NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE
ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE
HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY
AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN
THE ENTERPRISE
NEARLY 1.000 COPIES OF THE
ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE
HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY
AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN
VOLUME XL VIII—NUMBER 41
Williamston. Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday. May 22. 1945.
ESTABLISHED 1899
Pvt. Bryan Haislip
Tells of Army Life
Out In Mississippi
County Youth Is At Kccsler
Field Studying To Be
An Army Pilot
Writing to The Enterprise under
a recent date. Pvt. Z. Bryan Hai
slip, county youth, tells of life in an
Army camp out in Mississippi. His
letter follows:
“Today was our sixtieth phase of
basic training, so now we are of
ficially through with the first part
of our training as career gunners. It
has included a little bit of every
thing—army discipline, first aid,
close order drill, and two trips to
the firing range and bivouac area.
And, to be training for the Air Corps,
there was a heck of a lot of walking.
I guess they figure we should know
how to walk before they begin to
teach us to fly. We had three forced
marches with full pack—one for
two hours, one for three, and one
for four. The infantrymen tell us
our basic training is really soft, but
it suits me just fine.
“One of greatest disadvantages has
been this Mississippi weather You
can’t depend on it at all. When we
get up at the ungodly houi* of 4:30,
it’s cold enough to wear an overcoat
and by noon we’re down to our shirt
sleeves. And I believe the Army has
an agreement with the weather man.
It never rains except on Sunday, or,
at least, not until after 5:30. One
afternoon it started a little early
and caught us just as we were leav
ing the drill field. The funnv thing
about this place is that when it
rains, in no time at all it’s about two
feet deep. That’s because the sea
leavel is low here. Well, that aft
ernoon we came marching in with
the water up to our knees singing
“Wait Til the Sun Shines, Nellie”,
and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”.
While we were on the bivouac area
sleeping in tents, it rained one night
and we were all but washed away in
the night. But in the Army, we
learn to take anything with a grin_
that’s the best we can do anyhow.
“I’ve been very lucky—so far I've
been with a bunch of North and
South Carolinians. In fact, Haywood
Mobley of Williamston, has been
right along with me, although in
another flight. But when we got
to Keesler Field, they made a big
mistake—they put some boys from
Ohio and West Virginia and Indiana
with us. You can imagine what I
started—the Civil War all over |
again. Now, we’re kept up till all
hours of the night by some die
hards who consider a guy from
above the Mason-Dixon line only a
little better than a Nazi. One rebel
even claims that until he entered
the Army he never knew damyankey
was two words. Well, my grand
father settled that war for my fam
ily, so I just stay out of it.
“The last time I was on the' firing
range, I saw another Williamston !
serviceman, Staff Sergeant Edgar
Taylor. I was very glad to see him
Sgt. Taylor left Monday for a 15
day furlough. You don’t know how
badly I wanted to go with him. Wil
liamslon’s main street would be a
welcome sight, I can assure you. And
in that way, The Enterprise has been
wonderful. All the letters from
guys in service—some that I knew,
some I knew only slightly and even
those I actually don’t know at all—
make me feel I’ve had a short leave
at home. Keep up the good work.” I
Poppy Sale Will Be
Held Here Saturday
Poppies to honor America's dead
warriors of two World Wars will be
worn in Williamston on Saturday.
May 26th, Mrs. John A. Ward, presi
dent of John Walton Hassell Unit of
the American Legion Auxiliary, an
nounced today.
The little red flowers will pay
tribute both to those men who have
died for their country in the present
war and to those who fell 27 years
ago in France and Belgium among
the swaying poppies. The money that
is received for the flowers will be
used to aid the afflicted veterans of
both wars and their families.
Extensive preparations for the ob
servance of Poppy Day are being
made by the local unit of the Auxil
iary here under the leadershin of
Mrs. John A. Ward and various mem
bers throughout the county. Every
one in the city will be able to buy
the flowers of remembrance from
the many volunteer workers from
the Auxiliary who will be on the
streets all through the day.
The flowers are made of crepe pa
per on the pattern of the wild pop
py of Flanders. They have been or
dered from Fayetteville where dis
abled veterans made them under di
rection of state and national depart
ments of the Auxiliary. Making the
poppies has helped these veterans
keep their minds and fingers occu
pied, causing the otherwise tedious
months to pass quickly and at the
same time furnishing the men with
a means of livelihood.
This year it is expected that more
Americans than ever before will
wish to wear the poppies as a salute
to the dead soldiers and their bereav
ed families, and as a financial aid to
the living but disabled soldiers and
their needy families.
RANGOON KEY TO NEW ASSAULTS
300 *00 ;QQ
»<*lt IN M»?WTt S
CHITTAGONG#
BAY QEI
BENGALI
CHINA
INDIAN!
OCEAN
BORNEO S
RSI
ROUND-UP
Local and county officers re
ported very little activity on the
crime front in this area last
week-epd. Five persons were ar
rested and detained in the coun
ty jail, but none of them was un
der thirty years of age.
