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jLiiursuay, November 23,1944THE STARS AND STRIPESfEfifaFageSAlpine Passes Weirdest BattlefieldBy Sgt. GEORGE DORSEY Stars and Stripes WriterON THE MARITIME ALPS FRONT—The mountains are mysterious,* High peaks are radiant with the bejeweled whiteness of deep snow, yet the moist walls of long, deep canyons are hung with an unnatural darkness. Men walk into the shadows of the mountains and sometimes they are swallowed up. Theyvanish like leaves blown away by the cold autumn wind.• * *The paratrooper battalion commanded by Lt. Col. Wood G. Joerg of San Antonio, Texas, mans a wide sector of the Maritime Alps front. It is a sec- 4--tor, not of large-scale, close-in ] preys on the minds of soldiers:A t A Ml M m A * Tbattling, but of calculating ar-1 tillery duels and bloody brawlsbetween opposing bands of riflemen, who rove through the rock mountains and valleys of No Man's Land.Men of the battalion were trained for months in jungle warfare. They know the machete better than the ski, but here they are, pa-troling into snowfields that are already waist-deep. They are fighting against crack troops of the 4th High Mountain Battalion, composed mostly of Austrians of the Tyrol, who have lived in the mountains all their lives. But the Americans are learning fast and they hold their own.They know from lessons acquired the hard way that they must stick to the high ground whenever possible, if they want to live long. In the steep-sloped Alps it is extremely difficult during a fight to take cover from an enemy who isThe way men disappear up here.A tired doughboy was told to siton a rock alongside a mountaintrail until the rest of his patrolmade a reconnaissance and came back. He has never been seen again. Wheh the patrol came back, he was gone.FRUSTRATION SETS INThe mountains are deceiving. They confuse the brain with the vast detail of rocks and scrubby trees that somehow seem all alike. Blinding blizzards come up fast in this country. Suddenly, a soldier feels the cold terror in hi.1 heart and knows he is lost.It has happened in this battalion several times now. Three or four men become separated, fail to report back from a patrol. And that night the boys who made it back sit around a wood fire and speculate. Captured? Shot to death? Injured somewhere and doomed to freeze? Or only temporarily lost and soon to come stumb-above you. The man on higlijbng in?ground, these Yank mountain fighters say, can maneuver about with little danger, but the soldier below cannot make a move without detection.HEIGHTS PREFERREDThe advantage of altitude was well illustrated in a recent fire fight staged by a patrol which included Pfc. John H. Deimage of Gary, Ind.; Pvt. Harvey K. Burrow of Troup, Texas; Pxc. Richard D. Kelley of Kansas City; Pvt. J. D. Smith of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Pfc. Daniel Gudelunus of Philadelphia, and Pvt. Frederick J. Burley of Chicago.The Americans wex*e making their way along a high ridge when they noticed some Germans far below them. After watching for awhile, the doughboys realized that the Krauts were in a position for an ambus'h. Then they saw the quarry, another group of GIs, coming up the trail into the trap. The men on the top of the ridge closed in on the Germans.’’There were nine Germans,” Pvt. Burrow, a tall bewiskered Texan, said later. We opened up on them with our M-ls at a range of 500 yards. When we got finished with them, five were dead, two were wounded and captured and two got away. We ambushed the ambush. The Germans tried to take cover behind rocks, but we were so much higher we could see them every time. They had an officer who ran for his burp gun. We would hit him and he’d fall down; he’d get up again and we’d hit himOnly the tall mountains know . . and they stand cold and silent.The Maritime Alps of France are deep now in the winter's snow, and fighting there takes on a new style between opposing bands in the rock mountains and valleys of Nx Man’s Land. Above, a patrol is deployed along the partially snow covered valley, skis go on or off, depending upon the terrain. Some of the snow is deep powder. At left, Pvt. Clyde Stewart of Detroit, and a BAR man, Sgt. John B. Long of Portland, Ore., who once trained for jungle warfare, adjust themselves to new conditions. (Photos by Pvt. Martin Harris)4-Uniforms Betray First Volks Grenadiers To Die For HitlerWilson, McNarney Issue Thanksgiving MessagesALLIED FORCE HEADQUARTERS, Nov. 22—The following are the full texts of the Thanksgiving Day messages of General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterrana Theater, and Lt. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander. Mediterranean:22By Sgt. RALPH MARTINStars and Stripes Writer ITH THE 7TH ARMY, Nov. divisions and rebuild destroyed di-After a recent breakthrough ini XwJv mma sma11 sector of this front- Armywe finally grt him MHed hf had I“‘e’llg™ce 0lIicers were lnter-six bullets in him.ested in the information that A A. . . . there were 250 Nazi dead, all wear-, lt;?An,erfl y’ Uei mans axe VGiy |in brand new uniforms, all di-skillful in setting up then am- Vided into two age groups: theGeneral WilsonIn the hearts of freedom-loving people lies a deep appreciation of the benefits and gifts bestowed by Divine Providence.It is this sense of appreciation and of faith which enables free men and women to rise above adversity and hardship. It is that, same appreciation ana commence squeeze on manpower, Germany wbiCb enables men, fighting in aIns^ad°o^ustmp1cking every- riBhteous cause’ to withstand thebody up and throwing them into rigors and the trials of total war.the general replacement mill, the Nazi officials played smart propa-It was in this spirit