldn't con-
troll my muscles at first.
Thinking it out for a couple of
minutes, peculiar thoughts raced
through my mind. Would I, or
should I, stay in my hole and take
the chance of being bayoneted, or
risk ( the chance of bullets and
shrapnel to seek more maneuver-
able spot better camoufiaged, since
was in an orchard and my foxhole
was green mound under tree
easily noticeable and subject to in
tense fire is discovered.
Hell! There is a company In
front of me and the Germans are a
little over a half mile from the last
reading. 1t is early morning and
very foggy would see them or
hear them first That thought
quieted me down I was ready for
anything.
Our artillery by now had opened
up full strength to squash their at
tack. 1t quieted down except for
intermittent firing. I crawled back
into my hole to sleep and wait for
chow to come up
MY first experience of German
attack was counted as zero-zero.
Nothing lost but much gained in
knowledge of myself. Think 1t out.
(You said it,
While on the move we had sus-
tanned casualties from 88s firing on
our column. Having been advanc-
ing gradually through pockets of
resistance, the platoon I was march,
ing with ran into some small-arms
fire. We stopped and hit the dirt
along the edge of the road. 1t was
thought only sniper fire, so We
crawled along cautiously through
Evening star., 1944-10-22
Ii. Charles B. Earnharf
Back From War Fronts

1t. Charles B. Earnhart. 26. OF
1922 Rhode Island avenue NV.
fighter pilot attached to the 9th
Air Force, has flown his PAT In
more than 100 sorties over England
Germany, Belgium and Holland. He
wears the British Empire Medal
with two Silver Stars, Allied Service
Medal and the British General
Service Medal, besides the Dis
tinguished Flying Cross with an Oak
Leaf Cluster.
1t. Earnhart is now home on fur
Tough for the first time in three
years. A brother, Pfc. Billie Earn
hart, is with the AAF Air Transport
Command in Africa.
Former employe of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, 1t. Earnhart is
a member of the Caterpillar Club
exclusively for those who have saved
their lives by parachuting.
Enlisting the day after Pearl Har-
Dor, 1t. Earnhart's original flight
training was obtained with the
Royal Canadian Air Force. Later, he
was attached to the Royal Air Force
in England, where he took his COM
bat training. While with the RAF
1t. Earnhart logged many hours ano
engaged in a number of sorties In
Britain's famed Spitflres and Hur-
ricanes. He transferred to the United
States AAF soon afterward.
Evening star., 1944-10-22
Rifle Barrel Bending Device
|nsures Serapping Of Arms

Capt. Joseph Caron, BIS Portland
street Sc, has invented a rifle
bending machine which completes
operations on 16 barrels minute
where 1t once required whole
day to complete $50.
According to a dispatch from Fort
Meade, Md, where he is stationed
at a maintenance and repair branch
Capt. Caron's latest innovation
bends barrels so that salvaged arms
sold as scrap cannot be used BY
private buyers as weapons. Orig
inally, it was necessary to heat the
barrel white hot and hammer it te
the desired shape, as blacksmiths
do horseshoes.
The new machine, made entirely
OF salvaged parts, operates by all
pressure on cold steel.
Capt. Caron enlisted in the in.
fantry in 1920, and transferred to
the motor transport branch of the
Quartermasters' Corps in 1923.
Evening star., 1944-10-22

another engine and damaged the
Liberator's equipment. The bomber
was now on two engines but the
pilots almost burned them up try
ing to stay within the formation.
The subsequent attacks knocked
out two gun positions and almost
tore the rudder and elevators from
the tail but the gunnerS shot down
two ME-109s and damaged three
others.
The fighter attack continued for
10 more minutes. Shortly after the
Liberator fell out of formation and
1t. Griffin had to map a course that
would avoid flax areas and still get
the bomber home in the shortest
possible time.
When they landed, despite the
lack of hydraulic fluid for the
brakes, the crew counted over 900
fax and machine gun holes in the
bomber and the mechanics found
that only so gallons of gas remained
in the fuel cells.
1t. Comdr. Evan P. Aurand, U. S,
IN, IL opttll HbICCG ~" Noiii
manding officer of a carrier based
night fighter squadron in the Pa
cif1c, has been awarded the Gold
Star in lieu of a second DFC.
Leading a division of four He'll
cat night fighters, Comdr. Aurand
destroyed a japanese dive-bomber
which was approaching our fast
carrier task forces in the vicinity
of Mariana Islands on June IA, ac-
cording to the citation.
Prisoners Parents Get DFC.
Staff Sergt. Edward M. Waters
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Albert l.. Wa
ters, 1924 Kansas avenue NV, re-
ceived the DFC and the Air Medal
with one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster.
He is now a German prisoner. The
awards we're made to his parents
Tuesday.
Sergt. Waters is native Of Wash
ington. He was graduated from
Central High School and worked as
an automobile mechanic prior' to
entering the service in March, 1941.
He was sent overseas in October,
1943, and made prisoner after his
plane was shot down on his 28th
mission in May.
Capt. Donald V. Mayer, %, son
of Mrs, Kathryn M. Writ. 1925 K
street NV. has received the DFC
for his participation in more than
a score of heavy bombing assaults
on vital Nazi targets in Europe and
in support of advances by the
ground troops in France.
Pilot on an 9Th Air Force Flying
Fortress, Witch of Woman, Capt
Mayer holds the Air Medal with
four Oak Leaf Clusters. He entered
the service in November, 1941, prior
to which he was a craftsman in
Indianapolis, Ind.
Second 1t. David J. Dunigan, jr.,
Evening star., 1944-10-22

