Voyage to Casablanca

 

Although much worse awaited him in North Africa, Bill’s trip there on the USS George Washington was miserable . He referred to it as “an old junker.” Built in 1908 it was originally fitted as an ocean liner. It had previously seen service in World War One when it was converted into a troop carrier by the US Navy. In April 1943 it was re-commissioned again as a troop carrier. 

 USS George Washington as a troop carrier in World War One

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

 

 USS George Washington in better days during a voyage between 1910 – 1915

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

 

It was one ship among many travelling in a convoy carrying the entire 82nd Airborne Division. To safeguard the extremely valuable fighting force onboard they were accompanied by a naval escort including several destroyers. The Atlantic naval war was at it’s height at the time making the U-boat threat all too real. Bill said the convoy had to zigzag most of the way in an effort to minimize its vulnerability. 

Ever since 1941 when Hitler declared war on the US, newsreels back home had given good coverage of Admiral Donitz’ “Wolf Packs” of U-boats sinking thousands of tons of shipping all over the Mediterranean and the Caribbean Seas and ominously closer to their present location the Atlantic. Bill said the George Washington broke down on the voyage taking an entire day to get underway and catch back up to the other ships. The time away from the convoy made the men anxious.

A veteran of Bill’s EGB unit recently told me a story about a U-boat encounter he witnessed while on the George Washington. He was on deck one night getting some fresh air when their destroyer escort suddenly picked up speed and began circling the ship. As it did, it dropped depth charges. They detonated fairly close to the ship sending up huge plumes of water. This went on for about half an hour as the destroyer chased the U-boat around. The cat and mouse pursuit eventually moved off into the distance and after a while the destroyer returned. The fate of the U-boat was never discovered. 

The whole trip to Casablanca took a total of twelve days. It was a boring journey. To help, movies were shown in the afterdecks. Boxing and wrestling matches were held there too. A small library offered pocket books on various topics for loan.

The men were allowed on deck, but as you can see in the ship photographs above, that area was small and was usually crowded. When on deck the men watched the other ships and the destroyers in particular as they patrolled for U-Boats. False rumors quickly spread that each ship in the convoy had Nurses and other women service personnel from the WACs (Woman’s Army Corps) and Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). In truth there were no women on any of the ships.

Rumors abounded as to their destination. Some men thought England, others Ireland, or Malta. No one was particularly surprised when a couple of days into the trip they were informed it was in fact Casablanca, North Africa.

The dining facilities onboard were inconvenient, of inadequate capacity and of poor standard. There were too many men on board for the limited cooking facilities to keep up. This meant there were only two meals served a day per trooper even with the galley working around the clock. 

The mess hall was a long narrow room with a long high bar like table where the men ate standing up. Each man took a tray and lined up in front of a counter while cooks served food onto mess kits. The food was piled up with bread on the bottom, vegetables and meat next, then ice-cream or other dessert on top. Some men refused to eat these unappetizing “meals”. Others couldn’t stomach them.

Except for a lucky few who volunteered to sleep on deck, most men slept in tiny cabins on hammocks hung four rows high, three across and two deep with orders to sleep for eight hours. There was no room in the cramped conditions to read, or write and it was difficult for many to even roll over.

On May 10, 1943 they anchored in the Port of Casablanca. Right from their point of disembarkation of the docks onwards the men were harassed by poor Arabs, who begged for anything, but notably mattress covers were the most sought after item. They were often the victims of thievery by these people who were so desperate they would literally steal anything not nailed down. 

Bill and the rest of his unit of Easy Going Bastards marched five miles through the heat of the town in full gear to a field in the outskirts where they made a bivouac.

The wife of one veteran in Bill’s outfit told me of a story about her husband’s time in Casablanca. The trooper was invited by a relatively well off local man to a family dinner of roast chicken. The promise of a real home cooked meal was difficult to turn down so he readily accepted the kind offer. But the poor guy got a shock when dinner was served. To his disgust the local way to roast a chicken was with all the innards intact. When served the meal smelled awful and was understandably inedible. The trooper refused to each it and the local was greatly offended. The trooper gladly suffered the man’s scorn which was preferable to eating the meal. The trooper returned to camp hungry, but with his culinary ethics preserved.

A couple of days later on May 12th the 82nd Airborne boarded trains bound for Oujda, French Morocco (See map below). It was in Oujda where their base would be built in preparation for the invasion of Sicily code named Operation HUSKY.

North Africa Circa 1943

Source: United States Army in World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations Northwest Africa: Seizing the Initiative In the West by George F. Howe, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMYWASHINGTON, D.C., 1957 http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-MTO-NWA/USA-MTO-NWA-2.html

Paratrooper Training – Fort Benning, Georgia

For months now I’ve been trying to piece together the dates of Bill’s activities after he finished Basic Training to when his unit shipped overseas. Until recently there wasn’t much to go on, but now it’s possible to reconstruct most of this information.

Bill finished Basic Training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia by the end of January, 1943 and quickly made the 100 mile journey across state to Fort Benning. He had to get there before Monday, February 1st, the start of a 4 week course in parachute training (AKA ‘Jump School’). He arrived in time and graduated on Saturday, February 27th as a fully qualified Paratrooper.

Next he was assigned to train as a Rigger and Parachute Repairman (MOS 620) in Fort Benning’s  Parachute Rigger School graduating on or close to Wednesday, March 24th. It was an advanced graduate course where he learned specialist skills in the inspection, maintenance, repair, and packing of parachutes.

These dates and assignments are deduced from: the letters Bill wrote home during Basic Training; his discharge papers; what is known about Jump School; and the only new trace of information found so far about his time in Fort Benning –  a Partial Payment PAY ROLL dated March 24, 1943.

The pay  roll is for the Enlisted Parachutists Riggers Class #33. They were assigned to N Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Parachute Training Regiment.

There are three pages to this document which appear below. Click on each page to make it bigger.

Bill is the first man listed on line 1 of Page 2:

Name: Clark, William A.

Serial Number: 15338297

Date of Enlistment: Nov 2/42

Number of Years Service: 0

I recognize the name of a close friend of Bill’s listed on line 11 of Page 2: “Cody, William J.”  His nickname was ‘Eagle’. Eagle was eventually assigned to the same unit as Bill: Service Company, 505th PIR. He survived the war, ending up in Berlin with Bill where both of them were assigned to occupation duty in the 82nd Parachute Maintenance Company. They corresponded after the war until at least 1946.

