The Wilmington morning star., 1944-08-08
WITH ERNIE PYLE

IN NORMANDY by wireless)
The great attack, when we broke
out of the Normandy beachhead,
began in the bright light of mid
day, not at the zero hour of a
bleak and mysterious dawn as at
tacks are supposed to start in
books.
The attack had been delayed
from day to day because Of poor
flying weather, and on the final
day we hadn't known for sure till
after breakfast whether it was on
or off again.
When the word came that it was
on, the various battalion stats of
our regimen twere called in from
their command posts for a final
review of the battle plan.
Each one was given mimeo-
graphed sketch of the frontline
area, showing exactly where and
when each type bomber was to
hammer the German lines ahead
of them. Another memographed
pag ewas filled with specific orders
for the grand attack to follow.
Officers stood or squatted in a
circle in little apple orchard be-
hind ramsha exile stone farmhouse
of poor French family who had
left before us. The stonewal in the
front yard had been knocked down
by Smelling, and through the or
chards there were shell craters and
tree limbs knocked off and trunks
sliced by bullets. Some enlisted
men sleeping the night before in
the attic of the house get the shock
of their lives when the thin floor
collapsed and they fell down into
the cowshed below.
Chickens and tame rabbits still
scampered around the farmyard.
Dead cows lay all around in the
fields.
The regimental colonel stood in
the center of the officers and went
over the orders in detail. Battalion
commanders took down notes in
little books.
The colonel said, Ernie Pyle i.
with the regiment for this attack
and will be with one of the battal
ions, so you'll be seeing him. The
officers looked at me and smiled
and I felt embarrassed.
Then Maj. Gen. Raymond o. Bar.
yicio Jo~
arrived. The Colonel called, cat
tention-" and everybody stood rigid
until the general gave them, Car.
. ry on"
An enlisted MN ran to the mess
truck and got folding canvas stool
for the general to sit on. He sal
listening intently while the colonel
wound up his instructions.
Then the general stepped into the
center of the circle. He stood at a
SLOUGH on one foot with the other
leg far up like brace. He looked
all around him as he talked. He
didn't talk long. He said something
like this
AAAo 10 oiiC VI Iilc 1lIeSL regl-
ments in the American ARMY. IT
was the last regiment out of France
in the last war. 1t was the first
regiment into France in this war
1t has spearheaded every one of the
divisions attacks in Normandy. It
will spearhaed this one. For many
years this was my regiment and T
feel very close to you, and verv
proud"
The generals lined face was q
study in emotion. Sincerity and
deep sentiment were in every con.
tuor and they shone from his ewes
General Barton is a man of deem
affections. The tragedy of war both
personal and impersonal hurts
him. At the end his voice almost
broke, and I for one had a lurnn
in my throat. He ended:
That's all. God bless you and
good luck"
Then we broke up and I went
with one of the battalion comman.
ders. Word was passed down hv
j, field phone, radio and liaison mon
to the very smallest unit of troons
that the attack was on.
There was still an hour before
the bombers, and three houses h.
fore the infantry were to NOV.
Thre- was nothing for the tnfantrv
to do but dig little deeper and
wait. A cessation of motion seemad
to come over the cc',n+rvs;6e 80