The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-07
NEWS OF MEN LN THE SERVICE
LUCK OF RISH'
 DECLARES WHITE
Local Man Serving With 24th Infantry Had Nar-
 row Escapes

| GIAVdCe 6eCCOT I. WnlUe, prOLlel of Preston White, l05 Ives street, says it is the luck of the Irish" that has brought him through two tours of duty overseas in the Pacific as an Infantryman.
 Wounded on Leyte, where he fought with the 24th Infantry di- vision, the Waterbury soldier is now convalescing at Letterman General hospital, San Francisco, Calif., where he arrived for transfer to a hospital nearer his home.
 The gunner conceded that he never needed his luck more than in the fighting on Leyte, where he re- ceived the wound responsible for his rturn to this country.
 Tt was during another attack" he said. Tt used to seem to me that the Infantry did nothing but at tack, and this time I was on the point - out ahead of combat pa- trol that was leading the rest of our company toward village. crossed a little bridge. and cut down one Jap with my Tommy gun (Thomp- son sub-machinegun just as he raised up to fire at me.
 But there was another Jap that I didn't see until he was almost close enough for me to touch the muzzle of his rifle. Fortunately, l was crouched and running.
 'The bullet struck a hand gren- made that I had slung on an am- intuition bandolier across my chest, ricocheted off and pierced the strap of my Tommy gun ammunition pouch, then went on through the leather of shoulder holster in which carried my pistol. It en- tered my chest, but lodged in a rib
 And as dived for cover, twisted and ripped burst from my Tommy gun into the Jap.
 Maybe 1t wasn't the luck of the Irish, but l can't think of anything else"
 Private White was inducted into the Army as member of the Con- necticut National Guard in 1941, and his first tour of duty overseas was with the first task force sent to the Pacific. He served in the So- ciety Islands for IT months with troops guarding air fields and Navy | fueling stations, and returned to this country in May, 1943.
 Until December of 1943, Private White was an instructor in Infantry weapons at Camp Cooke, California, and training noncommissioned of- ficer at the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Wheeler, Georgia
 Private White will be transferred to Lowell General hospital, Fort DeVens, Massachusetts, for treat ment of his wound.
 His wife, Mrs. Vicky White, lives at 1610 Milburn Boulevard, Misna- waka, Indiana
 Wounded for he third time by ' enemy shellfire since his arrival overseas almost three years ago, Private Tony Kuchauskas, 32, 866 Highland avenue, is now conValeSc- Ing at the United States Army gen. eral hospital in England from in- jurieS to his back and right leg. He holds the Purple Heart and two Oak Leaf Clusters for wounds re- ceived in combat. according to word received here from the Army hos pital in England.
 Member of an Amphibious Engi- neers battalion, he has seen action in North Africa, Sicily, and the Anzio beach head. He also took part in the invasion of southern EJt.a it,f action in Italy, and again while fighting in France. His third wound was caused by German shell which landed few yards from him while he and other engineers ware aiding the infantry in battling German troops in southern France.
 Pvt. KuchauSkas is son of MT. and Mrs. Charles Kuchauskas of the Highland avenue address. He en- tered the Army in April, 1942, and after brief training at Ft. Dix, New | Jersey, was sent overseas in June, 1942 He was trained as demolition l and underwater expert. having had | diving experience in civil life. His last job was with the American | Brass Company.
 Henry N. Ricciuti, son of MT. and | Mrs. Raffaele Ricciuti, 108 North | Main street. has been commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the clinical psychology training school at Camp Robinson, Ark.
 Lieutenant Ricciuti is a graduate of Crosby High school. majored in psychology at Fordham University, New York City, where he served as graduate assistant for two and half years.
 He was studying for his doctor of philosophy decree at Fordham Uni versity when he was inducted in | February, 1943, having received his bachelor of science degree there.
 A clinical psychology survey for the Navy at Wesleyan University. | Middlctown, was recently completed | by his brother. Edward Ricciuti. VNJo tnrhfIrv niIIhlic school ncVchia-