Partial Payment PAY ROLL 

March 24, 1943

Enlisted Parachutists Riggers Class #33

N Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Parachute Training Regiment 

 Page 1 Partial Payment PAY ROLL

 Page 2 Partial Payment PAY ROLL

(Bill Clark Listed on Line 1)

 

Page 3 Partial Payment PAY ROLL

 

Significance of the Partial PAY ROLL Document

On lines 10, 11, and 12 of Page 3 the document states:

“The amount set opposite the name of each enlisted man on the payroll have been determined in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 10b, AR 345-155 to include parachutists pay and have been charged against him on his service record.”

Despite this no dollar amount is entered for any of the men. My research sources have indicated that there was no unit roster for Company N, 3rd Battalion (Class #33).  It’s probable that this partial payroll served not as a record of the men’s pay, but as the unit roster for those men graduating from the Parachute Rigging Class #33 on March 24, 1943. Furthermore, the fact that the payroll is a partial payment indicates that his parachute rigger training class ended on March 24.

 

Length of Basic Training 10 – 12 Weeks (Early November  - January 29, 1943)

Basic Training programs in World War Two took anywhere from 8 to 15 weeks to complete depending on the particular unit to which a soldier was assigned. So how long did Bill’s take?

His last correspondence from Camp Wheeler is post marked January 27, 1943 on the envelope – the same as the internal date on the letter. Bill’s discharge papers state he received his Parachute Wings (aka ‘Jump Wings’) in February, 1943. The corresponding Jump School program lasted exactly four weeks. For Bill to have written a letter on January 27 from Camp Wheeler and graduate from Jump School some 100 miles away at Fort Benning in February must mean that he completed Basic Training close to the very end of January and probably on Friday, January 29th.

He would have needed to start Jump School by Monday, February 1st at the latest to finish the four week program and earn his Jump Wings in February. It would take time to cover the distance from the two camps, say about a day, with potentially some time needed to get organized on either end of the journey. So to make the start of Jump School on February 1st, Bill probably left Camp Wheeler by January 30th at the latest.

Following this logic, since he enlisted on November 2, 1943 and it took say a couple of  days to get to Camp Wheeler from Fort Campbell, Kentucky Bill’s basic training at Camp Wheeler would have taken most of November, all of December, and all of January; a period that lasted between 10 and 12 weeks.

 

Jump School 4 Weeks (February 1 – 27, 1943)

Parachute training was designed to be an impossibly difficult mental and physical test of a man’s strength of will. It was a four week course comprising of Week A, B, C, and D. It was so intense that only half of all recruits that started it would ever earn their Jump Wings.

To become a paratrooper in WWII was a huge deal. Even those veterans I’ve interviewed who never made combat jumps during the war, but who made it through Jump School are immensely proud of their accomplishment.  An indication of how tough Jump School was is that the other paratroopers who did make combat jumps treat these non-jumper graduates with a measure of respect.

Week A of the course was used to weed out those who were physically weak and without sufficient character to become a paratrooper.  It consisted of grueling physical programs that made any boot camp experience of WWII look like a picnic. These programs consisted of constant, unceasing exercise for at least nine hours straight each day. They included rope climbing, pushups, long runs day and night, judo training, tumbling exercises for breaking your fall during a jump, and brutal hand-to-hand combat fights emphasizing silent killing techniques.

As if this wasn’t enough, men were regularly and frequently pulled aside by officers and drill sergeants for minor infractions and often for no reason at all; and then ordered go for a run or to do 30, 50, even 100 pushups – sometimes one armed. No one was allowed to walk. They had to run everywhere. All this was designed to push the men beyond their physical and mental limits. 

To quit of one’s own volition meant swift expulsion from the Airborne. If a man failed to achieve at an established level of performance he was out. There were no second chances. Any man who quit or couldn’t keep up was immediately escorted off the base. Most washouts occurred during the first two weeks.

Week B aimed to teach the trainees how to parachute. They learned the function of the parachute: how to exit the aircraft and properly position their bodies during the jump; how to steer while in the air; how to avoid injury upon landing; and when to use the main chute strapped to their backs versus the reserve chute on their chests.

They used wooden models of C-47 airplanes to learn the sequence of making a parachute jump as part of a ‘stick’ or team of 18 paratroopers. They drilled on getting it faster – down to at least two men per second. The quicker they exited the closer together they would be on the ground and therefore, the better their chances of functioning as a fighting unit and surviving in combat.

During Week B, the hard physical training programs of Week A intensified in difficulty, washing more recruits out.

Week C kept up the impossible pace of the physical exercise and repeated the jump training. On top of this, the main objective during this week was to test each man’s courage. They learned to jump from two towers; one of 250 feet and the other of only 30 feet.

In the 250 foot tower exercise each man was put in a harness connected to a parachute that was fastened to a strap and hoisted up using a pulley system to the top of the tower. They were let go and the parachute would open. Most men made it easily.

The 30 foot tower was more of a problem. The trainees had to climb to the top of the tower and were ordered to jump from a model of a C-47 airplane door. They were harnessed and connected by a strap to a cable that was terminated in such a way so as to catch their fall before they hit the ground.  It was so close to the ground that a lot of men instinctively balked at the unnatural situation and could not trust the cable to terminate properly when their time came. If they failed to jump they had to walk back down the tower. Perhaps surprisingly to those of us who never did it, the 30 foot tower exercise washed a lot of otherwise physically capable men out of the program. 

An additional requirement during Week C was for each man to learn how to pack his own parachute. The men were incented to pay close attention and learn this skill very well because in the final Week D of the program they were made to jump with the parachute they had packed. If a man’s chute failed to open – and there were some that didn’t  – he would have only himself to blame for his death.

Week D continued with the physical torture of the previous weeks. On top of that the trainees were required to make five jumps. They would have to confront and overcome their fear of heights, parachute failure, and death – all a full five times. The first jump took place on Monday and the last on Friday. Monday’s was the hardest because it was their first time jumping and most of them had not even been in an airplane before. After each jump, with their bodies and brains spent from the constant exercise, those that were left had to pack their parachutes again for the next day’s jump.

At the end of the week each surviving man graduated from Jump School. The graduation ceremonies were held on a Saturday. The new Paratroopers were presented with their silver Jump Wings which they wore pinned to their left breast. They were allowed to wear their jump boots (which had been issued during Week A) off of the training base and to tuck their pant legs into them. Known as ‘blousing', this was something which distinguished them from all other US armed forces personnel.

On Saturday February 27, 1943 Bill had graduated earning his Jump Wings. Mentally disciplined and physically toughened, he had overcome his fears and proven himself worthy. Now he was a Paratrooper; an elite. He was a member of the best team of soldiers America would produce in WWII. The realization filled his young mind with enormous pride – and ‘balls’. 