Two women, one of them men
tally ill and the other drunk and
disorderly, were included in the
round-up. One of the three men
was booked for drunken driving,
and the other two were drunk.
Four of the group were colored.
Sgt. Beaird Gets
Fifth Battle Star
—*—
437th Troop Carrier Group, Eu
ropean Theater of Operations—Four
times previously awarded battle par
ticipation credit for Troop Carrier
sorties on the Western Front, 1/Sgt.
Woodrow W. Beaird, of Williamston, j
V. C., has been authorized his fifth
jronze battle star, significant of serv- j
ee in five major campaigns in the
European Theater of Operations.
Sgt. Beaird’s wife, Dolores Beaird,
resides at 212 Main Street, William- j
don, N. C. His father, 'Thomas Beaird,
resides at Route 1, Roanoke, Ala. Be
fore entering the service he was em
ployed as a foreman at the William
don Package Manufacturing Com
pany, Williamston, N. C.
Climaxing its previous aerial op
erations, Sgt. Beaird’s organization,
the 437th Troop Carrier Group, made
listory in the Rhine airborne assault
rt Wesel, Germany, by being the
first troop carrier unit to fly a dou
ale glider-tow formation into eom
aat. Col. Donald J. French of As
toria, Ore., the group commander,
lolds the distinction of being the '
first piled to lead an operational
flight formation of C-47’s towing two
gliders into a combat campaign. The
137th has performed troop carrier
nissions in the areas of Normandy, i
Southern France, Rome-Arno, North
?rn France, and Germany.
Sgt. Beaird is the first sergeant
Aiith his organization.
The group was cited for its suc
■essful fulfillment of airborne drop
iperations on D-Day in Normandy.
part of Maj. Gen. Paul L Wil- i
iams’ U. S. Troop Carrier Forces
omprising the American flying
■chelon of the First Allied Airborne
fVrmy headed by Lt. Gen. Lewis H 1
Brereton, the 437th has dropped ,
reight totaling approximately 28,
191,982 pounds, transported airborne
:ombat personnel figuring about 13,
>00, and evacuated by air thousands
>f casualties, since D-Day.
--•
t ails From Was! Coast To
Hear Voice Of Home Folks
After traveling the waters of the
Far Pacific for nearly nine months,
Joxswain Clayton Revels returned ,
;o San Francisco a few days ago for ;
i stay of a few hours. Unable to get j
tome and back in time to catch his |
ship, Seaman Revels, anxious to hear j
he voice of someone he knew and
;o hear direct from home, telephon- ,
d relatives here about 2:30 o’clock -
one morning. It wasn’t a visit home,
out it was the nearest thing to it. .
His wife, the former Miss Gladys ;
Lilley, and their two children, Mary
Lilley and Rodney Revels, are at ,
lome here on West Main Street. :
Bears Lose Their First <
Game Of Current Season
-♦
After winning eight games in a
•ow, the Williar.iston Bears bowed
:o that strong nine from Camp But 1
ler last Sunday afternoon by a 9-6
ount. The Bears had trouble with
:hat same aggregation a year ago,
out in the first match of the season, i
the soldiers were turned bark by the ]
locals. ]
McIntyre hit for the circuit, but <
?ven with that the Bears were un- i
able to overcome their opponents' <
lead.
1
Liquor Traffic Dealt
Heavy Blow In This
County Last Week
Six Muiiufucliiriiii; Plant* Are
Wrecked, and One Man
1* Arrested
The illicit liquor business in this
county was dealt a staggering blow
last week when ABC Officer J. H.
Roebuck and Deputy Roy Peel
wrecked six liquor manufacturing
plants and with the assistance of oth
er officers arrested one man and
charged him with possessing illegal
liquor.
Going into Bear Grass Township
last Tuesday, the two officers wreck
ed three plants. The No. 1 outfit was
equipped with an oil drum and
worm. The officers poured out 100
gallons of molasses beer.
At the No. 2 plant, the operators
apparently had suspended business,
the officers finding a 20-gallon ca
pacity copper kettle and cap buried
in the ground.
The owners were just setting up
Iheir equipment for operations at the
No. 3 plant when the officers moved
in and wrecked a 100-gallon capacity
in still and poured out 300 gallons
>f beer made with sugar and honey.
1’here isn't enough sugar available
for table use and for preserving, but
the illicit liquor trade continues to
get the sweetening in fairly large
quantities.
Last Wednesday afternoon the of
ficers raided near the Hickory
3rove church in Williamston Town
-hip and wrecked a plant equipped
with a 30-gallon capacity oil drum.
Mo beer was found there.
Raiding on Great Branch in Rob
•rsonville Township last Thursday,
he officers dynamited a 50-gallon
•opacity still and four fermenters,
rhey poured out fifty gallons of beer
ind confiscated two gallons of white
iquor.
