Imperial Valley press., 1944-08-21

had crossed.
Il got behind a tree and laid
down real flat, hugging the ground.
The fragments from the mortars
we're landing all around me and the
gun bullets were knocking down
branches above my head. I was
really getting worried by now. They
stopped firing in about 10 minutes
20 l thought they were finished.
got up and went out in the clearing
and had gone about so yards when
5hey started again.
I'm the meantime the other two
men were about half mile ahead
1f me and were also caught in the
erossfire. They didn't have to worry
lbcut mortars because they were
,oing over their heads and falling
around me. But they did have to
worry about gunfire. This was while
I was still in the jungle.
NOTHING TO DIG WITH
The captain told the other kid
hat he would try to crawl up and
stop the firing. So in the second
round of firing I was safe from
mortar shells because now they
we're going over my head. But the
machine gun and rifle fire were
coming about II inches over my
lead. I could hear the bullets cut
ting through the grass above me.
All this time I was wishing l had
something with which to dig hole,
o 1 could half way protect my body.
But I didn't have anything. In the
process of going through the jungle,
I had thrown away pair OF hooks,
a lineman's belt, and hammer. be-
cause they kept catching on twigs.
Also I lost my hat and cigarets and
everything else.
while l was withStanding the
~econd round of fire I was praying
with all my power to come out allVe.
We were in such a bad spot tnat
none of us could so much as hope
we would make it. My thoughts
were bringing back memories OF the
mast and I was wondering how all
9f you would take it when the gov
ernment sent the news. 1 was ex-
pecting to get hit any moment.
THE captain. who was crawling
ahead. had a slug go through his
pants leg but he was lucky ana IL
didn't even scratch the skin. But
there were two nice holes Where IL
went in and came out. He told me
later that at that time he was sure
we wouldn't make it, SO he came TO
little sand pile and wrote in the
sand There are two men behs.d
me- If they found him they would
continue to lock for us if we didn't
show up.
FOUND OTHER BOY
"Finally. after about 20 minutes
the firing ceased. 1t seemed TO me
TO be about 20 hours. So I con-
tinued to lie there then quite a
while before I got up enough cour-
age to go on. 1t so happened that
the problem was over and we were
safe. So I went on up and found the
other boy.
"In the meantime the captain
had crawled on ahead to the COM
/ pany's commander and sent tWt
men back TO see if we were all righ
and to bring lis to the meeting
place. He got there after the firms
had stopped SO we had Withstooo
about 30 minutes of all the tire
power a whole company could pu'
out. And l mean it SOUNDED like
whcle army.
Il was never so afraid in all my
life and I was praying for my lie
That's how sure I was of not get
ting out alive.
when we finally got back to the
others. the captain came over anc
shook nv hand and said, Bob,
was really sweating you out. Ht
said he was afraid those mortal
shells had gotten me. The othel
company commander said he woult
like to offer apologies but that i
wouldn't very we'll cover the situa'
tion. It was his fault because ht
didn't wait for our o. K. The cap
tain said if we wanted to be rats WI
could have the other compan,
commander court martialed ant
really cause him plenty of trouble
But he is a plenty swell guy and WI
all liked him and so do his men. W.
wouldn't even think about causing
him trouble. Besides we were all 81
thankful that we we're alive tha
we conldn't think of anything else
CLOSEST YET
THAT is the closest I ever wan
to be to combat conditions withcu
actually getting in it and I will re.
member it until I have some closer
calls. In fact. I don't think even il
combat I will ever have to face tha
much fire power at one time.
don't believe they were over. Ion
yards in front of us.
From now on I am going to have
plenty of faith in God because
think that's what saved us.
That's about the whole story
But don't worry about it. becaurt
it's something that wouldn't happer
in lifetime to anyone else. 1t was
lust an unfortunate experience.
learned one thing, though. When