 

Parachute Wings aka ‘Jump Wings’ issued to Paratroopers upon completion of Jump School 

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

Parachute Rigger School 3 Weeks (March 1 – 24, 1943)

Bill’s discharge papers state that he attended the “Parachute Rigger School, Fort Benning GA Feb’ 43”. His attendance at the Rigger School is corroborated by the Partial PAY ROLL document. However, it is not possible that he was trained as a Rigger before completing Jump School. Every want-to-be paratrooper had to complete Jump School first before anything else could happen.  With Bill’s Basic Training finishing at the end of January, the only time he could have attended a Rigger course was to do it at the beginning of March after he completed Jump School.

So why does Bill’s discharge record say that he attended a Parachute Rigger School in February, 1943? The answer lies in the way men were selected for occupations in the 82nd Airborne during the war.

Their military records (if they had any), Basic Training evaluation reports, and their skills acquired during civilian life were all reviewed to determine the unit they would be assigned. Besides combat troopers, there was a need for clerks, cooks, typists, mechanics, illustrators, polyglots (with German and Italian in high demand), drivers, carpenters, medics, and so on. Men with skills in these and other  areas were tagged for assignment to a Service Company in a parachute regiment.

Bill’s Separation Record gives a description of his work and skills before the war as a Back Tender at the Aetna Paper Mill. Being skilled in controlling and adjusting the machines used in making  paper and manipulating the paper sheets does correspond to repairing, and maintaining things. Parachutes, like paper, are essentially two dimensional objects . It is not a big step to construe that the skills of a back tender could be useful in repairing, maintaining and packing parachutes.

When Bill arrived at Fort Benning, someone likely looked at his civilian background as a paper mill back tender and decided that he had much needed skills relating to parachute rigging, repair, and packing.  They assigned him to the Parachute Rigger School in February. This school taught him the Jump School course first in February. After he graduated he completed the Rigger class by March 24th. Judging by the partial payroll date it probably started on Monday March 1st and lasted for around three weeks.

Parachute rigging had always been part of the Fort Benning Jump School training program. At first men had to learn everything about parachuting, including: how to jump; load equipment; and inspect, repair, and pack chutes. But as the Jump School graduates swelled to fill the ranks of the growing number of US Army Airborne Divisions the loading of equipment and advanced skills of parachute inspection and repair were dropped from the course. These skills took too much time to learn which slowed the training process down. Ultimately the decision was made to design an advanced course on packing and maintenance of parachutes. This is the course which Bill took.

This sequence of training corresponds with historical sources like this one documenting the history of the parachute rigger course used in WWII:

“In a sense, this was a post-graduate course to the main parachute jump training. The scope of the rigger training program was described in these words: ‘At the riggers school the men are trained as specialist maintenance personnel to inspect and to repair parachute equipment and to build new types of rigging, parachute containers and harness[es] for special use.’ At the end of the war the Riggers Course continued to be given, along with the Parachute Course (Basic Airborne Course)…”

- History of the Development of Airborne Courses of Instruction at the Quartermaster School 1947 – 1953, page 6 

Assignment to an EGB Battalion (After March 24  – April 17, 1943)

By January, 1943 the 505th PIR was already fully manned and staffed. So after graduation from the Rigger School Bill was assigned to an EGB battalion within the 82nd Airborne, where he continued training as a paratrooper. This would have encompassed a period from March 24th until April 17th; around the time the 82nd Airborne began moving out to deploy.

By the end of April, 1943 there were some 4,000 EGB personnel in the 82nd Airborne, including: orderlies, medics, stenographers, clerks, cooks, carpenters, truck drivers, parachute riggers and combat soldiers. Men in an EGB battalion were replacement troopers yet to be assigned to a unit. They would have to wait until someone died or was injured to take their place – not a thought Bill relished. And not one relished by those men already assigned to units. No one wanted anything to do with his potential replacement.

EBG men referred to themselves as “Excess Government Baggage”. Men of assigned units called them “Easy Going Bastards”.

The name calling aside, Bill wouldn’t have been happy about his predicament. He had trained just as hard as everyone else and was a thoroughly qualified paratrooper. He was just one month too late in finishing Jump School and didn’t make the final intake of assigned troopers in January.

Bill’s training as a Rigger would mean he would eventually be rigging parachutes and jumping into combat as a show of confidence that he’d packed the chutes correctly. He would have to wait for an opening in the Service Company of the  either the 505th or 504th PIR for that to happen.

His time in the EGB battalion included combat training  in addition to continued parachute rigging. He trained in stealth killing; evasion techniques for war behind enemy lines; hand-to-hand close quarters combat;  and as a rifleman in attack and defense of key objectives.

By the end of it all he was a razor; conditioned to respond to any physical threat on instinct and with immediate lethality. 

On April 17th, the 82nd Airborne Division was on the move. They assembled at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  Bill’s EGB unit was with them.  On April 20th, they made a rail journey to Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. They stayed there until April 28th when the Division caught trains to the Port of New York where the men boarded ships.

Before dawn on April 29, 1943, 67 years ago to the day of this blog post, Bill’s ship the USS George Washington set sail. Unbeknown to him he was bound for Casablanca in French Morocco, North Africa and the beginning of his war.

 

USS George Washington

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

 

 

© Copyright Jeffrey Clark 2009 - 2010 All Rights Reserved.

Basic Training – Camp Wheeler

When Bill left home he travelled to Fort Thomas Newport, Kentucky for his enlistment into the regular army. He enlisted on 2 November, 1942 with the rank of Private. Afterwards he was moved to Fort Campbell, Kentucky and then finally to Camp Wheeler, Georgia for basic training.

He wrote three letters home about his experience there. They’re well written in their own right and interesting to read, so I’m posting them here without comment. Click on each page to enlarge for better readability.

Letter Dated 28 November 1942

 

 

Letter Dated 13 December, 1942

 

 

 

Letter Dates January 27, 1943

 

© Copyright Jeffrey Clark 2009 - 2010 All Rights Reserved.

The Makings of a Paratrooper

 

Roots

Bill grew up on his parent’s farm in Preble County, Ohio near the town of Eaton with three brothers and two sisters. The Clark’s farmed corn, soy beans, chickens and pigs. Bill worked hard juggling school and farm work. He liked guns, becoming an expert shot at an early age. In his spare time, he loved to hunt in the woods on the farm. Of an evening, he would run along a network of country lanes that crisscrossed the county. He had a deep affinity for trees. He hated to cut any down and would plant them wherever he could.

