Smyrna times., 1945-06-07

OF that time, I've spent ~ months
overseas, which is 20 more points
to my credit. In addition to this
1 have four battle stars, which is
another 20 points. They count .
points each. That makes "a
points, and then I have % days on
another month of service. The
four battle stars 1 received were
for the African Campaign, the In
vasion of Italy and the battle of
Naples, the drive on Rome, and the
last one was for our final drive
that finished the ferries.
The points don't worry me so
much. This part of the war is
over and I'm still alive, thank God.
If I have to go to the Pacific,
I think I should get home first. I
hope so anyway. You can never
tell what they will do in this mans
Army.
Even though the war is finished
over here, we're still working hard.
1 guess we will be until we get all
the bridges put back that our Air
Force knocke dout, plus those
which the Jerry's blew up to slow
doun orr advance
Part of our Company is putting
! up a stockade to hold the ferries
in, and the rest of us are building
a bridge about twenty miles north
of Balogna.
You should see the Germans we
have here. About 10000 in one
stockade. I took a picture of
them. 1 don't know when l will
be able to get them developed. You
see, was not allowed to take pic
lures until the war ended. I was
not even supposed to have a cam
era. 1t would not have been al
lowed either up until now.
I can't think of much more to
write about, so you'll have to drop
me line and ask questions. If I
can, I will try and answer them.
That picture you thought was
me in the book, I don't think you
were right. At least I do not
know anything about it.
You know all about when I left
to come overseas. I sailed from
New York on December 7th, 1912
and landed in Scotland December
14th. From there we moved down
to England by train, staying there
nearly three months. We then
took off for Africa. Our trip over
to Scotland was made on the
Queen Mary without convoy. II
was a rough trip and number Of
the boys became seasick. Forum
ately, it did not bother me any
The trip from England to Africa
was the one that got me, but VIZ
stayed up somehow. The Germans
bombed us for three days. Tha
: was the first action I had seen
I'm telling you, that is one duce o.
: place to have bombs falling
around you-on high sea. Whel
you are on land, you can get in
e foxhole, but out there on the wat
t er, you just stand by the guns ant
q fight back with all you have. Well
e we arrived in Africa after being OF
I that box, I call it, for seventeen
days. We were in a slow convoy
sailing along at about five knot
$ an hour and only lost one ship.
1 thought when we went ashor
$ in Africa that the Arabs wer
e about the funniest people I ha
v ever seen. 1 could not understan'
a word they said. They woul
: grab on to your clothing, wanting
$ to buy it. Anything you had fo
U sale, they would buy it. Of course
n after awhile, we sort of becam
Il accustomed to the Arabs and thei
I ways.
We left England the goth O
> February and landed in Africa tn
18th of March 1943. We were S
u busy working hard, just after get
ting off the ship. One day I too
. off time to write. Before doing sc
g l asked someone what date it was
They told me it was the 23rd G
y March, so I said at the time, tina
y yesterday was my birthday. Tha
s shows you how we lived whe
" things were really popping. w
hardly knew one day from ar
other.
6 Well, as time went on, the wa
:, ended in Africa. I met Stanle
: about two weeks after in Oral
. We had big time together.
, also met up with him again i
!. about three or four days later.
had planned to see Stanley again