Yes, believe it or not this old Infantry Dogface started off in Combat Engineer Basic training in WW 2. How well I remember my basic training with the "knot obsticle course", demolation training, booby trap and land mine training, and all the rest of the Combat Engineering training till damn near done with Basic. Then suddenly due to high infantry casualties in the ETO we were , without further adeau shipped to Camp Howze TX for 6 weeks of Advanced Infantry Training and over to France as Infantry Riflemen. Actually I found the Combat Engineer training more ardous than the Infantry training I recieved at Camp Howze.

Some long marches and bayonet and unarmed combat training along with calestenics but a lot of weapons

training of all Infantry weapons. All in all they tried to pack in a lot of training in the less than 12 weeks of Engineering training plus 6 weeks more of Infantry training. I know some had more training prior to going into Infantry combat, but also some had less training. The life as a Infantry rifleman replacement was not usually easy as one did not go into as a division or group but bits at a time to outfits who had casualties and needed replacements. Luckily I was buddied up with a "old timer" who had almost 2 months of combat time since joining the company. From him I did learn a lot in a hurry Anyway, my luck held for the duration and I lived and learned.

Dearest Joe:

Thank you SO much for sharing that memory. I truly appreciate it, especially in light of the documentary I am making.

I do remember you bringing this up so long ago, but alas, my memory escapes me too, so mucho gratias for bringing it to my attention once more.

Much love and happy Easter,

M