The farm house where Bill was raised	Bill planted the tress on either side of the house

 

The barn where Bill spent many hours helping his father	One of many quiet country lanes in the area

 

Always cracking jokes, Bill had a keen sense of humor. He was humble, non-judgmental, forgiving, and generous. With these traits it was easy for him to make friends. He made plenty of time for people. Even as a youth, Bill was known for his charity and was fast becoming widely respected in the community for helping those in need.

“The House by the Side of the Road” by Sam Walter Foss was Bill’s favorite poem and one which he often recited.  It captured his character well and perhaps inspired it.   

Bill attended Dixon Township High School where he achieved above average grades and was awarded a position on the track team. He graduated on May 17, 1940. 

Afterwards he was hired as a back tender at the Aetna paper mill in Dayton, Ohio. He had every intention to settle down in the area; maybe go to college, marry and raise a family, but the coming war in the context of his family background was to change all all those ideas.  

All that is left of the Dixon Township High School	Looking out over one of the fields on the Clark farm after a soy bean crop harvest

 

Pearl Harbor

It was a Sunday when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Clark family went to church during the day returning home with family friends for a fried chicken dinner that evening. Because of the guests, the radio was turned off so everyone missed the news of the attack.

Bill and his older brother, Henry Jr. went to town after dinner and returned home at 11:00PM. The brothers walked into the living room wearing stony expressions. Without a word, Henry held up a newspaper. The Japanese attack was spelled out in big black headlines. A pall fell over the family at the news. It did not lift until after the war was over.

Being of draft age, Henry Jr. knew he would be called up soon, so he volunteered for fighter pilot training in the Army Air Forces. At 19, Bill still had some time up his sleeve. Both brothers felt it was their duty like so many other young men to join up, but their father’s influence drove their desire to enlist in front line combat units ahead of the draft .

 

Henry Clark Jr. in uniform (center) His brother James (left) His father Henry Sr. (right)

 

The Power of a Father’s Influence

Henry Clark Sr. demonstrated a taste for adventure early in his life. At the age of 16, he signed up with Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. He became friends with several of the show’s performers. Their stories of how the West was won whetted Henry’s appetite to make his own mark. His opportunity came with the outbreak of World War One. He enlisted in the Rainbow Division (42^nd Division) and fought extensively in France. He was a close friend of fellow soldier and renowned poet Joyce Kilmer, author of the poem “Trees” which you may read here http://www.risingdove.com/kilmer/love_trees.html. 

Joyce Kilmer is well recognized for his affection for trees. His granddaughter has this to say about him:

“Nevertheless, I am thankful for the popularity of "Trees," because its captivating lyrical simplicity drives home this profound message: we humans can never hope to surpass the awesome beauty of nature. This is why I think of my grandfather as an early environmentalist. Countless trees have been planted in his honor, and for that alone he deserves to be remembered. The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest was dedicated in his honor.”  - Miriam A. Kilmer (http://www.risingdove.com/kilmer/Trees.asp)

As was mentioned earlier, Bill had a deep affinity for trees and I can’t help wondering if Henry Sr. instilled in him a love of trees in remembrance of his friend. Joyce Kilmer died in the second battle of the Marne at the age of 31 on July 30, 1918.

An avid story teller, Henry Sr. would talk for hours recounting to his children and later his grandchildren, and great grandchildren unabridged stories of his battles during the operations of the Champagne-Marne, the Aisne-Marne, the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. There were gripping tales of gas attacks, lightning fast machine gun fights, tortuous trench warfare with unending shelling, anxious intelligence missions behind enemy lines, and fierce human wave assaults ending in gruesome hand to hand combat.

Henry Sr. would counter these with copious amusing tales of happenings during the quiet times between battles. His stories spared none of the details of war’s horror and absurdity. At the same time, he deftly related much of the honor in serving his country that went along with his experience as a soldier.

Given the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Germany’s subsequent declaration of war upon America, their father’s stories of the Great War sparked in Bill and Henry Jr. their own desire to serve their country and protect America’s freedom. Like their father, they were only interested in front line combat service.

It did not take long for Bill to start looking at the different options offered by the various branches of the service. Initially, he thought about joining the Navy, but his brother Henry Jr. talked him out of it sending him a letter trying to persuade him to join the Army Air Forces instead.

 

LETTER TO BILL FROM HENRY JR. 

Air Force Advanced Flying School

Victorville, California

July 13^th, 1942

Hello Bill,

I received that letter that mother wrote. She said you were planning to get in the Navy. I just thought I would tell you what you are getting into. I still think that you are too hasty about getting into anything, but the Navy is a dog’s life you don’t want any part of it. The Coast Guard is the same. What you want to do is get into something where you can get a commission such as officer’s training or aviation cadet. Personally, if I were you I would get into the aviation cadets. I know you can pass the mental. The bars have been dropped a lot on it since I took the examination. You can also pass the physical if your eyes are alright as I think they are.

If I were you I would go to the optometrist and have him (give you the works) on your eyes if he says they’re OK you’re a cinch to make it. Not that I think there might be something wrong with your eyes but that is the stiffest part to pass before the cadet board.

If you get into the cadets you will have it tough for about 2 or 3 months then things will start coming your way they give you (the works) to see how much desire you have to go through with it. Not that they mistreat you or anything during your rookie days but they just see if you can take orders. The pay, living conditions and everything are much better. If you get into the aviation cadets you cannot go on the inactive reserve anymore I don’t think anyhow that’s what I have been told. They would send you to Ft. Thomas for a week or two then would either be sent to a field in the south east training center or in the west coast training center for basic air corp. Training such as I have completed (takes three weeks) which every man in the air corp goes through whether he is a cadet or a grease monkey. Then after you have completed that, when they get an opening at the cadet induction center (Santa Ana in California and Maxwell Field Alabama) the only two in the U.S. It is a slow process from there on.

I don’t expect to get hold of the controls before the last of Sept. if they don’t classify me as a bombardier or navigator (what they need is what you get). We are told that the classifying process takes about 6 weeks. We are given refresher courses in arith., geom., algebra, trig., at Santa Ana. It’s the same at Maxwell field. I think I have a good chance of getting a pilot classification because of my…

[the letter abruptly cuts off]

 

Clark family relatives. Leonard Sparacio in seabees uniform. Perhaps the source of Bill’s initial consideration of the Navy. 

The Airborne Siren

Bill took heed of Henry Jr.’s advice and steered clear of the Navy and Coast Guard. Although his grades were good enough, his brother’s efforts at persuasion were to be in vain.

