In the Company of Heroes: the Memoirs of Captain Richard M. Blackburn Company A, 1St Battalion, 121St Infantry Regiment - Ww Ii: The Memoirs of Captain Richard M. Blackburn Company A, 1St Battalion, 121St Infantry Regiment - Ww Ii

By Richard M. Blackburn and Jerald W. Berry

Never before in the history of the world had there been such cataclysmic destruction until World War II. The entire face of the earth changed, as millions died and entire cities were razed to rubble. World War II was the harbinger of the Holocaust and the herald of the Atomic Age. For Americans, it was a time of intense patriotism and sacrifice in the cause of freedom throughout the world.
Follow an American infantryman as he goes to war in the European Theater of Operations. Walk with him among the treacherous hedgerows of Normandy and through the bitter cold of winter in Germany. See through his eyes the death, destruction, and depravation of a world gone mad. From the beaches of Normandy to the gates of Nazi Germany, read of heroic deeds and ultimate sacrifice.
The vivid accounts of 1Lt. Richard Blackburn represent history in its purest forma firsthand story of how The Greatest Generation stepped up to save the world and the freedom we cherish as Americans.

I was no hero, but I am honored to have served in the company of heroesthose who gave the ultimate sacrifice and rest forever under white crosses in the far away places they helped to liberate. Richard M. Blackburn (U.S. Army, Ret.)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483627014

Richard M. Blackburn

JERALD W. JERRY BERRY was a rifleman in Company A, 3rd Battalion, 506th Airborne Infantry, 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. He deployed with his battalion by ship to South Vietnam in October 1967 and was wounded at the beginning of the infamous Communist Tet Offensive in January 1968. In addition to the Purple Heart Medal, Berry received for his wounds in action, he cherishes above others, his Jump Wings, Combat Infantry Badge (CIB), Bronze Star, and Valorous Unit Award that was earned by his battalion for its combat action during the Siege of Phan Thiet in February 1968. After completing his tour of duty in Vietnam, Berry returned home to Mississippi, where he continued his college education, married the love of his life, and began his thirty-year career with the U. S. Forest Service. Following his retirement from Government service as a Staff Wildlife Biologist in 1997, Berry began to pursue his writing career as a Vietnam War historian. He is the author of several booksPsychological Warfare Leaflets of the Vietnam War, The Stand Alone Battalion, A Pictorial Chronology of the 3-506 Vietnam Odyssey (1967-1971), My Gift To You, and Twelve Days in MayThe 1970 Cambodia Incursion Story. He currently resides in Libby, Montana with his wife of 44-years, Donna, and continues his dedication to the legacy of the 3-506 by maintaining an active Internet website (www.currahee.org) for his fellow Currahees.

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In The Company Of Heroes

The Memoirs of Captain Richard M. Blackburn

Company A, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment—WW II

Richard M. Blackburn (U.S. Army Ret.)

and Jerald W. Berry

IN THE COMPANY OF HEROES

The Memoirs of Captain Richard M. Blackburn

Copyright @ 2013 by Richard M. Blackburn and Jerald Jerry Berry

All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright author: Jerald W. Berry, 438 Manor Drive, Libby, MT 59923. Inquiries should be addressed to the Publishers.

Rev. date: 05/30/2013

Visit the Currahee Website at www.currahee.org

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013906991

Hardcover—ISBN                         978-1-4836-2700-7

Paperback—ISBN                          978-1-4836-2699-4

eBook—ISBN                                978-1-4836-2701-4

Cover and Graphics by:

Stephanie Berry-Michalkiewicz

Graphicworks

Libby, Montana 59923

[e-mail]

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

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Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1   Those Carefree Years

•   AT HOME IN CESSNA

•   Off to College

•   My First Real Job

Chapter 2    In The Army Now

•   ENLISTMENT

•   Fort George Meade, Maryland

•   Basic Training—Keesler Field

Chapter 3    Military Schools

•   FORT LOGAN

•   Back to Mississippi—Advanced Administration Course

•   Life at Waycross—311th Bombing Group

Chapter 4    The Infantry

•   OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL (OCS)

