Hide Article Text (OCR)
6SEDALIA, MISSOURIRemembering ourJ 0 H N. FLU T Y, IONThe following is an account of John M. Fluty’s war experience offered by his sons, John Fluty Jr. and Ronald Fluty.Pfc. Fluty was a combat engineerassigned to the 7th Combat Kngineers, 5th Division of the U.S.Third Army under the command of (ien. George Patton. FWurrently lives inIonia.JOINING THE ARMYAs a young man in his early 20s, Mr. Fluty worked on construction crews. They built military facilities in Pando, Colo., which were used for training ski troopers and pack trains to be used in Italy. He also helped build the .Army’s facilities at Fort Leonard Wood.In 1943 when World War II was raging in Europe, Mr. Fluty was a family man residing in Sedalia with his wife and three sons. He was employed by a very large poultry operation owned by a man named Okee Rice. Mr. Rice provided special training for Mr. Fluty to serve as a poultry disease inspector. Mr. Fluty’s position in the poultry operation had become very important, both domestically and also in the war effort, because poultry and eggs were a major food source.In late 1943, Mr. Fluty was the first father in Pettis County to receive draft papers for induction into the Army Quite naturally, Mr. Rice tried desperately for a half an hour to convince Mr. Fluty to allow him to apply for deferment based on Mr. Fluty’s importance to the poultry industry. However, because of Mr. Fluty’s keen sense of patriotism, duty and realizing the desperate need for troops to pro tect world freedom, he refused deferment.At the age of 26, he left his wife and three sons to answer his country’s call on Dec. 29, 1943. After entrance exams, he was found to have a well above average IQ of 129 and aptitude skills for problem solving. He was assigned to the combat engineers.He received basic training at Fort Leonard Wood during which he achieved the rating of rifle marksman. Ironic that he would end up training at the very facility he helped build just a short time before.OVERSEAS BOUNDOn July 23,1944, he was sent overseas to defend his beloved America and join the conflict in Europe, serving with the iliird Army. He served in three full campaigns includingthe Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe.He also served in the later stage of theNorthern France Campaign.He was an extraordinary soldier in service to his country, demonstrating heroism on numerous occasions. Some of his heroism was reported, but most was not. By the end of the war, having fought across France, Luxembourg, Germany and into Czechoslovakia and Austria, he had been awarded a Purple Heart for being wounded in action, two Bronze Stars for heroism, three Bronze Stars (one for each of the three campaigns) and the Good Conduct Medal, along with numerous ribbons and bars.Sons John Fluty Jr. and Ronald would on occasion ask their dad to tell them about his war experiences. Pfc. Fluty has been extremely reluctant to tell much. like many...the happiest moment in his whole life was when the war was over and he received hisdischarge papers.Father leaves his family to fight the Naziscombat soldiers, he does not like to recall the horrors of war that he had experienced. However, over the years, his sons have gathered much of his story and are now able to relate some of the following incidents of Pfc. Fluty’s combat experiences.After basic training, he was sent to Europe. He was stationed in Emgland until he was called up as a replacement in November 1944, to engage the enemy in Northern France. He entered France and went directly to Metz to fight with American troops, starving and driving out remaining strongholds of Nazis in the battle at Metz.He fought in the Ardennes Campaign (also known as the Battle of the Bulge) that pushed the Allies back into Northern France, Belgium and Luxembourg. He fought in the Rhineland Campaign that drove the Nazis back into western Germany and across the Rhine. He finally fought in the Central Europe Campaign that took his division across Germanv and on into Czechoslovakia and Austria. By February 1945, he was a well-seasoned soldier, as he encountered fierce fighting in Germany, where he was wounded. Although wounded, he continued to fight across Germany and on into Czechoslovakia and Austria until the war in Europe came to an end.He traveled back into France from Austria, where he received new orders to join in the planned invasion of Japan. While waiting for the orders to be shipped out, the atomic bombs were dropped in Japan, ending the war with Japan. Pfc. Fluty served briefly in the military police before being given an honorable discharge and sent home to his family.CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNThe Central Europe Campaign was more or less a mop-up operation, as Pfc. Fluty, with his fellow soldiers marched across Germany and into Czechoslovakia. There were manvwNazi soldiers surrendering as the Americans neared southern Germany. But in the beginning of this campaign, the American troops experienced more resistance because theNazis knew they were near defeat. Russians were advancing toward Berlin from the east and Allies were pressing in from the west.As a combat engineer, it fell to Pfc. Fluty and the 7th Combat Engineers to clear mines ahead of the infantry. Pfc. Fluty would crawl along on his stomach, thrusting his bayonet vertically into the dirt ahead of him to locate each mine. Once located, he would carefully dig out around the mine and remove it. The engineers would prepare bridges, roads and facilities for the troops.Pfc. Fluty told his sons of an incident thatwhe never officially reported. On a scouting patrol, he discovered a railroad that was being used by the Nazis for shipping their troop supplies. He thought rather than waiting for orders to come down with a particular method and timing to destroy the track, he would just do it on his own. I .ate at night Pfc. Fluty and a buddy got up and took a case of TNT with them. They sneaked behind enemy lines, crawling and dragging the TNT until they reached the rail track. They prepared the charge with a very long fuse and lit it. AsPHOTO COURTESY OF RONALD FLUTYJohn Milton Fluty stands with his wife, Margaret, and his three sons (from left to right) John Jr., James and Ronald at the courthouse in Sedalia after his induction in January 1944.they made their getaway, they heard the charge go off. Nothing was ever said about the incident to anyone.There were many dangerous situations and hardships in Pfc. Fluty’s experience. One such time was the time Pfc. Fluty and a group of soldiers were inside an abandoned house in Germany where they found some jars of jelly. They opened the jars and began to enjoy the unexpected treat. Pfc. Fluty immediately felt something crunchy in his mouth and yelled, “Spit it out! Spit it out!” Upon examination, they found the jelly had been laced with crushed glass. These were prepared booby traps, no doubt by the ladies.One job of the engineers was to scout out and secure accommodations for the infantry troops. Just outside Frankfurt, He. Fluty was stmt on a scouting mission into Frankfurt to locate suitable housing facilities. His patrol was told the Nazis had been drive out and the city was liberated and considered safe. So He. Flutv and three others drove intowF'rankfurt and entered a building to check it out. One of his buddies, while looking out the window, saw a group of about 50 Nazi soldiers.Unfortunately, the Nazis also saw him and heavy firing ensued against Pfc. Fluty’s patrol. He. Fluty and the men ran out of the building to their Jeep and high-tailed it out of town. Nazi gunfire and mortar shells followed them until they drove out of range. All four of the Army patrol had been wounded and all did make it back to camp alive. He. Fluty received wounds in the chest, leg and arm.GLAD TO BE HOMEHe. Fluty despised war and simply wanted it to be over so he could go home to his family. Although he was honored and felt duty bound to serve his country, he has always bt'en quick to say the happiest moment in his whole life was when the war was over and he received his discharge papers. He was an ordinary American citizen, who when called upon did extraordinary things. The ranks of World War II veterans like him are thinning. He is a representative of the unsung heroes who are among our national treasures. He celebrated his 85th birthday on May 24.
Newspaper Details
Sedalia Democrat
Sedalia, Missouri, US
Wed, May 29, 2002
Page 15
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
MA, USA 23 Oct 2021
Other Publications Near Sedalia, Missouri
Sedalia Democrat Sentinel
Sedalia Evening Democrat
Sedalia Democrat
Sedalia Sunday Democrat
Sedalia Daily Democrat