Henry Sr. commended his son’s desire to enlist in a combat unit. If he didn’t want to join the Army Air Forces, he encouraged Bill to join the regular infantry. Bill listened to his father’s advice and duly looked into what the infantry offered. When Bill brought up talk of joining the 82^nd Airborne Infantry Division, his father sternly forbade it, calling it “a suicide outfit.” He told Bill the nature of airborne divisions meant they would be the first ones sent to hotspots and on risky missions. Their casualty rates would be much higher than the regular infantry. Once more he advised Bill to join the regular infantry. 

The months passed by and soon Bill turned 20. In late October 1942, a recruiting sergeant with a keen eye for talent, from the 82^nd Airborne Division, spotted Bill at an event in Dayton, Ohio. Bill was fit from a life of manual labor, he could shoot, had 20/20 vision, no maladies, and at 5’ 7” he was the just the right height. The sergeant enticed the young farm boy, telling him he had “the makings of a paratrooper.”

The recruiter had a fine sales pitch which he used to great effect on Bill. He explained that paratroopers received advanced training when compared to the mediocre training offered by other service branches and that this would make him safer. The Airborne Divisions were the elite forces – the most prestigious of any US service branch. Then, there was the attraction of additional jump pay which paratroopers received for jumping out of airplanes. To top it all off, he would get to wear the stylish and exclusive paratrooper jump boots which were already the envy of other non-airborne service men.

The sergeant explained to Bill that since he had only just turned 20, he would have to get his parents to sign for him. Bill told him that would not be possible given his father’s anti-Airborne position. The sly and opportunistic sergeant countered with a way around the problem.  All he had to do was get his parent’s to sign for him to enlist in the regular infantry and then later he could transfer to the 82^nd Airborne.

This was all Bill needed to know to make his decision. He signed the paper work then and there.

Bill’s sister Doris, remembers how he maneuvered his way into the 82^nd Airborne Division:

“After Bill enlisted we (Mother, Daddy, Doris, Rebecca, Howard, and Jim) drove to Fort Campbell, Ky, to see Bill as we had to see Henry when he was there. He had already shipped out to Camp Wheeler, Georgia. You had to be 21 to enlist of your own accord so Mother and Daddy had to sign for him. They wouldn’t agree to do that until he assured them that he would enlist in the infantry. Evidently he had arranged with the recruiting sergeant to enlist in the infantry and after his parents signed he could easily go directly to the paratroops. The folks were definitely chagrined over that turn of events but it was out of their hands. They were also mildly amused at how gullible they had been. He was the optimum stature for a Paratrooper. He didn’t even get a furlough after boot camp, but was sent directly overseas after finishing the Airborne training. Probably because Paratroopers were in demand.

After Henry enlisted we had one blue star in the front window and after Bill enlisted we had two. They were about 12 inches square, white background with a blue star. Thank goodness we never had to change to a gold star because that meant a soldier had been killed.”

Bill’s sister Doris, 24 June 2005

© Copyright Jeffrey Clark 2009 - 2010 All Rights Reserved.

Foreign Decorations

Belgian Fourragère

Image Source: U.S. Institute of Heraldry

The first foreign decoration listed on Bill’s discharge is the Belgium Fourragère, more usually known as the Belgian Fourragère. The award is comprised of three cords braided together with a polished brass cap at one end and a loop at the other to attach the Fourragère to the right shoulder. The cords are made of red and green silk for officers and cotton for enlisted men. It was bestowed on the 82^nd Airborne for its actions against the German counter attack in the Ardennes Forest, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge from December 17 through December 31 1944. Below is an excerpt from GO #123 Headquarters 82^nd Airborne Division. It cites the reasons for the award and gives a factual yet moving account of the sacrifices the men made.

1. “This elite Division which has gone with the great élan through the campaigns of Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, Holland and France, has distinguished itself particularly in the Battle of the Ardennes from December 17 to December 31, 1944. Called upon as a reinforcement by the Allied High Command in the evening of the 17 December, at a time when the division was in the vicinity of Reims, the Division was able to take up combat positions in the region of Werbomont only twenty-four hours later and this under very severe climatic conditions. Progressing towards Ambleve and the Salm, the Division opened and maintained a corridor for the elements of four American Divisions which were surrounded in the vicinity of St. Vith, thus giving new courage to the engaged units. The Division had prevented the enemy from piercing the north flank of the pocket created by the offensive of Von Rundstedt and thusly succeeded in saving the city of Liege and its surroundings from a second occupation by the Germans.

2. After having excelled in defensive warfare at the banks of the Salm and the Ambleve and after having repelled successfully the repeated attacks of the best German shocktroops, the 82nd Airborne Division with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment attached, in spite of extreme cold and excessively deep snow, went on the offensive themselves and advanced to the German border, capturing 2500 German prisoners, including five battalion commanders. This fighting was extremely valorous as the organic composition of the Division handicapped the unit considerably, not having at their disposal, as any other Infantry Division would have, heavy weapons to support their attack. During twenty-three days, under most painful and adverse conditions, the veterans of the 82nd Airborne Division did not cease to give a wonderful example of courage and heroism, exemplifying their fighting spirit by several remarkably brilliant actions. By its valor, the Division wrote another page in heroic annals of Allied Airborne troops and rendered an important service to Belgium and to the Allied cause by establishing the necessary basis for the new pursuit of the enemy towards the Rhine River.”

Article 2: The Minister of National Defense is herewith ordered to execute the decree.

For the Regent:

The Minister of National Defense

signed: L. Mundeleer.”

 

Dutch Citation Lanyard

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

Bill’s discharge record states he was awarded the Dutch Citation Lanyard which is sometimes called the Dutch or Netherlands Orange Lanyard. The Orange Lanyard of the Royal Netherlands Army is the decoration’s formal title. It’s an orange colored cord worn over the right shoulder and was granted by the government of Holland. Only the 82nd Airborne personnel who physically fought in Operation Market Garden around Nijmegen are entitled to it. Other personnel from the Division were not granted the award and so were not entitled to wear the lanyard. The General Orders # 125 dated October 12, 1945 of Headquarters 82^nd Airborne Division are very specific about this. In part they have been reproduced below:

“Ministerial Decree of the Netherlands Minister of War, dated 8 October 1945, granting the personnel of the 82nd Airborne Division, who participated in operations during the period of 17 September to 4 October 1944, authority to wear the ORANGE LANYARD of the Royal Netherlands Army is quoted:

"MINISTERIAL DECREE OF THE NETHERLANDS MINISTER OF WAR, dated October 8, 1945, Section III A, Secret No-X 25.

