The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-01-15
Magazine Paintings
 Revive War Memories
Private Patsy PattOnei Buried By Shell Fire Near St. To Views Realistic Scenes of Bloody Encounter

could not speak for several minutes after seeing the scenes of destruc- ton. Pat shook his head as he examined each page. Tt takes you right back there" he said.
 A double-page reproduction show ing the once-lush meadows cratered by thousands of bombs and strewn with hundreds of young bodies and scraps of tanks, guns, and steel aromur was of geratest interest to the infantryman who landed on the Normandy beachhead 24 hours after D-Day. For Pat believes 1t was on this battlefield that he was buried by shell fire and so critically injured he did not regain consciousness url- til several days later in an English hospital.
 Sees Objective
 Most familiar is the hedgerow Patsy said, in the upper right of the painting. Moving inch by inch across the meadows against heavy artillery fire, after weeks of bloody fighting, Pat recalls an officer told them they would view their coveted objective of St. To, when they reached the hedgerow The town was believed to be a mile and half in the distance.
 Losses were exceedingly heavy that day, Pat said, because the rolling meadows offered practically no protection against the constant barrage of German fire. For almost an hour Pat used the carcass of a dead COW as pictured in the fore- ground of Artist Pleissner's painting, as a shield. About four-thirty, the NaA Shelling suddenly ceased, and he and his buddies decided to grab q quick bite. No sooner had they taken the first mouthful, than the Germans started a barrage of 88 shells, which practically ruined his outfit. One shell hit four men of the group, while another took his buddys arm off, When the third hit came, Pat had no further recol- lection until days later.
 The devastated town of St. Lo, as pictured by the artist particularly fascinated the infantryman, since Pat, like most of the men in his di- vision, which fought its way from the beachhead, never saw the tally-important town.
 The scenes of the bomb-scarred French cemeteries and the ruined bridges as pictured in Life, are still vivid in Pats memory, but the names were a revelation.
 He cannot recall having heard the name of one locality during his many weeks in Normandy. But l don't think one man in my outfit knew them either" he said. 'WRen you're facing shell fire you haven't got time to think of such things as names. We didn't even know the day of the week. All you think Of is getting the other fellow before he gets you"
 Limited Menu
 During most of the campaign, Pat and his fellow infantrymen lived on candy and lemon juice, because the smell of dead bodies had weakened their capacities. When weighed at the hospital in England, he discoy- cred he had lost 40 pounds.
 Though he saw endless days of death, destruction, and horror the scene that is most graphically etched In the infantryman's mind is the return of shell-shocked natives of the Normandy area 10 their towns. When American bombs began to drop on the coun- tryside, they scurrled for shelter in nearby forest, where they hid Tor days. But SO intense was Allied bombing, Pat said, most of the refu- gees lost their minds temporarily"
 Tt was terrible" the infantryman said Hundreds of them staggered down the roads, swayirs from one side to another, Mothers clutchlnS babies old people carrying the few belongings they had SalVaSed when the seize began, and young girls All half starved and half-cra2ed'.
 Another incident which Pat rc- members vividly was the capture of aged Italian men, who had been recruited by the Nazls to bury the German dead. The men, whose ages ranged from 70 to 30 years, told Allied officers they desired nothing so much as peace with the Allies, and when instructed by the NaN officers to fire at approaching American inlantrymen, had aimed their guns skyward.
 Bond Salesman
 Pat conValesced at the England Genral Hospital in Atlantic City and returned to his job In the machine shop of the Waterbury Tool last Oc- tober. During the Sixth War Loan Drive, he was one Of the companyS star salesmen, devoting practically every leisure minute to signing thc boys up. Since he had been work ing only few weeks at the time, he borrowed SC from q friend go he could buy a bond, though he needed new clothing,
 "When you really know what the boys are going through over there. new clothes don't mean a thing, he said h..
 Patsy resides at 2i7 Davis street Oakyllle, and is the father Of a l0 months old daughter Patricia Louise,