Landeck soon proved himself a true
Marauder and accounted for his first
and second Nip at Myitkyina," the
citation said.
Pvt. Landeck attended st. Pat
ricks School here and worked at
the Virginia Engineering Co., Naval
Base, in Norfolk, Va. He was in
Quoted in November, 1912, and has
been overseas II months.
His mother, Mrs. Leo Peterson,
and stepfather, Leo Peterson, live in
Havelock, N. C. Mr.. Peterson &C
companied Admiral Byrd on his first
expedition to the North Pole.
Maj. Richard R. Baker. jr., hus-
band of Mrs. Carmen S. Baker, lis
st. Asaph street, Alexandria, has
been awarded the Presidential Unit
Citation. Executive officer of a
troop carrier group which has fig
,lred largely in the recent air.
bolne operations in Holland, Mai
Baker is a veteran of the Sicilian
Italian and Normandy invasions.
Maj. Baker is former Washing
ton corporation lawyer.
Two Washington area men have
been awarded their second Air Medal
for "meritorious achievement in
combat during six heavy lombard
nent missions over Germany and
German-occupied Europe" They
are Second 1t. Robert Robinson
Denny, %, son of MIR. and Mrs. Will
liam c. Denny, 1924 Underwood
street NV, pilot of Flying
fortress. now stationed in England
ana Tech. Sergt. Clinton j. German
zo, son OF Mr.. and Mrs. A. c. Cor
man. 4628 Howe avenue Sc, en-
gineer of a Flying Fortress, now
stationed in England.
Evening star., 1944-10-22

ing afraid that the Boche may re-
turn, as they have in some instances
l-Wreaking vengeance and retalia-
ton upon them after we had passed
through.
"The people at this farm claim
some rough treatment at the hands
of the Germans, such as taking
chickens and pigs, besides money
from the farmhands. I doubt much
of it. They probably gave them to
the Boche. However, sleeping in
their hay is comfortable, out of the
cold rain and wind.
we are making another river
crossing, and it is tough going.
Good Teamwork.
"Our war machine and strategy
| is beautiful working thing to see
in operation. The different branch
es Of the service all assist and re-
spect each others work-good team
work.
The infantry likes to see ar
mored units, and they in turn like
our support. The Air Corps does a
lot of long and short distance
knocking out of strong points, thus
saving manpower while giving us
blessed air coverage.
The engineers do all assault work
and mine clearing, besides construc.
tion Of roads and bridges, canton.
ments, demolition and clearing OF
ruins.
The quartermaster boys hauling
supplies drive continuously to anc
from our fast-moving fronts in al
weather. The colored boys are right
in there fighting and sweating out
the artillery fire.
The Signal Corps lays hundred.
of miles of wire.
The cavalry, now motorized ir
armored vehicles, runs through fan
beyond main lines of resistance
like raiders in the Civil War. They
scare hell out of the Boche, appear
ing in the most unexpected places
and shooting up everything in sight
Even the Military Police, who
traditionally are not loved by the
fighting man, does his work very
well. He herds prisoners to theil
final destination and is used as guide
along the road of march, sweating
out snipers and artillery on his
lonely vigil, waiting for the conveys
to come. He stays there in the rair
in the dead of night in a ghost like
village, where every slight noise
makes him draw up his muscles fol-
action-for fear a raiding Jerry
platoon has sneaked through the
fluid front line and come out of q
by-passed pocket of resistance tc
knock him and his buddy out.
First Baptism of Fire.
MY first baptism of fire was BY
artillery. We were riding up to the
front to relieve another outfit. We
came to crossroads and stopped tc
detruck when it seemed that the all
became alive with high bursting
Evening star., 1944-10-22