The Minister of War considering, that the outstanding performance of duty of the 82nd Airborne Division, United States Army, during the airborne operations and the ensuing fighting actions in the central part of the NETHERLANDS in the period from September 17 to October 4, 1944, have induced HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN to decorate its Divisional Colours with the "MILITAIRE WILLEMS-ORDE" degree of Knight of the fourth class; CONSIDERING also, that it is desirable for each member of the Division, who took part in the afore-said operations, to possess a lasting memento of this glorious struggle;

DECREES: That each member of the personnel of the 82D AIRBORNE DIVISION, UNITED STATES ARMY, who took part in the operations in the area of NIJMEGEN in the period from September 17 to October 4, 1944, is allowed to wear the ORANGE LANYARD, as laid down in article 123g of the Clothing Regulations/1944, of the Royal Netherlands Army.

THE HAGUE, OCTOBER 8,1945 THEMI ISTEROFWAR (Minister van Oorlog)”

As can be seen from these orders, the citation for the Dutch Orange Lanyard was part of a larger unit decoration bestowed upon the 82^nd Airborne; namely the “Militaire Willems Orde”, (Military Order of William) degree of Knight of the Fourth Class.”  The Division was the first foreign military unit to receive it in WWII.

The only other foreign unit to be granted the Military Order of William in WWII was the Polish 1^st Independent Parachute Brigade for its effort in Operation Market Garden, but that didn’t happen until 2006.

© Copyright Jeffrey Clark 2009 - 2010 All Rights Reserved.

The Other US Medals and Decorations

Presidential Unit Citation

 

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

One of the most notable decorations on Bill’s discharge is the Distinguished Unit Badge. It was sometimes called that, but formally it was referred to as the “Distinguished Unit Citation”, established by Executive Order 9075 and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 26, 1942. In 1966 its name was changed to the “Presidential Unit Citation” (PUC). Like the CIB, this award was made retroactive to December 7, 1941 to include the attack on Pearl Harbor.

To receive a PUC in World War Two a unit had to do something altogether extraordinary. According to the U.S. Institute of Heraldry, to qualify:

“The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of a Distinguished Service Cross to an individual. Extended periods of combat duty or participation in a large number of operational missions, either ground or air is not sufficient. This award will normally be earned by units that have participated in single or successive actions covering relatively brief time spans. It is not reasonable to presume that entire units can sustain Distinguished Service Cross performance for extended time periods except under the most unusual circumstances. Only on rare occasions will a unit larger than battalion qualify for award of this decoration.”

The Institute of Heraldry further states:

“The emblem is worn by all members of a cited organization and is considered an individual decoration for persons in connection with the cited acts and may be worn whether or not they continue as members of the organization. Other personnel may wear this decoration while serving with an organization to indicate the unit has been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation”.

The 505th PIR received this PUC for its action during the Normandy invasion. 2nd battalion 505th PIR was subsequently awarded a second PUC later in 1944 during Operation Market Garden in Holland.

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

The streamer portion of the award shown above is flown together with the flag of the unit upon which the award was bestowed.

Here’s the text of the 505^th Parachute Infantry Regiment’s PUC for their action at Sainte-Mère-Église during the Normandy D-Day invasion:

“The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, is cited for outstanding performance of duty in action against the enemy between 6 and 9 June 1944, during the invasion of France.  The regiment landed by parachute shortly after 0200, 6 June 1944, on the Cotentin Peninsula, in the area west of Ste. Mere Eglise, France.  Drops were made in the face of artillery, machine gun, antiaircraft, and mortar fire from organized and fortified enemy positions, and against small arms fire of mobile and static antiairborne landing groups of German forces in the area.  Between 0200 and 0400 the regiment secured the area west of Ste. Mere Eglise for the predawn glider landing of Division Headquarters and antiaircraft elements of the division.  By the dawn the 505th Parachute Infantry had captured the town of Ste. Mere Eglise and controlled this vital road center, preventing movement of German forces on the roads to the beachheads east of Ste. Mere Eglise.  The regiment also established strong defensive positions east of the bridge over the Merderet River near La Fiere and prevented reinforcement of German forces east of the Merderet River.  The regiment maintained these positions against repeated counterattacks by a numerically superior enemy supported by tanks and artillery.  The regiment bore the full brunt of vicious German counterattacks, repelled every assault without comparable artillery support or assistance from friendly forces, and achieved the regimental objectives.  In the midst of continuous enemy fire, duties were performed unhesitatingly and with utter disregard for personal safety.  The courage and devotion to duty shown by members of the 505th Parachute Infantry are worthy of emulation and reflect the highest traditions of the Army of the United States.”

There will be more about Bill’s involvement in Normandy in a later post. For now I’ll let these powerful words speak for themselves.

 

European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Medal (with Arrowhead)

Image Source: U.S. Institute of Heraldry

According to the U.S. Institute of Heraldry, to be awarded the EAME medal a soldier had to meet the following criteria:

“a. The European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal was awarded to personnel for service within the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater between 7 December 1941 and 8 November 1945 under any of the following conditions:

            (1) On permanent assignment.

            (2) In a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 days not consecutive.

            (3) In active combat against the enemy and was awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that he actually participated in combat.

        b. ………..The EAME Theater included Europe, European Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Africa, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey.”

We already know that Bill qualified for the medal for active combat as per his CIB. More specific to the EAME medal, Bill’s discharge papers state the following under 32. Battles and Campaigns

“GO 33 40 WD 45 Naples- Foggia Sicily Normandy Rhineland Ardennes Central Europe”

Corresponding to this in 33. Decorations and Citations it states:

“European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 6 Bronze Stars”

The GO 33 40 WD 45 were General Orders #33 and #40. They were issued by the War Department in 1945. They authorized the EAME Campaign Medal for service in the bronze star campaigns of Naples-Foggia, Sicily, Normandy, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe. I don’t have copies of these General orders at this time, so I cannot reproduce the text of them here.