•   The Infantry—Fort Benning, Georgia

•   Teaching the Boys

Chapter 5    A Few Detours

•   INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER—FLIGHT SCHOOL

•   Back with the Infantry

•   Overseas Orders and Deployment

Chapter 6    Normandy and Combat

•   U.S.A.T. BRAZIL

•   Welcome To The Gray Bonnets

•   First Combat Action

•   A Living Hell

Chapter 7    The Reality Of War

•   The Breakout For Normandy

•   Into Brittany

•   Siege Of Dinard And Death Of Captain Kaiser

Chapter 8    On The Mend In England

•   A Time To Reflect

•   More Surgery

•   Memories Of Home

•   Ready For More Combat

Chapter 9    Back To Combat

•   Journey Back To The Front Lines

•   Journey Back To The Front Lines

•   Christmas Eve In France—1944

•   The Huertgen Forest

Chapter 10    Combat In Germany

•   Bergstein, Germany

•   Roer To The Rhine

•   First Crossing

•   Bridgehead At Duren

•   121St Enters The Fray

•   Journey Back To England

•   Bedridden In England

Chapter 11    Homeward Bound

•   My Long Recovery Begins

•   Woodrow Wilson General Hospital

•   Ashford General Hospital

•   A Promise Kept

•   Angels Among Us

•   My Angel

•   Percy Jones Army Hospital

•   Final Days In The Army

•   Post-War Civilian Life

•   A Son’s Remembrance

In Retrospect

Epilogue

Tribute To Captain Arthur W. Kaiser

Military Medals, Badges And Insignias Earned By Captain Richard M. Blackburn

Appendix

•   Guide To Unit Organization And Terms

•   Glossary

•   Bibliography

I Am The Infantry

Endnotes

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF

Captain Arthur K. Kaiser, 2nd Lieutenant Donald H. Rose, PFC Howard J. Schodorf, and men of the 121st Infantry Regiment and support units who gave their all for duty, honor, and country during WW II—and to the families whose lives were forever changed by the loss of loved ones.

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he today that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother."

-Shakespeare, Henry V, Act IV, Scene 3

In The Company Of Heroes

The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.

—Thucydides 460-404bc

PREFACE

In the spring of 2012, Robin Blackburn, a close family friend and schoolmate of our youngest daughter, Heidi, asked her if I would be interested in writing the memoirs of her grandfather, who was an infantry lieutenant in the European theater during WW II. Robin is the daughter of David and Tammy Blackburn, who own and operate the Kootenai Angler fly fishing and guiding service on the Kootenai River in Libby, Montana. Our families have been friends for more than a decade. After being personally contacted by Robin, I told her that I would give her request serious consideration.

Upon learning that I was interested in the task, Robin and her parents arranged a meeting with me and my wife, Donna, to acquaint us with Captain Richard M. Blackburn and his military service. Although honored that I was asked to assume the task of writing the memoirs of Captain Blackburn, I was reluctant and not as confident with my abilities to address the WW II era. As a Vietnam veteran, my expertise is within the realm of the Vietnam War Era; and I have written extensively about my own war experience, as well as the Vietnam War in general. As the author of four books about my airborne infantry unit during the Vietnam War—the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 506th Infantry—I knew that it would take the experience of a fellow veteran to add credence to this true-life, historical, nonfictional accounting of wartime experience. From one veteran to another, I knew that I could tell Captain Blackburn’s story truthfully and without bias.

