Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1945-08-11

Cites Heroisnl
Of Negro G|'s
Fierce Battle
Nets Big Gains
On Okinawa
BY CHARLES H. LOEB
(NNPA War Correspondent

SOMEWHERE IN THE OKI-
NAWA AREAS N S)-Oelayed)
- On June "a during the first COM
bat action involving an ail-Negro
group in the South west PACING,
elements of Tenth Army battalion
commanded by 1t. Colonel Wilmer
F. Lucas and 35 Negro commission
ed officers, met On repulsed Jap
troops during a day of blazing
action.
When the smoke of battle clear
ed our forces had wiested from the
Japs and an important hill position,
counted 90 enemy dead and 10
wounded, captured an enemy
machine gun nest and ammunition
supply, knocked out two pill boxes,
destroyed an enemy kitchen, and
captured an enemy grenade launch
err.
The Japs exacted q stiff PRICE.
for In the victorious action we lost
courageous young officer, Isl
Lieutenant Robert J. Pegler OF
Fort Hill, New Medford, Conn, and
two enlisted men, Pfc. Larry J.
Gamer, 1872 N. Carolina Avenue, At
lantic City, N. j., and Cpl. Henry
A. Rogers, 785 Home Street, Bronx.
N. Y, are killed In action; and
nine enlisted men wounded.
In the overall Pacific war the
action hardly merits a line In the
communique of the day, but to us
who have looked forward eagerly
to the day when Negro troops
under Negro officers matched their
courage and training against the
japanese, it was a red-letter occa-
sion.
| wasn't there that day, but I
think / can give you better story
of what occurred as it was told to
me by the six wounded men. I
talked to on Hospital Ship lying
in the harbor outside the little Is
land, awaiting evacuation.
Tl3 Robert George, 1870 10th
Avenue, Jamaica. Long Island, N.
Y. was favoring machine gun
wound through his knee as he &C
copied the cigarette I preferred.
closed his eyes as II to recall the
scene of the battle, and related:
ST was the platoon sergeant under
1t. Pegler. There were 80 EMS in
our group which led the assault on
Jap positions located about 500
yards up on a steep hill. Our
platoon from "B' Battery was on
the right flank, another led by 1t.
Lorenza Thomas of Jacksonville.
Florida, and Staff Sergeant Danny
Morgan, New York City was on the
left flank.
"Directly behind these two
platoons was another commanded
by 1t. Resign Henly, Washington.
D. c., and Staff Sergeant Harding
of New York City.
In reserve as a support platoon
was a group under 1t. Arthur E.
Thompkins and Staff Sergeant
Leacock of New York City. and an
other platoon under 1t. Clarence
A. Carter, Varkinville, N. c., and
Staff Sergeant Niles Smith of New
York was ready with ammunition,
barbed wire, and other supplies
with which we were to secure the
position once we had taken it.
Mortars on the beach were assign
ed to the support of each assault
platoon.
All of the platoons moved OF at
the same time. The one led by 1t,
Pegler and myself went first be-
cause the path was too morrow for
two platoons to move at the same
time. and we had to clear out mines
which had been previously laid In
the area. 1t. Pegler was an expert
at this business.
The first Is yards was steep and
difficult, but good cover was Afford
ed by the brush. BY that time we
had reached the top Of ridge ana
our Patrol and 1t. Thomas were
moving forward abreast.
Then all hell broke loose! Shippers
began to pop at us from hidden
positions. 1t. Thomas cleaned out
several snipers on the slope Of the
ridge to his left.