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I've been asking my guys to submit stories for my book. Have been getting some really good ones the last week or so. Thought Joe would love this since it relates to the 3rd Inf Div.

 

Hi Marion,

 

In your questionnaire you asked if we could relate anything

humorous that took place. This may fill the bill.

 

Sometime around the end of February on the Anzio beachhead

the Germans were sending in an sp (self propelled gun) at night

and firing at the defensive position of the third division. The sp

was coming in on a little dirt road and it was decided that the

road should be mined. Since the 39th was attached to the 3rd

division we got the job and it was given to "F" company. The

task was given to the second platoon. a total of about 40 men.

 

We passed through the 3rd division and started out into "no

man's land." About 50 yards out in front of everyone else we

passed a single soldier standing in a round foxhole who was

armed with a bazooka. As I approached him he could see I

was carrying an air-cooled 30 caliber machine gun and he

called out, "Hey, what outfit?"

 

I was only 20 years old but this guy looked like a 16 or 17 year

old kid. He was just as scared as I was. I answered him by

saying, "118th mess kit repair."

 

He replied in a bewildered tone, "Mess kit repair?"

 

And I answered, "Yeah, spoon platoon."

 

He was flabbergasted and said, "what?"

 

So I told him we were engineers going up to lay mines.

 

As I marched on I hoped I had lifted his spirits knowing there

were other guys out there with him.

That story I LIKE !! I heard mess kit repair, but not spoon platoon, Makes sense. Air cooled 30, B.A.R. might have been better. Allwe worried about was ANZIO ANNIE.! When the krauts pulled out they had aabig hook in back of the flatcar that carried the gun. and it broke up the railroad ties as it left. Remember,Joe? Roque. Marion how can I log on to the 34th post. I met a fellow at the K.C. WW 1 memorial and he is collecting all the info he can about the 34th, and he might join our website.Maybe you can send him how to log on to it. Kelton Smith--e-mail address,--kmsmith2@mindspring.com. Thanks dear. Rocky