As a young boy growing up on a cotton farm in the Mississippi Delta, I would often have opportunities to be in the company of male relatives who had served proudly in WWII and the Korean War. As a teenager, I was mesmerized as I listened to my uncles and other relatives recalling their war experiences during WW II. One of my uncles had fought against Rommel in Africa, and later participated in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. Another uncle’s brother, Steve Goodson, a rifleman in the 31st Infantry Regiment, had been a Prisoner of War (POW) of the Japanese. Like many young American males during that time, he had enlisted in the U. S. Army; and like Captain Richard Blackburn, his time spent during wartime would change his life forever. Along with thousands of other soldiers, Steve Goodson 1anded on the shores of the Bataan peninsula in the Philippines just two weeks before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. Six months 1ater, he was captured by the Japanese and became a prisoner of war on April 9, 1942. While in the hands of Japanese forces, he and 600,000 other American and Filipino soldiers were forced to march 70 miles without food and very little water or rest in what became known as the Bataan Death March. Over 100,000 of those soldiers died from starvation, exhaustion, and torture, with as many as 450 soldiers dying in a single day. Corporal Steve Goodson remained a POW for 41 months.

As a veteran myself, I was very interested in learning more about Captain Blackburn’s experiences as his 121st Infantry Regiment fought their way through France and Germany pursuing German soldiers and destroying the Nazi Regime. Before accepting the task at hand, I was allowed to read the journal and letters that Captain Blackburn and his family had saved throughout those difficult years during WW II. After much deliberation, I agreed to record his story—the narrative of a young man who was thrust into WW II and created a lifetime of memories and experienced suffering that is incomprehensible except to those veterans who have also known the pain and the uncertain destiny of going off to war so far away from home and family.

Captain Blackburn and I both served our country during tumultuous times in our Nation’s history, but in different wars, different places, and in different generations of American infantry soldiers. We both went to war onboard a troop transport ship, both landed at our destinations around the time of our birthdays, and were both about the same age when we went to war. As an infantryman, I can attest to the ravages of war, as well as the smell, sound, and taste of combat. What we have seen and experienced as young men in combat will always be with us and has affected our lives in ways that no one else outside the brotherhood of combat soldiers can ever know.

I am indebted to the Blackburn family for allowing me to convey Captain Blackburn’s story of patriotic service to our country. Sadly, there are thousands of WW II veteran stories like his that should be told to our younger generations. Perhaps by telling this story, our younger men and women might understand more deeply the meaning of true patriotism and in turn, respect the sacrifice endured by Captain Richard Blackburn, as well as other veterans during wartime.

Jerald W. Berry

Libby, Montana

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This detailed account of Richard Blackburn’s life and military service was made possible by his diligence in recording an accurate time line in his personal diaries and journals. The facts, dates, and detailed information presented in this book are the culmination of over thirty years of meticulous work by Richard. His desire to contribute a factual piece of World War II to the annals of history has led to the publication of this book for his family, as well as future generations. To him, we owe a debt of gratitude for his unwavering patriotism and sacrifice in the service of his country.

I would also like to thank Richard’s son, David, for his dedication and support as the impetus behind the compilation and publication of his father’s memories.

Gratitude is also given to Bruce Jones (www.bjdesign.com), developer and publisher of The World of Maps, for permission to use his website maps as illustrations in the book.

Special acknowledgement also goes to my devoted wife, Donna. Without her editorial expertise, advice, and support, I could not have completed this project.

My daughter, Stephanie, has provided many hours of work on the format and design of this publication. Her technical support was also invaluable to the completion of this book

To all of you, I say—Thank you for helping bring a bit of WWII history to life for future generations!

INTRODUCTION

Our founding fathers could not have foreseen the future turmoil that the 20th Century would bring to our country as they gathered in 1787 to draft a new set of laws for our fledgling nation. The Revolutionary War had given birth to our young America—thirteen colonies that fought for independence from the oppression of British rule. Yet, the authors of our constitution knew very well that the price of freedom could be quite costly in terms of human lives and sacrifice.

The 20th Century ushered in a series of devastating events that would greatly change the face of the world. In 1901, our newly reelected president, William McKinley, was brutally assassinated. The sinking of the luxury cruise ship, Titanic, occurred in 1912, resulting in the shocking loss of many lives. Roughly two years later in 1914, the Great War (WWI) began in Europe. Our nation entered the war early in 1917, during the fourth year of the global conflict. In November of 1918, the war ended, resulting in the loss of more than nine million lives. The discontent resulting from five years of world discord still seethed just below the thin veneer of the various peace treaties, especially the Treaty of Versailles, following the war’s end.

