The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-07
Mr.. Spearman',
Literary
Lantern
BY WALTER SPEapu

" W Nen mo young carolinisn c5,,,,' VS.
B. Macdonald took over r'''Ia
mand of Company I, 23rd e.. e'a'
try Second Division, in ss,.; la''''
Der 1914 he was fresh +.'9' .',,
training camps in the sts+., ''' ,,
was inexperienced in co,. IT
He was very young - ool', ['.'s
Ana ne was very nervous ''s 4
how the combat-wise sojdis.o5' sold ao'4
ms outfit would accept rIr' b,m 4"
they had been fighting s,5e. S1m. y y
day plus One, had iuSt I..IVs Ill. D.
the pillboxes at Brest ''0'nsd
The account of Captsi, v,
Donald's DO adventures is I tonrsl 'l'''
Company Commander' 'SuIla il
lshed by the Infantry .I,l pa',
Press washington, b JC2a'93. e n!
pp' S32. From September y r.. -
May !! the Captain and h, b1s UNI
tight and march from ~ En-. ma
through Belgium and nx, I.aa'
bourg, the Siegfried Linz a4
Germany, to a small tow,' a'
Checho-Slovakia, where . IN
celebrate We Day. The os. NE!
acters in this story are not C,.'.' n.l
ty characters" says the ar,sS E,S'
They are not even bernio TGo'''
lack of fear is a requisite =.
heroism. They are cold d,...
rough, frightened, misorrs @
characters. But they win w...s
This is an unassuming boos l..
a modest author. But il bss Y" =. !!
genuine ring of steel bpIm.' way
of a sharp bayonet. When r.',
read it, you feel that tbi,.. wv
World War II. This is what A.
soldiers did. This is how ,ta' ,,s
felt. Company Com m anGs.
has the sights and the soy,,,,
Of infantry warfare. You see .,s tss
forbldding pillboxes of the Siss
fried Line, You see Germ,,
tanks looming in attack. y%
hear ena des explode. t5s
whine of shells, the mortar firs
You taste K-rations. You sIos
along in mud and rain. You ocSs
up Army language ("Hello, Abs
One" - "Give us artillery SIN.
port, for Gods sake.7- .7-"Rogs-
Waltz.
You meet the individual sol.
diers who served in COMPANY I
and Company G - Pfc, James
Earnhardt of Mooresville, N. c.
and Tee. Sgt. Carl Whelchel d
Gaffney, S. c., and dozens Of
others. You hear an inqurim
war correspondent asking aues.
tions and Pvt. Croteau replying.
Tell them it's too damned ser,
Gus over here to be talking about
hot dogs and baked beans and
things we're missing, Tell them
it's hell, and tell them therep
men getting killed and wounded
every minute, and They're
miserable and they're suffering
Spreap it on thick-and leave of
the sweet syrup that all the
others write about" "
There is fine humor in The
book (Capt. Macdonald almost
captured Leipzig with his hand,
full of men but settled for cognac
and champagne instead. There
is pathes Gone soldier was killed
with a letter in his pocket an.
nouncing the birth of his first
baby). There is sentiment (the
Captains men serve him a
birthday cake with % candles,
There is frank admission Of fear
and an honest account OF how
his men had "to run like hell
from the big German push
There is criticism of the Armys
big brass for sacrificing men in
an effort to take an objective
quickly. And through the whole
book are excitement, danger,
courage, WEAKNESS, strain, sus'
pence and the ever-present feel
ing that "this IS war. Con-
gratulations to the Infantry
Journal Press for publishing
such an honest and authentic
book and to Captain MACEDONIAN
for his ability to write it,
Incidentally, Author Mac
Donald is a South Carollnlan'
was educated in the Dillon
schools and at Presbyterian col
lege, is now studying at the UNI
versity of Missouri, and has Two
brothers enrolled at the UNI
versity of North Carolina Inc
Literary Lantern looks toI"aIa Al,
to his first book about the SCUM,
He will inevitably write lt-ana
it will inevitably be good.
BEST RECENT READING
"The Pearl" by John o'eln'
beck (Viking), ,,:..
Flood Crest by HodaAS
Carter (Rinehar). .r
"Cloud by Day. by MOfl''
Sheppard (UNC Press. II
"The Proper BostonianS @
Cleveland Amory (DuttoD;
RED Wine First" by Ne~'
Tyre (Simon and Schusterh
Goggles for industrial use Z Cd. s.,'
be made of glass so toug h II t... ss1
be dropped more than ten .s',,, Nv,
to a concrete floor "i'"'''
hroo l-in0