that the early American pilgrims instituted theganda and created this ’’Volks” first Thanksgiving Day. A littlei'll* « ^ l 1bushes. ’’They are well concealed very young and the very oid. i~ — - ... - - • i -----°------ ------and they let you come in close, | Th . i . Johnnv. movement, calling on the people to band of sturdy pioneers, laboriouslyFvam Don. , ^Eater^£$5 oT toe N^zi «ave the Fatherland. carving a fooytlJold on a then for.have, Capt. James Eva s, us manpower barrel; these were Under certain conditions, these b}ddjng shore, paused in their la-had plent/ of bimsnes with the something much more important. ™“olh^NaS^troons ^evln bet- bors to give thanks to God for thehad pientj oi musnes vim xne|Tb were the first crop of a new any other Nazi troops even bet m b efits of a cUCcessful har-movement in Nazi Germanv born ter, sometimes, A 50-year-old man meagre Denems ox a successim nui(^ o?desperation! ’Dxey^were part ».n a pillbox can do just as much vest and temporary surcease fromcagey enemy.REALLYIt is sometimes virtually impos-desperation. They were part. - - _____of the so-called ’’Volks” (People’s) damage as a 25-year-old. Or do anyBible to extricate yourself from'one I movement, the latest Hitler at- gne of a thousand jobs behind the of these ambushes once you are tempt to form a steady source from mies caught, as in the case of 2nd Lt. which to drain replacements for I BuiCharles L. Buckenmeyer of Swan- frontline divisions, at the same Utoiy- The;M take t in y the Amerlcan Pe°Ple once aBaintime organizing the groundwork | gel sick qmcker tire moie easily, j obserye Tbanksgiving Day~oncehostile attack.Today, the twenty tliird of No-■ vember 1944, by Proclamation of But infantry combat is another u Presiclent of the United States,♦4- rpi iiicf no Tf totfl it Thnxr Iton, Ohio, and Sgt. Robert E. An-. - _ -derson of San Francisco. They | for future guerrilla warfare.were trapped in the bottom of aThe two classifications of theThe mere existence of the Vclks- again give thanks to Providence forravine; they were being fired upon | golfer;. movement. area) Volks ’SS? S?S2Lh«.Volksstur When the Germansravine, xney were ueuig aucu ujjuxi c f Vinwor’c warning atrainst ^rarewiifrom every side and mortar shells | Grenadier (combat infantrymen) J w ammgjxga ^were beginning to zero in. Thetwo Americans took the only way I When the Germans were on i ... tnwn„ b,lt. tbprpi will moh-they threw themselves into|their blitzing offfrnive,inthe °M ^working ^ystelif for replacement. ^ mobilized' itta Sow “oc enrvn qc fho 'P.iiQcstarts fttarf.Pfl iTlOQlilZeu, It iS IlOV4out—tney rrn-ew uiexnsexves mw | uiur uiuziiig uiieusive m wie a pranarip in the middlean icy mountain stream, crawled days, they had a simple, smoothly- .X Gernfanv ba ever been tot-and floated to safety. working system for replacement.1 11 ueimanv na* evei DeenThis is how it is, fighting in the But as soon as the Russians started mountains. Dangerous and bitterly wiping out hundreds of thousands cold. Men pitting their wits as of Germans, while the American-much against the terrain as the British-French chopped up addi-Germans. The thought of being tional divisions—then the Nazi re-wounded in the rocky crags is a j placement system broke down, constant nightmare—litter teamsLt. Gen. McNarneyBy Proclamation of our President, today, 23 November, Is Thanksgiving Day. On this day— in a maimer hallowed by tradition—we give thanks to Almighty God for the blessings bestowed upon our Nation.In our history, these blessings have been legion. Freedom . . . opportunity . . . education . . . the right to speak ... to write . . . and to worship as one wills.December 7th will mark for our country the third year of war against the evil forces of the Hun and the1 Jap. These have been three years of adversity and hardship—death and suffering; three years of sacrifice—shared by our comrades in anns, the fighting men of the Allied Forces. But now, with the passing of these three years, there appears—more and more clearly—the pattern of ultimate victory. Today it is certain—the victory of a just cause blessed by a Just and All-Powerful Providence. Victory and a lasting Peace!It is with such blessings in sight that' today Americans on all fronts join wit h the homelands in Thanksgiving. May we prove worthy!Thanksgiving Celebration Anticipated By FilipinosOn European Body\ARIS, Nov. 22—Rene Massi nch Ambassador to London. 1 ______ The breakdown became _ .can seldom bring a man out, even I more critical because the Nazis had I sentative on the European Ad-1 many races and creeds, if they know where he is. Recently long ago pledged that no German visory Commission, it was an-1 giving thanks to Supreme’ ’ 1 nounced todaymiles to the company—with a bul- I Faced with tremendous battle cas-1 France to become a member of 1 found worthy of the gifts to come—After the adversities of the last 5five years—with the brilliant sun of ultimate victory now discernible through the dark clouds of war— it is particularly appropriate that we of the Allied Forces in the Mediterranean Theater join with oui LEYTE ISLAND, Philippines— American comrades in the same; November 23 will be celebrated asspirit of Thanksgiving. As Allies!a day of national thanksgiving forthe Philippines,” President Sergio Osmeno announced.Quoting President Roosevelt’sgoodlet in his liver.commission a half ageP*ce!Thanksgiving Day proclamation the Philippine President enjoined the inhabitants of the Philippines to offer thanks to Almighty God for the arrival of the forces of liberation to free the country. ’
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Rome Stars and Stripes
Roby, Missouri, US
Thu, Nov 23, 1944
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