Germany particularly disliked the Treaty of Versailles, which forced it to disarm completely, cede territory, pay war reparations, and publicly own up to its culpability in starting the Great War. The treaties that ended World War I also provided for the establishment of the League of Nations, which was delegated the task of helping resolve disputes peacefully following the conflict. War-torn countries had suffered greatly from widespread unemployment, inflation, and food shortages, as well as other significant problems left unsolved by the turmoil.

During this time of hardship, nations developed intense Nationalism and became focused on solving their own problems, rather than cooperating with neighboring countries. Reluctantly, the United States, as the strongest democratic nation in the world, chose not to become a member of the League of Nations. Over time, the efforts of member nations to maintain a peaceful world deteriorated. Even though many European countries had democratic forms of government after World War I, the hardships suffered during five years of worldwide conflict provided fertile ground for a shift of power toward socialistic dictatorships, which gradually brought about the destruction of democratic rights.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 brought about the world’s first Communist dictatorship, which was established by Vladimir Lenin. Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in Italy in 1919 and within a few short years, established himself as the supreme leader of Italy. Meanwhile, the National Socialist, or Nazi Party, was racing toward power in Germany. A young Austrian named Adolf Hitler joined this party in 1919 and rapidly asserted his influence within the organization.

Such was the state of the world when I, Richard McCallion Blackburn, entered it on July 3, 1919. Following the end of the Great War in 1918, the United States especially wanted to forget about the experience and really did not care much about the fate of war-torn countries in Europe. Our nation’s refusal to join the member states of the League of Nations exemplified that sentiment. The citizens of our country did not want to be involved in any more European squabbles and felt that being in the League of Nations would make the United States obligated indefinitely.

Drastic cultural and societal changes in our nation during the Roaring Twenties (1920’s) would reinforce this detachment from Europe and the nonchalant attitude of the American people toward world affairs in general. As they danced the Charleston and enjoyed a period of economic prosperity, Americans simply wanted to enjoy life as they indulged themselves with reckless abandon. Soon, however, the endless partiers would find themselves unemployed, in financial ruin, and oftentimes hungry.

The Great Depression of 1929 brought the economic gains of the previous decade to an almost immediate halt. Seemingly overnight, banks failed by the hundreds, and Americans lost their jobs and their savings—some becoming destitute and penniless. The enormous financial downturn not only devastated the American economy, but its effects reverberated throughout the world, making matters worse for those countries still trying desperately to rebuild their own economies following World War I. Many countries suffered greatly during this difficult economic period, and world trade was significantly diminished. The worldwide economic disaster caused by the Great Depression was the worst and longest depression ever experienced in modem times. Record unemployment and declining business activity financially crippled the nations of the world.

Worldwide depression also facilitated Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. He and his Nazi Party came to power in 1933, when Hitler became prime minister. Conditions were perfect for him to convince the populace of Germany that he would rebuild the country and transform it into an invincible world power. Quickly moving toward dictatorship, Hitler crushed the opposition to his ideology and eventually took control of every aspect of German life.

Increasing economic pressures abroad forced the most disgruntled countries of Germany, Italy, and Japan to take matters into their own hands. They chose to seek out new territory to annex and lands to conquer as a solution to their economic woes. By 1933, the League of Nations had become practically ineffective, and the totalitarian governments of Germany, Italy, and Japan remained unchecked, as they attacked and invaded their neighbors.

The sweeping changes occurring across Europe and other parts of the globe spelled impending doom for those who cherished their freedom. When Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the United States remained neutral, supporting the Allied Nations by selling them war materials. Our nation was watchful and cautious, knowing that the clouds of war were growing ever darker over the world. Yet, the world—including our own country—turned a blind eye to the most infamous dictator of our time, Adolf Hitler of Germany. The world coddled him and appeased his actions, doing nothing to stop the most prolific mass murderer of the 20th Century.

