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.
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