series of 13 pillboxes around Sugar
loaf Hill, outside Brest, France,
made the capture together.
When the outfits advance was
held up by heavy FIRE from three
pillboxes, Sergt. BaYhum's platoon
was assigned to go in and wipe
them out. They moved up under
an artillery barrage that sent the
ferries scampering for shelter
Then they closed up to within
yards of No. l pillbox.
"We were right with them. mixin
lit up close" Sergt. Barnum told
'They used hand grenades-things
happened so fast and furious they
didn't have time to boost up theil
rifles"
When the platoon ran out of its
own grenades it began pitching
Jerry's grenades. In their hurry tc
take cover underground, the Ger-
mans had left stacks of ammuni1
ton in the communication trenches
between the pillboxes. Finally, one
lof the Germans who could speak
English came out and yelled that
his comrades wished to surrender
but were afraid to come up because
of the terrific artillery and grenade
fire.
Sergt. Barnum silenced the NOR
tars by radio and with Sergt. Welch
went in With tommy guns after the
Germans.
They took s43 prisoners, case after
case Of ammunition and vast stores
of weapons and whisky. The COM
|pany accounted for all three pill
boxes.
Sergt. Barnum is the son of
Harris w. Barnum, Parkman road
Silver Spring. He attended Har-
grade Military Academy, N. c., and
Montgomery Blair High School and
worked for a construction company
in Silver Spring. His brother John
Navy chief aviation machinist's
mate, is on an aircraft carrier at
Puerto Rico.
Evening star., 1944-10-22

this area with bullets whizzing and
whining over and around us. Final
ly some boys took to the brush along
the road spraying the trees and
| hedges. Soon they came back with
three prisoners.
I'VE found out we had walked
into, small ambush of two pla-
toons of snipers.
They were lousy shots, having
not hit one in all that shooting.
I'VE decided to clean it up, SO
opened up on both sides of the road.
We had no more trouble that day
but could hear during the night the
German machine pistol and ma
chine-gun signals to gather-in these
isolated groups by firing travers
into the air to guide them back to
their lines and strong points.
Shippers don't pick on large
groups but will fire on small par
ties of two to five men if there are
enough of them to support each
other. They usually retreat back
at night having done their damned
est, or else give up when out of am
mUnition.
After 20-mile hike We came to
a river We had to cross. A famous
one and fairly large as rivers 90
IN France. 1t was late evening and
darkness was coming, hastened by
black storm clouds. No sooner had
we started to bivouac than the rain
came down. Our rolls were not
with us so we couldn't pitch a tent.
The river ran through a famous
forest so that we were virtually
caught with our pants down in the
dark when the Huns opened UP on
us from the other side of the river
with their mortars and artillery. No
foxhole.
Il didn't like the rain and getting
everything wet nor did 1 like the
shells bursting in the trees above
my head. If they get me, they get
me. What the hell, thought, as I
crouched alongside of a. large fallen
log.
Eventually the firing let up. I
found my old jeep driver Robert
Burns and another fellow struggling
in the dark making lean-to out
of the jeep top by letting it hang
over from the vehicle. We fixed it
up, spread the blankets, still damp.
and sweated out the artillery until
morning.
Il then dug a slit trench, covering
three-fourths of it with logs and
slashing to help keep out any shrap-
mel that eventually came in the day
during the artillery duel between
Jerry on one side of the river and
our cannons in the back of us.
When the shells would tip the trees
they would burst all over us. 1t was
really hot.
I'VE made the crossing the next
night, but what barrage before it,
mostly ours. Jerry couldn't take it.
Personally I don't blame him for
pulling out after having everything
thrown at him except the wheels on
jeep.
1--WE slept the rest of the night in
stone quarry until early morning
and then moved again.
This particular place in France
had some of the incest homes I
have ever seen, SO colorful and every
one of different architecture, from
little chateaus to large castles, of
wood, stone or cement, fashioned in
the manner of Swiss chalets, log
cabins of de luxe style, Italian villas,
etc.
THE people dress in light, bright
colored clothes. They go swimming
in the briefest bathing suits I have
ever seen. The women certainly
like to show themselves of. They
can place tripkets or the tricolor
lon their person In Z most attractive
Evening star., 1944-10-22

manner. 1t appeared they weren't
hit by the war very much except for
sugar, tobacco and such luxuries.
"A German garrison had been
there long time, SO German beer
could be seen advertised.
while on a night march of NOV
ing up the command post we ran
into our battalion stan coming back
down the road being chased by q
German tank which was advancing
cautiously toward uss We took to
the fields ard dug in in a hell OF
a hurry while the antitank and
bazooka boys went up. We didn't
have any trouble, for the tank quick.
ly retreated, but the next morning
our C. P. was plastered with mortar
fire as our tanks moved past us to
engage the enemy. They make Sc
much noise and raise such lot OF
dust that eventually they draw fire
That night I dug a damned good
foxhole in the dark. When light
appeared the first sergeant com
mented upon it. He always liked to
team up with a good foxhole digger
so the other guy would do all the
work. I usually discourage him by
Evening star., 1944-10-22
'Chuting to Adriotic
1t. Click S Top Thrill