Foreboding clouds of war had been gathering since the end of 1918; and a fragile, peaceful world would eventually explode into another worldwide conflict. The world had never experienced true peace and tranquility from 1918 to 1939, and now it would face the bloodiest disaster of our time—World War II. My destiny would place me among the ranks of The Greatest Generation—a generation of intensely patriotic men and women who saved the world from tyranny during World War II. I would not know the tyrants of the world, but I would eventually know firsthand the extreme devastation and destruction that was to unfold as a result of their insane ideology. The events that I would witness through my own eyes and the gamut of emotions that I would experience as a Lieutenant in the infantry during WWII would forever change my life, and the memories of those wartime years would always be with me.

PROLOGUE

"It felt like I had been hit in the head with a sledge hammer, as I fell to the brick pavement. I hit so hard that the wind had momentarily been knocked out of me. My first thoughts were that I had taken a bullet to the head and was surely dying. Immediately, I thought of home, my mother, my father, and my brother, along with the fact that I would never see them again.

When I finally caught my breath, I attempted to get up on my feet. As I did so, my right leg collapsed under me. As I looked down, I saw part of the femur bone sticking through my pants leg; and blood was spurting out like a stream of water. Reaching my right hand down to the back of my leg, I felt a lot of blood; and tiny fragments of bone were stuck in the bloody gore in my hand. About fifteen feet to my right, I noticed that my radio operator had also been shot. I instinctively yelled for a medic and soon a lad appeared with red crosses on his arms and helmet. He was coming to my aid, but was also shot and killed. There were now three of us caught on that bridge.

Taking a quick analysis of my situation, I began to look around. In front of me, I noticed some movement in the second floor window of the house. Thinking that this might be the sniper who was doing the shooting, I took a shot into the window with my carbine. Instantaneously, there was a burst of automatic fire from my front. The line of bullets was striking the bricks in the pavement about six inches from my body, and I could see the red dust rising from the shattered bricks. I froze quickly and remained perfectly still for a few minutes.

In front of me and to my left, I could see a huge log that was part of a road block. I knew that if I could get myself over to that log, I would have some cover. As I dragged myself behind the log, I looked back, only to see that I had left a distinct trail of bright red blood. Realizing that I was losing quite a bit of blood, I removed the sling from my carbine and made a tourniquet around my thigh, twisting it tightly with my trench knife.

It had been quite painful pulling my body behind that log, but the bleeding from my leg had eased. I was so thankful that I was still alive! My radio operator continued to moan, never answering me when I called out to him."

Chapter 1

Those Carefree Years

017_a_mikeeeko123.jpg

AT HOME IN CESSNA

Fate delivered me into the arms of my loving parents the day before Independence Day approximately six months after World War I had ended. Born the second son of Vera Leroy McCallion and Jay Blackburn, I spent the majority of my childhood years in the tranquil, rural environment of the small village of Cessna in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.

The world I knew as a boy and teenager was carefree, exciting, beautiful, and peaceful—it suited me just fine. Days were filled with school, summers frolicking with my friends, and an occasional trip to the old fishing hole with my older brother, Tom, and our Dad. Tom always looked out for me, and I felt safe and secure under his watchful eye.

Dad especially loved hunting game birds and deer. When the autumn colors began to emerge, along with a slight chill in the air, I knew that it was time to get the shotgun ready for the long walks in the hills with old Dan, our English Setter bird dog, and flush out those birds. As I grew older, Dad would take me to deer camp to experience the thrill of stalking deer. Yes, the mountains of Pennsylvania seemed like paradise to me. Come winter, the snow drifts would tower over my head as I walked through them. There was a unique peace and calm over the countryside under that soft blanket of snow.

Shortly after I turned ten years old, the Great Depression of 1929 hit our country. Of course at my young age, I lived each day oblivious of the significance of this date in history. My small, immature mind did not concern itself with the consequences of a depressed economy. Times might have been hard for us and our neighbors, but all I needed to know was that Mom, Dad, and Tom would continue to take care of me.

