The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-11-09

Ernie PYLE He is from EV'
ansville. where
he lived with his sister. He is a front
line i~nfantryman of a rife company
in the 29th division.
BY the time this is printed he VIII
be back in the lines. Right now he
is GU of combat for a brief rest. He
spent a few days in an Exhaustion
camp" then was assigned briefly to
the camp where l work f"Nm-a
camp for correspondents. That's
how we got acquainted.
Clayton is a private first class.
He operates a Browning automatic
rifle. He has turned down two
chances to become a buck sergeant
and squad leader. simply because
he would rather keep his powerful
B. A. R. than have stripes and less
personal protection.
He landed in Normandy on D-day.
on the toughest Of the beaches. and
was in the line for 81 days without
rest. He has had innumerable mar
row escapes.
Twice, SIS hit within a couple
of arms lengths of him. But
both times the funnel of the con-
cussion was away from him and
he didn't get a scratch, though
the explosions covered him
and his rife with dirt.
Then a third one hit about 10 feet
away. and made him deaf in his
right ear. He had always had
trouble with that a anyway cal
aches and things as a child. Ever
in the army back in America he
had to beg the doctors to waive the
ear defect in order to come over
seas. He is still a little hard of hear
ing in that ear from the shell burst
but it's gradually coming back.
When Tommy finally left the line:
he was pretty well done up and HI:
sergeant wanted to send him to {
hospital, but he begged not to go fol
fear he wouldn't get back to his Ole
company, so they let him 60 to
rest camp instead. And now after {
couple of weeks with us (provideC
the correspondents don't drive hin
frantic). he will return to the lines
with his old outfit.
Clayton has worked at all kinds
of things back in that other world o.
civilian life. He has been a farm
hand. a cook and a bartender. JUS
before he joined the army he was
a gauge-honer in the chrysler Ord
nance plant at Evansville.
When the war is over he wants tc
60 into business for himself for the
first time in his life. He'll probably
set up a small restaurant in Ev'
ansville. He said his brother-in-laW
would back him.
Tommy was shipped overseas
after only two months in the
army. and now has been out of
America for Is months. He is
medium-sized, dark-haired, has
a little mustache and the fun
ni%est-looking head of hair you
ever saw this side of Buffalo
Bills show.
While his division was killing time
in the last few days before leavin!
England. he and three others de
cided to have their hair cut Indiar
fashion. They had their head:
clipped down to the skin all excep
for a two-inch ridge starting a
the forehead and running clear t
the back of the neck. 1t makes then
look more comical than ferocious
as they had intended. Two of tn,
four have been wounded and evacu
ated to England.
l chatted off and on with Clayton
for several days before he told m,
how old he a I was amazed; s,
much SO that I asked several othe
people to guess at his age and the,
all guessed about the same as l dir
about 26.
Actually he is 81. and that's prett,
well along in years to be a front