First 1t. Dale w. Click, pilot Of a
B-24 Liberator and son of Mr.. and
Mrs. M. j. Click, SAB B street Sc,
says his most thrilling experience
was bailing out Of a crippled bomb
|er over the Adriatic Sea. He landed
safely in the water, inflated Isi1is
Mae West" and stayed afioat for
two hours until picked up by q
rescue ship.
In 18th AAF dispatch from Italy
1t. Click was credited with 50 COM
bat missions and two presidential
citations.
He wears the Air Medal with three
Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple
Heart.
Evening star., 1944-10-22

Immediately toward the wreck. AS
two explosions occurred, he threw
himself to the ground Then despite
the danger of further explosions,
disregarding his own safety he
rushed to the burning wreckage to
rescue survivors Of the crash.
A 1924 graduate of Theological
College, Athens, Greece, Sergt. Sa-
maras served three years in the
Greek Army and saw action on the
Greek Bulgarian frontier in 1926.
The 39-year -old sergeant arrived in
the United States in 1927 and be-
came an American citizen. He en-
tered the service in March, 1912.
Pfc Kenneth R. Landeck, 81, for
merly of 908 G. street NV, has
been awarded the Presidential Unit
Citation for exploits behind Japa-
Evening star., 1944-10-22
|Quirk Named Chief
Of Fighter Squadron

Capt. Michael j. Quirk, 24-year-
old fighter pilot of 3718 Livingston
street NV, has been named COM
manding officer of a fighter squad
ron in combat in the European
theater of operations, according to
an 9th Air Force dispatch from
England.
The squadron which Capt. Quirk
heads Is part Of the highest-scorine
P-47 Thunderbolt group Ia Europe
Evening star., 1944-10-22

| not naVlng tne DeSt, Lne nrSt any
way
I'VE call boys who start digging al
the slightest pretense or reason
'gophers.' Another way of putting
it is 'go-fors,' since you can't fine
them far from. if not in, their holes
all the time. You should see some
of them dive into those holes when
our own cannons go off. No kidding
some sprain their necks going ir
la swan dive.
Usually they are the new men
the replacements. They do that un.
til they know which is which, out.
going or incoming, by the sound
This saves you lot of unnecessary
worry and it is not so hard on youl
bones and skin.
Don't get the idea that I dom
dig. do, but only when 1t is feast.
BILE.
| The British are. the ones to bt
amazed at. Right up in the from
lines they light up cooking fires tt
have their tea at IL o'clock at night
They make hell of a racket singing
and such.
THE Yank fights quiet like ar
Indian, no lights and little noise OF
talking after sundown, no matter
whether he is in the front or nea,
the rear. believe he even hates tc
fire his rifle at night for it makes
such noise. But when started, he
loves to shoot the hell out of every
thing, especially when he knows
where Jerry is.
1T is funny how quiet it can be
at times on the front, then the loud
est racket can start all of a sudden
it seems, over nothing but a few
rife shots as the enemy is discovered
sneaking around or making noises ir
his area.
I'VE keep him awake by lobbine
shells every SO often all night Ions
into his camp lines. I bet he hate.
it. The prisoners hate our artillery
They jump even when we are taking
them back to the rear.
That's one of my jobs-herding
pi iSOllcIS DdCk tI1dL are received
from the companies at Bn. P. w. E
My first prisoner was an old man
about your age. He was an officer in
the Luftwaffe. I imagine he was in
an administrative capacity for q
long time. butSpushed out to lead a
platoon when the going got tough
for them.
He wouldn't let his platoon sur
render until an English-speaking
Kraut who lived in the States back
in '36 convinced him and his gang il
was best and We would not murder
! them as their officers told them.
All the time I have been writing
have been hearing the radios call
ing back and forth to each other
in code"
Corpl. Downing, 80. is a native Of
Nyack, N. Y. where he attended
high school. He came to WASHINGTON
II years ago to work for the WPA
the Health Department and the Be-
| thesda Md Branch Post Office
His father was a first lieutenant ir
the World War.