As I entered my teenage years, I became more aware of our great wide world. I understood then that there were people just like me and my family who had been through some difficult financial hardships. News of the times came to us through our family radio, and as I grew older I would listen to the happenings with Tom, Mom, and Dad. There was strange talk of impending war in Europe, and I just couldn’t get my mind around why people were suffering and killing each other in other countries across the ocean from us. Our strong Christian faith and the love that we had for each other, I felt, could withstand any adversity that should cross our path.

At seventeen, I still lived quite a sheltered life in my own little world.

The positive things like hunting and fishing were always foremost in my mind, but I do remember a few small tragedies in our lives together as a family. I recall St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1936 when there was severe flooding in Cessna, particularly in the area where we lived. As we realized the danger, the basement in our house began to fill up with flood water. Desperate to save all of those precious canned goods that Mother had worked so hard to put away for our family, the three of us men busied ourselves transferring several dozen glass jars of jam, fruit preserves, and pickles from the shelves in the basement, up the stairs, and onto the drop-leaf table in the dining room. In our haste to get the job done, we accidentally upset that table full of glass canning jars. Instantly, we had a pile of fruit and pickles mixed in with broken shards of glass. What a tragedy! Maybe we should have just left those jars floating in the basement, then salvage what we could later. All we could do at this point was trust that God would bring something good out of the loss.

Off to College

I turned twenty years old shortly before the beginning of World War II. Nazi Germany, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, invaded the neighboring country of Poland, adding this bit of land to his already increasing German Empire. On that first day of September 1939, I was probably getting ready to start another semester of college. At that time, Tom and I were attending school together at Rider College in Trenton, New Jersey. During our visits home, we would listen to the radio and hear Adolf Hitler’s own voice as he ranted and raved about the superiority of the German people and the invincibility of the Third Reich. At that time, our country still remained neutral concerning the chaos in Europe and elsewhere, but following the many acts of aggression by the tyrannical leaders of Germany, Italy, and Japan, our nation reverted to a mindset of caution and preparedness. The dark clouds forming over Europe did not bode well for the future of our country. Our nation’s leaders felt the urgent need to build up our military forces, should war eventually overshadow our own country.

In response to the urgency for troop buildup, Congress passed the Burke-Wadsworth Act in 1940, better known as the Selective Service and Training Act. On September 16, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the act into law, which essentially established the first peacetime draft in our country’s history. In accordance with this new law, all American males between the ages of 21 and 35 were required to register for the draft. The government would then select men from the registration lists through a lottery system. If selected for military service, each individual would serve his country for a period of twelve months. Draft registration was set to begin on October 16, 1940.

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Mercer County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Cadwalader Park at Trenton, New Jersey. Pictured left to right: Tom Blackburn, Bill Trey, and Richard Blackburn, while attending Rider College at Lawrenceville, New Jersey, 1940.

The summer of 1940 found me still attending Rider College. Tom and I had both decided to apply ourselves diligently, with the idea of shortening our time in school by taking three semesters a year rather than the customary two. That July, I turned 21 years old, which meant that come fall, I would have to register for the new draft system. I promptly registered as required by law on October 16, 1940, while at Rider College. This date began the registration of approximately sixteen million men in the United States.

Shortly after registering for the draft, I received my official draft card in the mail. As suspected, my draft status was 1-A, which meant that I was immediately available for induction. Other classifications represented deferred or postponed eligibility, and those men with this classification could not be drafted as long as they held this status. A classification of 2-A meant that a man probably held a job that the government considered essential to national interest. Men who were physically or mentally unable to serve were issued a classification of 4-F by the draft board. My draft card listed my number as 2464 and included a notice in bold print reading: Be Alert. The laws require you to keep in touch with your local draft board in Bedford, Pennsylvania. You are to notify them of any change of address, to notify them of any facts that might change your classification.

020_a_mikeeeko123.jpg

Richard sitting on the New Jersey shore of the Atlantic Ocean, 1941.

