The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-01
IMdcArthur Enjoyed Trip
Continued from Page D

Ph1oG0 SdACAy SAAAOu6A WAAAOAS H oAAOS being fired and the boats then simultaneously swung left, heading toward the beach.
 Red Flare
 At SIP Q. m., red flare suddenly bloSsomed in the sky, signalling for the end of the bombardment and the naval guns fell silent.
 As the barges ground on the beaches, the men came down the front ramp, running full speed. I was the last off, splashing through the water, thigh-deep and bent ke- meath a pack and typewriter. A few rifle shots came from 100 yards in the jungle and dropped my bur- den and burroed into deep grass and shrubs.
 After the first wave reached the edge of the airstrip, the second wave came in and took the left flank, the third rolling in five minutes later on the right flank, all advancing clear of the strip.
 Suddenly heavy machine gun fire opened on the right flank and trac- CTS dipped overhead. The direction of the Japanese fire changed and I looked back toward the beach to see tracers flaming toward the landing boats bringing in the fourth wave.
 The boats had cleared the harbor safely, although we learned later that one gunner had his head It. eraly blown off and two soldiers were wounded.
 Concentrated Fire
 Then the Japanese gunners con- centrated their fire on the positions taken up by the first, second and third assault waves. Bullets ric- ocheted from coconut palms, whin- ing off into space as the troops bellyflopped, dug in and answered the best they could.
 Anxious moments ticked off while we lay face down, expecting a Jap- anese counter.attack any instant and worrying whether the other forces had given up in the attempt to send in more men.
 Then suddenly the naval barrage opened up again, concentrating ex- actly on the positions from which the Japanese fire was coming. Thirty minutes later, squadron of B.25s roared in and bombed and strafed the enemy positions on the right | flank.
 Then came the most welcome sight of the day-troop- filled barges again entering the harbor. They drew some fire from the shore and couple of men were wounded. But this time they reached the beach. It was an hour and IS minutes af- ter the first three waves landed.
 There were only 8 few minor casualties on the whole beachhead, oil of which merely were hicks. A few men had bene killed aboard the landing craft and several wounded. At least IA Japanese were killed by the U. s. troops ashore, in addition to others killed by the lombard mert.
 MacArthur Arrives
 We were waiti 2 on 6 jetty when a Higgins boat brought in General MacArthur. AS he stepped from the barge, he smiled and remarked:
 T see the press is present." After an hour detailed inspection of almost the entire beach, asked MacArthur how he found the posi- tions.
 Splendid" he replied. Just fine" At the dock, MacAfthur congratu- lated Brig. Gen. William c. Chase, commander of the landing forces.
 My heartiest Solicitations to you and your men," the general said You have performed magnificently. Hold what wou have taken no mat ter against what odds. You have your teeth in him now. Don't let go."
 MacArthur transferred this morn. ing from the warship which returned him from the invasion to PT.boat and reached the advanced base in New Guinea where he conferred with It. Gen. Walter Krueger com- manedr of the U. s. 9th Army. Then he boarded his own fortress for the flight over the mountains to his ad- vanced headquarters in New Guinea.
 By 8 special dispensatlon from the general, because we were the first newsmen to land on Los Me- groS, Tom Shafer, Acme news- photographer, and were permitted to accompany the general to the base in his plane.
 Pulse Normal
 His personal physician had inst taken his pulse and found 1t perfect ly normal despite the altiture--13.- 300 feet-and the fact that the gen. eral was not taking oxygen.
 Admiral Thomas o. Kinkaid, who was aboard, commented:
 From naval point of view, Los Negros was a superb operation, ex- centlly planned and well executed. l am perfectly satisfied"
 The general did not comment on his conference with Kreuger, but it was assumed they had discussed the southwest Pacific military situation generally, perhaps including plans for future actions.
 During his inspection of the land- ing beach, MacArthur disregarded the possibility of danger. He scored the green fatigue uniform which is standard for invading units of the first cavalry division, and came in on Higgins barge clad in a khaki gabardine trenchcoat and his gold braided cap instead of a steel hel- met.
 MacArthur stood erect in the barge. With him in addition to Kinkaid were Col. Lloyd Lehrbas. his acting aide, and It. Comdr. Samuel Nixdorff, Schenectady, N. Y, oper- ationS officer.
 Insists on Walking Although the Japanese were known to be in the area just across the airstrip from the beach. and two had been killed on the edge of the strip less than 20 minutes earlier