Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-22
By Cherries J. Yoy5rouah
ssur Stuff ccresuondens

i 4 . 0-sa
Ell TORO. Calf, Aug. 2l.-|
The rattlesnakes are shedding
their skins in the coastal Santa
Ana Mountains and are mad
enough to bite q Marine.
To prove this among other
things and TO disprove an Inn
preston that airplane drivers
aren't ground troops. 20 Marine
pilots were tossed down In the
rugged blazing hot ranges with o
minimum Of survival gear, 81
maximum Of enemy inf1ltration
and pointed in the general direc-1
ton Of q safe haven some IL miles
away.
Eight made IL, including 81
Washington commercial airplenel
pilot and q Charlottesville, Va.
attorney who made two story
book escapes, one OF them from
q prisoner-of-war enclosure.
The escape and evasion prob
lem, conceived by Washington's
Marine Fighter Squadron VMF
321, was In dead earnest. It in
volved procedures and equipment
still classified. It sent 20 Marine
air reserve pilots from all squad
rons east Of the Mississippi into
strange, rugged even peri1ous
ranges infested with rattle
snakes.
Crawl Through Canyons.
For those who didn't get
through. it involved some Of the
most rigorous controlled inter-
rogation ever put to American
servicemen as a peace time prac-
tice for war. The Interrogation
by 1t. Col. John D. Cannon. $500
Wisconsin avenue NV, was only
a wee bit on this side Of con-
trolled.
The problem assumed that an
enemy force had landed in
Southern California and was
moving northward, leaving the
Camp Pendleton air strip still
open, but harassed. A transport,
carrying the 20 pilots to Pendle-
ton to evacuate operational air
craft. was assumed to have
crashed near the foot Of the
Santa Ana range, which throws
out ridges like fingers clutching
at coastal Highway 101.
The 20, in teams Of two, struck
out over the sizzling hills. belly
ing through canyons and ravines
to evade enemy patrols who
could almost pinpoint any move
ment from ridge tops. 1t. Col.
Edward c. Montgomery, IS, Of
2727 Ordway street NV, q TO-
O00-hour war veteran and Capt.
tai Airlines pilot. and Maj. E. G..
Trembley. 80, Charlottesville at
torney. didn't play 1t quite
cricket.
Dropped by q Helic0pter.
But the careful planners neg
lected to account for impromptu
resourcefulness It was the dis
tinct discomfort Of q newSman, 4
whose very debility necessitates
anonymity, to accompany this
gh-hatching team. Dropped
by helicopter. the three snaked
up an almost vertical ridge,
hearts pounding enough to drown
out muff1ed mortar fire from PEN
dleton's vast ranges.
Below, the Pacific Tapped at
the sand. The view took in old
Spanish land grants and historic
San Juan Capistrano.
It also showed enemy patrols
moving up the river slopes.
For an hour, the team strug-
gled over rocks that wouldn't
hold and weeds too fragile for
hand-pulls. They soon tired too
: much to even maintain 81 Sc
curity watch against rattiers.
They're blind at this time Of
year and don't even look before
they STRIKE" the medical corps
man had said.
An hour was all it took. Though
they kept belly down in waist
high weeds, the three didn't have
enough concealment.
Halt and up" the young
Marine scout snapped. "Put your
hands over your head" They
were captured.
Face q Tough Sergeant.
The MontRmery ,Trambley
team would gladly have returned
mountain climbing rather than
face the business-like methods of
T/Sergt. harrington J. Carlisle, a
graduate Of the Korean and
other war schools. A prouder,
more efficient Marine never trod
Basilone road at Pendleton. But
the sergeant can get mighty mad.
For instance he got quite wrath
full when Col. Montgomery and
Matt Tremb1ey kidnapped their
own guard.
A truck driver stole q truck
and went wheeling down the
mountainside. On o captured
walkie-talkie. Mai. Trembley In
formed enemy headquarters that
the stolen truck might be found
at such-and-such a coordinate
which would have placed it In
the general vicinity Of San
J Mateo. so miles away.
A Corsair couldn't have made
tho trip in that time. but the
major had to have q laugh out
Of 1t some way. They moved
placidly into q guerilla camp and
y to what they thought was that
safe haven-u until that mad
Sergt. Carlisle arrived.
The sergeant. when calm. has
fha a0UearaNeA NJ man WIN