Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1945-01-06
Men Lost Lives
With Engineers
In Brittany
Medals Awarded
For Gallantry
In Construction
BY RUDOLPH DUNBAR
Associated Negro Press War
Correspondent

PARIS = (ANP) -. A ceremony
which touched the unusual W
staged at Reuen, France, where
with pomp and dignity, the Da-
rental bridge, h largest in
France, was dedicated to two
colored soldiers of the 392nd En-
gineer Regiment General service.
They were Pfc. I. d. Dickerson.
whose address is Box 173. Pike
Vile, N. c., and Pfc. Alder Amos
of Cave City, Ky.
The former was killed by an
anti-personal mine at Clarendon
while clearing a nine field: and
Amos was killed by an anti-ner-
sonal bomb while on guard duty
in Brittany. The ceremony in
Guided the award of the Letion of
Merit to M/Sgt. Eldred M. Currie
who comes from Nashville. It is
said that he is man of large re-
sourcefulness.
GETS MERIT AWARD
Pvt. A. L. June received the Ger
tificate of Merit for saving
soldier from burning to death.
The soldiers clothes W e r in
flames due to the explosion of
gasoline tank. In fear of being
burned to death he started to run
away, thereby feeding the flames
with his movement. Pvt. Al June
ran behind the soldier, threw him
on the ground and rolled him
about until the flames were ex-
tinguished. Pvt. Al Junes' address
is: Route l; Box IT'S RedesSa, La
His mother who lives at the same
address, is Mrs. Hama June
The ceremony had triple func-
ton for aside from dedicating
the BRIDGE to those two gallant Ne
groes and the award of medals to
the officers and men; it was the
manifestation of a remarkable
engineering feat completed with
astonishing rapidity. It was also
the greatest tribute paid to Ne
gro soldiers that I have seen in
France.
CONSTRUCT BRIDGE
The construction of the bridge
was carried out by the second
battalion under the supervision
of Maj. Horace B. Hickey from
New Orleans who received h
Brown Star Award. Before h
Nazis cleared out of Reuen they
deposited 40 tons of TINT under
the main columns of the Viaduct
which blew up nine arches of
the bridge. This made a gigantic
pile of masonry which took eight
days to clear away by blasting,
and by the use of bulldozers be-
fore the actual work on the
bridge began.
The men had to dig nine feet
under ground in order to get
solid foundation. There were nc
timber available consequently the
men had to go into the forest
and fell huge trees to get their
timber required for the massive
structure of the bridge. Special
belts bolts were made in the
French machine shops
The French railroad officials
provided the battalion with flood
lights t h u S enabling them to
work on "a hour shift. They
had to face an arduous task for
the perpetual rains had threaten
ed to rob them of the record they
were trying to establish. Coupled
with this there was sea of mud
which added to their difficulties
Nevertheless, the Job was COM
pleted as arranged much to h e
establishment of the British and
French officials who said that it
was impossible of accomplish
ment. In order to demonstrate tie
resistance of the bridge, two en-
gfnes weighing 200 tons each were
coupled together and made run
across which was a distinct sue
cess. 1t was great achievement
for the End battalion and high
military and civil dignitaries in
Guiding Americans, French n d
British, gathered to pay h m
homage.
What impressed me most was
the enthusiasm the officers In
this Regiment had shown for the
recognition of their men. In adj
dition, their unpelluted esteem
for them in general for it was
the mems wish that the bridge
should be dedicated to their fall
len comrades.
Maj. Edwin w. Hamilton, the
executive officer who comes from
Tulsa and who was also given
the Bronze Star medal, was car
rying the Legion of Merit medal
in his pocket and showing 1t to
every colored soldier he met in
Paris, Col Woolsey Finell, Jr.,
from Kentucky is the command
ing officer.