There were 16 qualifying bronze star battle campaigns in the EAME region:

Egypt-Libya: June 11, 1942 – February 12, 1943
Air Offensive, Europe: July 4, 1942 – June 5, 1944
Algeria-French Morocco: November 8–11, 1942
Tunisia: November 12, 1942 – May 13, 1943
Sicily: May 14, 1943 – August 17, 1943
Naples-Foggia: August 18, 1943 – January 21, 1944
Anzio: January 22, 1944 – May 24, 1944
Rome-Arno: January 22, 1944 – September 9, 1944
Normandy: June 6, 1944 – July 24, 1944
Northern France: July 25, 1944 – September 14, 1944
Southern France: August 15, 1944 – September 14, 1944
Northern Apennines: September 10, 1944 – April 4, 1945
Rhineland: September 15, 1944 – March 21, 1945
Ardennes-Alsace: December 16, 1944 – January 25, 1945
Central Europe: March 22, 1945 – May 11, 1945
Po Valley: April 5, 1945 – May 8, 1945 

Source: Wikipedia

Bill was not awarded any bronze stars for any of the North African campaigns. That’s because he arrived at their locations after fighting had ceased and the campaigns were finished.

Bronze and Silver Battle Stars

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

A bronze star campaign device is different from a Bronze Star Medal. The former indicates that a soldier fought in a designated bronze star campaign. The latter was awarded for valor in battle. Bronze battle star’s (as they are sometimes called) were only awarded if a soldier was physically present during a designated bronze star campaign. A soldier couldn’t have received one, say if he was sick and his outfit went to battle, leaving him behind. 

Each Bronze Star device attached to the EAME medal corresponds to one campaign. A silver star device is attached when five bronze stars have been awarded. 

Arrowhead Device

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

The Arrowhead pin is a replica of a real Native American arrowhead. It was awarded to Bill to symbolize the fact that he was a member of the group spearheading an assault; in his case, descending from the sky to do battle behind enemy lines. To receive it he had to physically jump from his C-47 aircraft during the assault. If his unit was called back or if he failed to make the jump, he would not qualify for credit.

It was only awarded once, regardless of how many times a soldier participated in spearhead assaults. Bill was in four such assaults namely; the jump into Sicily, the Salerno jump (Naples-Foggia), The Normandy jump, and the jump into Holland (Rhineland).

Display of EAME Devices

Since Bill fought in six campaigns in the EAME Theater, his ribbon and medal would comprise of one Arrowhead, one Silver and one Bronze Star. These devices would be superimposed in the following order on Bill’s EAME ribbon and medal:

 

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons 

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

Meaning of the EAME Stripes, Colors and Imagery

The colors on the ribbon and medal were designed to symbolize the theaters of war in which the campaigns were fought. The red, white and blue stripes in the middle represent the United States. The green bands on either side of these signify the green landscape of Europe. The green, white and red strips on the left side correspond to the national colors of Italy, while the white and black strips on the right side represent those of Nazi Germany. The brown boarders on the left and right symbolize the desert sands of North Africa.

Image Source: U.S. Air Force Personnel Center

The face of the medal shows Army troops pouring out of a Navy LST while taking enemy fire. If you look closely, there’s an exploding shell to the back of the soldier at left in the foreground. The airplane on the left represents the Air Force. It’s a scene meant to capture the essence of the invasions of North Africa and Europe.

Image Source: U.S. Institute of Heraldry

The back of the medal presents a Bald Eagle, symbol of the American people. It stands proudly on a craggy bluff portraying America’s tenacity and fortitude in fighting the war from 1941 through 1945.

 

Good Conduct Medal

Image Source: U.S. Institute of Heraldry

The criteria for receiving this medal were:

“…exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity in active Federal Military service. It is awarded on a selective basis to each soldier who distinguishes himself from among his/her fellow soldiers by their exemplary conduct, efficiency, and fidelity throughout a specified period of continuous enlisted active Federal military service. Qualifying periods of service include each three years completed after 27 August 1940 or, for first award only, upon completion of at least one year upon termination of service if separated prior to three years. The immediate commander must approve the award and the award must be announced in permanent orders.” - U.S. Institute of Heraldry.

“The eagle, with wings spread, denotes vigilance and superiority. The horizontal sword denotes loyalty, and the book represents knowledge acquired and ability gained. On the reverse, the lone star denotes merit. The wreath of laurel and oak leaves denotes reward and strength.” - U.S. Institute of Heraldry.

I don’t yet have the citation for Bill’s award in a General Order (GO) so I can’t tell when he received it, nor its exact wording. For some idea of what it might contain, here’s a GO for award of the medal to enlisted men of the 328^th Field Artillery Battalion of the 85^th Infantry Division:

Army of Occupation Medal (With Germany Clasp)

Image Sources: Wikipedia Commons

Bill was also awarded the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp. The medal was authorized in 1946 and delivery of them only began 1947. That’s why it’s not mentioned on his discharge.

The black stripe symbolizes Germany, while the red is for Japan. The bridge displayed on the face is the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, Germany. It is symbolically important, being the first bridge where the Allies crossed the Rhine River in Germany.

Bill performed occupation duty in the area near Ludwigslust in northern Germany from around May 5 and for sometime onwards. Hostilities ceased on May 8, 1945 with the surrender of Germany. He was in Berlin from August 1 to November 1, 1945 as part of the US army of occupation and assigned to the 82^nd Airborne Parachute Maintenance Company stationed at the huge Tempelhof Aerodrome. He had previously reached the rank of Technical Sergeant T-4. In Berlin, Bill played a key role supervising the repair and packing of parachutes for regimental sized parade jumps as a show of American might to the Russian allies stationed nearby in their zone. Bill told numerous stories of dangerous patrol missions involving the post war Nazi resistance movement known as the Werewolves. He was also captured by the Russians and held against his will in their sector, later managing to escape.

The criteria for award of the Occupation Medal pertaining directly to Bill is:

“(1) Germany (excluding Berlin) between 9 May 1945 and 5 May 1955. Service between 9 May and 8 November 1945 will count only if the EAME Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 9 May 1945.” U.S. Institute of Heraldry

and

“(3) Berlin between 9 May 1945 and 2 October 1990. Service between 9 May and 8 November 1945 may be counted only if the EAME Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 9 May 1945.” U.S. Institute of Heraldry

I will need to get the General Order with Bill’s name on it for confirmation, but this means that Bill must have been awarded the EAME medal before 9 May 1945.

 

WWII Victory Medal

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

The last US decoration appearing on Bill’s discharge is the World War II Victory Medal. It was awarded to all military service personnel, active or in reserve status, from December 7, 1941 until December 31, 1946; the date which President Truman declared to be the official end of hostilities. This meant that even though the war ended with the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, some men and women who had entered the service in 1946 were awarded the medal without having been WWII veterans.

In my view the Victory Medal is the most  evocative of all Bill’s awards. Rainbow colors dominate the left and right sides of the award’s ribbon, representing the collaboration of all allied nations during the war. The broad red stripe symbolizes the blood of the soldiers killed or wounded in the war. The two white lines between the rainbows and the red stripe signify a new hope and the fact that this was the second global war the world has faced.

