The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1944-02-03

Might time, that's the time it
hard on you in the jungle. 70
fight all day; you get used TO IN
rifles and the machine guns ant
the mortars. Then sundown come
fast and it's quiet, too quiet -.
"One big reason losses were 81
low was because we carried out on
company commanders orders. Ate
dark, everybody got in the foxholes
You didn't smoke; you didn't TAX
YOU hardly moved. That's where
YOU stayed till daylight. Nobody wa:
supposed to talk and nobody oio
When YOU heard talk, it was the
Japs. Sometimes they would chatter
or veil an American name, hey
Bill, where are you?' But nooooy
ever answered"
This is part of the story brought
back by the first man TO return
here after service with GlasgoWs
national guard company. He is
private Floyd (Hardrock) Keltner,
home with a physical disability
discharge. He was past the age
when most men fight when he
entered the army of the United
States on Sept. 6, 1910. And 45 days
of steady combat last winter in
New Guinea'S muck and brush
tangled Jungle have left their marx
on him. He has suffered recurrent
attacks of malaria and other all
mentS.
Pint II wasn't so bad" he adds.
~Some outfits had 1t tougher" he
reached the states last Sept. ~.
First he received treatment at Let
terman General hospital in san
Francisco, later at Denver and ~:
Louis. before he came nome tn1s
month. The doctors told nm W
take it easy for a few montlls' "
not work at all. He hopes 10 sSg
back to railroading, lot ne sun
holds trainman'S rights: ne =
was employed at the FlVzpauioA
dairy here.
private Keltner went along when
the 41st Division embarked o
Australia late in the winter OF 1914.
If arrived at an Australian port on
Easter day-not the first, but one
of the first American units 70
reach down under" Subsequently
il went through rigorous training
there.
Movement toward the front
started late in 1912. 1t was flrst by
transport to Port Moresby, tnen
over the hump" of Papua's lo1ty
mountains by planes-a movemenI
of men and supplies by General
George c. Kenny's Fifth air force
and Australian units that mas won
the plaudits of military leaders. II
in these same owen Stanley
mountains that another Montanan,
Associated Press correspondent Vern
Haugland, wandered 43 days aIter
parachuting from a disabled plane.
Ahead of the men from the
northwest had gone another nation
al guard division from Michigan
and Wisconsin. With the Australians
If had trekked and fought over the
ranges and captured ar
strips that made it possible for the
later mass air movement. The story
of that division, the 32nd, was re-
Gently told in the Saturday Even
ing Post. ...do
Private Keltner shares his pride
his own company and division
With that of the national guards
achievements in the Southwest
Pacific-the 32nd and the North
who did their share OF
fighting at Guadacanal. And ne
has a solid respect for the Austria
Iians as fighting men.
AS he talked, he looked at a
Photographic record called "Yanks
and Aussies in Battle" sent here bv
Chaplain CMajor) Harald Siqueland
10 Lieut. Col. Carl E. Hammerness,
Former commander of the Glasgow
company. -
he continued, pointing TO a
lie of men advancing through
ankle deep in Shiny muo.
But generally the mud was knee
ieep or even waist deep
The Glasgow company, with others
rom Montana. fought at Buna n
but its major engagement
vas at Sanananda, where 1t drove
he Japs from the coast, the first
many engagements that has
the enemy far up New
Guinea.
It was 9 tough battle-one oil
parties and reconnaissance 4
,atrols sent to feel out Jap strong
POINTS and machine gun nests, a
low and wearisome task, always
moving. 49,
That was one trouble. 1t seldom
ave the time for anything more
eat than some bareback or bully
reef. about the time you'd get
ONE coffee or tea brewed, some ,
d would veil, come on, let's get !
moving Then you'd have to leave :
i,
Living in the jungle is a major -,
roblem. let alone fighting. insect {.
,fe is populous and fierce. Malaria !
!; a greater enemy than the Jap: |
lew Guinea produces in plentiful :
lantities a rat that outsizeS a cat. !
me thing never seen was a snake. {
Then, after a day of fighting, I
omes the quick night. 1t means only S
of rest. usually, packed into a d
half full of water that you g
leave for any reason for a
ight or ten hours on end. Some OF j
ne men, in other companies, TOOK i
.ances of getting out at night. a
ONE of them were lucky and some r
eren't."
The Japs, sometimes, would set
o an unearthly bedlam, usually ,
bout 2 in the morning. 1t was a l
,edley of screams and yellS, calcu- '
ted to undermine the Americans I
,orale. but not very successful. 1
But. Keltner admits, it did get on
ne nerves and once in a While
)meone would let go a nervous
urst of fire OF toss a grenade.
I'VE came through so well, with
lch light casualties, because we
ad a fine company commander,
,oDtain Pensnn (formerly with the
ighway patrol at Great Falls and