The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963, 1945-03-15


to sleep, and the night passed sans
a shot being fired. l was pulled
the last guard also, beginning at
5 am to daybreak. There was
enough light by now to see the
ground clearly in front Of me. Ter
enzio was sitting up IN his slit
trench and we were discussing or
cussing, 1 don't remember which,
the terrific Smelling of that night.
All of a sudden he said, Look,
Stone. a Jap" 1 looked to where
he was pointing and you could
have bought me for nickel. Walk
ing toward us, about 100000 feet
away was a Jap leading white
goat. BY this time Parrino was
awake too, SO the three of us lifted
our carbineS and fired and down
went Mr.. Jap. He fell face down
and hasn't lifted an eyebrow since.
We all got up and had breakfast.
l had hash again for change, and
then our platoon moved back to
| the row of trees where we were the
previous day. We spent the next
three days in this spot and the
three nights in the wooded area
where all the Jap ammunition was
left behind. Each night We had diff
ferent incidents occur that are well
worth their mentioning. At AIS
pm. the first afternoon, % Of us
were picked involuntarily TO carry
supplies. rationS and water, TO the
lO5th Infantry CP Command Post.
Each man took either a case Of
rationS or five gallons of water. !
took a five gallon can of water as
it at least had a handle on it TO
carry it. 1t was hotter than the
shingles on hell, but We started
our journey. The passageway was
a single foot path through rocky
ground with up and down cliffs
of four or five feet Telephone wires
were strung everywhere along the
path, and they continually got
twisted around my front sight Of
my carbine I was getting pretty
well fatigued. my clothes complete
ly drenched with perspiration and
4 know I didn't miss cuSs word
/ in the book All along that single
path we ran into stretcher bearers
carrying the wounded over this
rugged path. Every time we ran
/ into q stretcher case we had to get
off the path as the stretcher cases
had the right-of-way. Along the
way I met lone soldier coming
the opposite way SO asked him
how far we had to go. He said about
500 yards. I thought for sure I
would keel over with exhaustion
before 1 could make that distance
but I kept ON plugging.
The slowly moving column came
to a halt. 1t seems as though the
path went through an opening and
Jap had his machine gun sighted
in on that spot. The first soldier
who appeared in that opening got
shot in the leg, but he was the
only one who did get hit. From
then on we ran across that open
ing.
I finally arrived and thanked the
good Lord again for carrying me
through.
Our gang was rounded up again,
after they had all arrived with
their rations and water, and we
started our return trip to our as
sembly area. About quarter of the
way back we ran into the stretcher
bearers again They were so damned
tired I didn't think they would
make it. They asked for some help
as they wanted to get the wounded
boys to the aid station ere dark.
Ninety per cent of these men were
either shot in the abdomen or in
the legs. I was so tired and weak
I was afraid to offer. any assistance
for fear I might lose my grip and
drop one of the wounded. A few
of our boys did assist and the
wounded received medical care be-
fore dark.
Upon our arrival at our assem-
bly, area, we were showed where we
were to put up for the night. This
place was more or less shelf ex-
truding about six feet or so out and
about twenty feet long from
rocky mount. We had natural over
head protection and we built two
foot wall in front for added pro-
lection. We spent three nights
there. while we just Jagged around
during the days waiting for mis-
sions.
Now back TO the three nights.
IL seemed az though every NIGHT