The front side displays Nike, Greek goddess of victory. The sword she’s holding is broken in two, symbolizing the end of Nazi and Imperial Japanese tyranny. She’s stepping on a helmet belonging to Mars, the Roman god of war. This represents the end of hostilities. A rising sun in the background symbolizes the dawn of peace.

The reverse side harks back to a speech made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Called the Four Freedoms speech, in it he proclaimed these four freedoms should be enjoyed by all humanity.

© Copyright Jeffrey Clark 2009 - 2010 All Rights Reserved.

Bill’s Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB)

Over the next few posts, I’d like to take a closer look at some of the medals listed in Bill’s Honorable Discharge starting with his CIB.

CIB History and Purpose

The CIB was introduced during WWII in October, 1943 and was made retroactive to 7 December, 1941 marking America’s entry into the war after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. The idea behind the badge was to give personal recognition to the bravery of individual infantrymen fighting under extremely poor conditions, while sustaining very high casualty rates.

To receive the award a soldier had to be assigned to an infantry unit, hold an infantry related MOS, and had to perform his duty while engaging the enemy in battle on the ground.

At the time a regimental commander was the highest rank eligible for the award. General James Gavin (commander of the 82^nd Airborne) was a colonel commanding the 505^th PIR when he received his CIB for action in Sicily, 1943. That’s why you’ll see pictures of him wearing one even as a two star Major General.

 

CIB Design Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

Bill’s CIB

Bill received his CIB in General Order Number 16 (GO #16). It’s dated October 5, 1944 which is fitting because that just happened to be his 22^nd birthday!

I’ve scanned in GO #16 from a copy obtained from the National Archives. Pvt William A. Clark is listed forth from the bottom.

 

WD Cir. #186 and #271 means War Department Circular numbers 186 and 271, respectively. The acronym “EM” just means Enlisted Men.

The listed soldiers are being awarded their CIB’s “for examplary conduct in action against the enemy….” In October 1944, the War Department stated that “action against the enemy” more specifically meant “ground combat against enemy ground forces.” Subsequent, GOs awarding CIBs most likely contained the updated language, although I haven’t seen any examples.

The men were entitled to additional pay as per War Department Circular #271 of $10.00 per month. Since this was effective January, 1944, Bill may have received a nice birthday present of back pay on the order of $90.00 - $100.00.

According to the Military Awards Branch of the US Army Human Resources Command (USAHRC) individuals were only to be awarded the CIB in WWII if they possessed an MOS of the following: Light machine gunner (604); Heavy machine gunner (605); Platoon sergeant (651); Squad leader (653); Rifleman (745); Automatic rifleman (746); Heavy weapons NCO (812), or Gun crewman (864).

Bill’s separation record and discharge papers only list MOS 521 and 620. However, to get the CIB, Bill had to possess at least one of the qualifying MOS’s listed above. During the war and in the years after, at times Bill talked about jumping with his rifle and using it in battle. Sometimes he used the standard issue M1 Garand, but favored the British made Thompson submachine gun, or “Tommy Gun”, and the “Grease Gun” which replaced the Tommy Gun later in the war. They had a larger ammunition capacity and superior rate of fire over the M1 making them indispensable weapons in tight, fluid combat situations particularly after a jump.

Jumping with a rifle and using it in battle goes hand in hand with possession of an MOS of 745 and/or 746. I’ve reproduced them below from The War Department’s 1944 “Military Occupational Classification of Enlisted Personnel” (TM12-427).

 

Bill’s separation record document states that it was prepared using information “from available Army records and supplemented by personal interview.”

Talking about his WWII medals in 2001, Pierre Rinfret has this to say about US Army records:

“I cannot account for the incompetence of the U.S. Army….In many many ways the so-called records of an individual are more often than not totally and completely inaccurate, but what else would you expect. SNAFU (situation normal, all fouled up) was not invented as an acronym without reason!” - Pierre Rinfret, 2001

Renfret was a veteran lead scout in the 26^th Infantry Division under General Patton, an economic advisor to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and a 1990 Candidate for New York Governor.

Looking at what we know, there can be only one explanation for the apparent disparity in Bill’s award of the CIB. His Army record seems incomplete in not including a rifleman MOS. It wouldn’t have been all that useful in postwar civilian employment, so it’s probable that he didn’t feel like pushing the issue during his separation interview. Indeed Bill himself said his service record was messed up in a letter home while stationed in Berlin.

Like General Gavin, Bill got his CIB during the Sicily Campaign. To be awarded the CIB was a really big deal because of the additional pay and because it distinguished a man from others who hadn’t been seen combat. Again quoting from Pierre Rinfret:

“The following listing [of medals] is what I believe to be the order of importance BUT I have placed the combat infantry badge first since in my judgment that is the most important medal anyone could ever receive and because it reveals the caliber of a man!” - Pierre Rinfret, 2001

Bill received his CIB for combat in the pivotal battle of Biazza Ridge, Sicily. The 505th PIR were fighting 17 Mark VI Tiger tanks and supporting infantry from the infamous and brutal German Hermann Goring Division. If it wasn’t for the heroism of Gavin’s “boys” (as the then Colonel Gavin referred to his men), the enemy would have succeeded in pushing the Allies back into the sea; dooming the invasion to failure.

The battle of Biazza Ridge was a horrendous engagement and a triumph of the human spirit on the part of the 505 in the direst of circumstances. In a later post, I’ll talk in more detail about what happened to Bill during what he remembered as “one of those dark days.”

Bill’s Bronze Star Medal

BSM Image Source: Wikipedia Commons

After the war, Bill was retrospectively eligible for the Bronze Star Medal (BSM), but he never pursued his entitlement to it.

“The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) was established in February 1944. Announcement of the criteria of the award was made several months later. At the conclusion of World War II, General George C. Marshall, upon reviewing the number of awards received by infantrymen, was disturbed to learn that comparatively few had received recognition and that infantrymen accounted for more casualties than any other branch or element of the U.S. Armed Forces. It was determined that many commanders were unaware of the criteria for awarding the BSM. The reason, combined with the late announcement of award criteria, caused an inequity. In order to rectify this disparity and oversight, the criteria was established for Combat Infantryman Badge and Combat Medical Badge recipients during the period December 7. 1941, to September 2, 1945, to receive the BSM.” - National Records Personnel Center, 2009

So Bill’s CIB is effectively also a BSM.

© Copyright Jeffrey Clark 2009 - 2010 All Rights Reserved.