While still attending Rider College, my brother Tom and I accompanied a fellow fraternity brother, Phil Desarno, to his home in Asbury Park, New Jersey for a weekend. Phil’s mother was an excellent cook, and Tom and I remarked that we had never tasted such delicious meatballs and spaghetti. That Saturday afternoon, we walked over to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean. As I sat there on the sand, my thoughts wandered over that vast, wide ocean to those war-torn countries of Europe. It seemed strange to know that the beach on my side of the ocean was so peaceful and calm as the waves gently lapped out the rhythm against the shore. Yet, someone just like me could be sitting on a beach on the other side of this ocean, wishing he could be somewhere else more peaceful. I thought perhaps one day I might find myself in that other guy’s shoes, only fighting for MY country. My draft classification weighed heavily on my mind during those last few months of college, but being a soldier still seemed far away in my future.

Tom and I actually finished our coursework at Rider College in February 1941, ahead of the usual graduation exercises. During the interim between completing our classes and returning to Rider in June for the graduation ceremony, Tom and I both worked for Dad in the store. Dad still owned a feed and farm supply business in Curryville, Pennsylvania at that time, and he welcomed the extra help. Both of us boys were accustomed to helping out at the store, having grown up with the family business. However, the idea of working in the store every day throughout the summer was not really our first choice of summer jobs. I felt that my college degree in Business Administration should qualify me for something better. Anyway, I was eager to test my wings out in the bigger world beyond the 150 inhabitants of Cessna.

My First Real Job

Toward the end of the summer of 1941, I went for an interview for a possible job with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pittsburgh. To my delight, I was hired as a Clerk Statistician in the Freight Traffic Department and scheduled to begin my new job on Monday morning, September 23. Cleveland, Ohio seemed a long way from home for this young man, but I knew that I didn’t want to spend my life in Cessna working in Dad’s store. I was pleased to have a free railroad pass included with my acceptance letter, and soon I would board a train for a whole new chapter in my life.

Dad drove me to Altoona, Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon, September 21, 1941 to board the train for Pittsburgh. From there, I would take a Pullman sleeper car through the night to Cleveland and arrive early morning on September 23. Once at my destination, I was able to find a good room at the YMCA before reporting to work. Everything I owned was stuffed inside one suitcase, so it wouldn’t take much room to accommodate this weary, yet anxious 22-year-old. I was told that I could take the streetcar to the Freight Office at the corner of 9th Street and Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland. The big city was quite a change from my little Cessna, Pennsylvania, and I was already one homesick puppy. I still had that free railroad pass, though, and hopefully I would get to go home on the weekends.

The office where I worked had an excellent view of Lake Erie through the window. I got along quite well as a team player; but since I was the low man on the totem pole, I had to do a lot of menial tasks that I was not particularly fond of. Starting out, one of my tasks was to open the incoming mail and distribute it to the appropriate individual or desk in the office. Such was my life at a salary of $125 per month.

Thankfully, I did get to go home just about every weekend, traveling the same route back and forth between Cleveland and Altoona, where Dad would always pick me up. The first weekend of December, I was home in Cessna when a news flash came over our home radio. It was Sunday, December 7, 1941, and we all sat there in disbelief concerning what we were hearing. Japanese planes had just attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during the early morning hours. In their two-hour bombing raid, 360 Japanese aircraft had destroyed 18 of our ships and 170 American airplanes, crippling the United States Pacific Fleet, as well as killing and wounding about 3,700 military personnel and civilians. We were awe-stricken, especially me—a 22-year-old single man with a draft status of A-1. War had come to our own shores; our nation had no other choice but to enter the fray in retaliation against the carnage at Pearl Harbor. As a country, we could no longer remain neutral and ignore the dark clouds of war over Europe and the rest of the civilized world.

That Sunday night, I rode back by car to Pittsburgh with Carl Fetter, one of my grade school classmates who also worked for the railroad. Traveling on our way along Route 30, we could not help but notice the National Guard troops that were guarding some of the major bridges that we