Evening star., 1944-01-26
Former Star Reporter Describes
Five Day Battle Against Jops

medicines. cigarettes, raincoats, and
every imaginable type of equipment.
Riflemen dug foxholes; machine
gunners set up their pieces in deep
gun pits; other men strung barbed
wire in front Of the positions; Navy
medical men prepared to take care
of the wounded. and staff officers
got into communication with their
front-line units.
Sergt. Maj. Calhoun Smith, Chi
cago, dug his hole under the floor
boards Of Japanese hut, put on a
Jap raincoat over his own soaked
uniform, 1t a Jap cigarette and
prepared for the night.
Japs Attack Suddenly.
For "a hours the front was quiet
On the following day the Japs at
tackled suddenly and in force. Ma
chine guns and rife fire moved
them down as fast as they came
Heaps of japanese dead were piled
up In front of the lines. Deadly
accurate mortar fire plunked into
the Japanese formations and broke
up their: attacks systemically. Twice
in heavy downpour, the Japs came
but were beaten back each time.
They attacked that night at II
O'Clock and again at 4. The second
attack was q bayonet charge. In
the darkness the enemy inflltrated
close to the marine positions and
charged screaming into hand-to-
hand combat with the defenders.
Hard-working ambhibian tractor
crews saved the day for the marines.
At the height Of the Jap night as
saults. when ammunition was run
ming low, the tractors plowed their
way through the jungle with head
lights on, bringing boxes Of ammu-
milton to the front.
Launch Fifth Attack.
The next day I went up to the
lines over the trail made the pre-
vious night by the amphibs. Just
as I arrived at the command post
the Japs launched their fifth at
tack. 1t was heralded by fusillade
OF fire from their jungle positions
and an answering fire from the
marines. I crouched behind a
stalled tractor about 80 yards from
the front line until a Jap bullet
ricocheted off the side OF the ve-
hicle. Then I made a break to a
foxhole occupied by Corpl. illus
Light, Arab, Ala.
The Japs failed to break through
the tight marine defense. Our heavy
artillery and mortars opened up
behind us and in an hour and a
half the attack petered out. The
volume OF fire slowed down, then
ceased, and quiet settled down over
the jungle.
Seven wounded marines were car
ried into the emergency dressing
station where 1t. Aaron Saidman,
Navy Medical Corps, OF Washington,
and 1t. Richard M. Steinberg,
patched them UP. I helped load
the muddy, dazed men aboard a
tractor and we started back over
the bumpy road to the beach. There
were three stretcher cases and four
men who could stand.
Lit Cigarettes for Wounded.
The stretcher cases lay in the
bottom Of the tractor. lit up three
soggy cigarettes and put them in
the mouths of the wounded men.
One youth from Indiana said to
me between gritted teeth, Take
away the cigarette" Then he
whispered, Keep talking to me,
fella. 1t helps take my mind off
this arm Of NINE"
Another Marine whispered to the
ma nnext to him, How bad did they
get you, Dick? The whole calf of
my leg is shot away" "Just a little
hole in my chest" Dick managed,
I'll be okay." A copper plated
Bible his mother had sent him for
Christmas had saved his life. The
bullet had glanced of the Bible,