Returning to Robersonville Town
ship Friday afternoon, the officers
wrecked ^.heir sixth plant of the
week, including a 50-gallon oil drum
md four fermenters. Five gallons of
iquor were found in front of the
lome of Orlando Purvis near Gold ,
Joint. The plant was hot and all the
jeer had just been run through the
■till.
Climaxing their activities of the
week, the two officers, accompanied
yy county and Robersonville offi
cers and members of the highway
Dutrol, made several raids Saturday
light. They visited the home of Jim
vlordecai in Robersonville and found
(Continued on page six)
Vfrs. Nora Goff Died
In Virginia Sunday
—®—
Mrs. Nora Goff, mother of Rev
fohn L. Goff of Willianiston, died
it her home iri Madison Heights, Va.,
ast Sunday night following a long
leriod of declining health. She suf
ered a third stroke of paralysis last
veek, and her condition had been
:ritical since that time. She was 69
rears of age.
Mrs. Goff had often visited her
ion, and made her home here for
ibout three months last summer.
Funeral services are being con
iucted at the home this afternoon
ind interment will follow in the
amily plot in the Madison Heights
:emetery.
Besides her son here she is sur
vived by two daughters and three
ons.
-—
3aptistg To Vote On Pastor
At Meeting Tomorrow Wight
——»
Meeting in the church tomorrow
light at 8 o'clock upon the call of
4r. B. S. Courtney, chairman of the
iu!pit committee, members of the lo-!
al Baptist church will vote on call
ng a pastor, it was announced to
lay. All members are urged to be
iresent. i
THE RECORD
SPEAKS . . .
Only two minor accidents were
reported on ' Martin County
highways last week, and both of
them were on Highway 64 in or
near Robersonville, according to
reports reaching here. No one
was hurt and property damage
was slight.
The following tabulations of
fer a comparison of the accident
trend, first, by corresponding
weeks in this year and last and
for each year to the present time.
20th Week Comparison
Accidents lnj’d Killed Dam'ge
1945 2 0 0 $ 275
1944 110 000
Comparison To Date
1945 23 11 3 $6375
1944 20 7 1 3450
County Youii£ Man
Is Fatally Wounded
In Foxhole on Luzon
"****■ —®—
Commanding Officer Tells of
Death of Dennis llarrison
Of Bear Grass
-a
In a letter to Mr. Ernest Harrison
in this county, Captain Edward J.
McGuire recently extended sympa
thy and condolences and briefly de
scribed how Pvt. Dennis Mayo Har
rison, Bear Grass young man, was
f Rally wounded on I .uzon, Philip
! ine Islands, last March 30.
Captain McGuire’s letter follows:
‘‘On behalf of the officers and men
of Headquarters Company, First
Battalion, 128th Infantry, 1 wish to
express to your our deepest sympa
thy and sincere condolences on the
loss of your brother, Dennis. War is
a terrible thing and one of its sad
dest aspects is the loss of our loved
ones as a result of it.
“Dennis was an excellent soldier,
admired and respected by all his
comrades. His death has been a great
loss to all those with whom he serv
ed.
"During the early morning hours
(Continued on page six)
Funeral Wednesday
For Horace M. Evans
—®—
Mr Horace M. Evans, father of
Mrs. Henry Griffin of Williamston,
died at his home in Liberty, Tenn.,
last Tuesday morning at 10:30 o’
clock. A retired business man, Mr.
Evans had been in declining health
for several years, and the end was
not unexpected.
A native of Tennessee, Mr. Evans
was associated in the operation of
business undertakings in this state
at Wilson and Enfield for a number
of years, but maintained his home in
Liberty.
Funeral services were conducted
Wednesday afternoon in the Salem
Baptist Church at Liberty where he
had served as chairman of the board
of deacons for a quarter of a cen
tury. Burial was in the family plot
in the Liberty cemetery.
Besides his daughter here, he
leaves his wife; a daughter, Mrs. C.
H. Neville of Socltand Neck; two
sons, Bratten Evans of Nashville,
Tenn., and Holt Evans of Enfield,
and a brother, Felix Evans of Liber
ty, Tenn.
--a>--.-..
Wounded Youth
Visits In County
j
—®—
Painfully wounded in Germany
last March 6, Pvt. Dewey Stalls, just
recently back from overseas, visited
relatives in Hassell last week-end.
The young man is stationed at Swan
nanoa, near Asheville, where he is
undergoing further treatment. Pvt.
Stalls was near Pvt. Wm. J. Ether
idge when the latter was taken pris
oner in early February. Pvt. Ether
idge also returned home last week.
Pvt. Stalls, struck by shell frag
ments during the push through the
Siegfried line, suffered severe injur
ies to his right arm and hip. He has
limited use of his arm and is now
able to walk fairly well. It was stat
ed that he was unattended for al
most four hours after he was wound
ed, but after he was found good at
tention was given him and two days
later he was in a hospital in Eng
land.
Small Child Dies
At Parents’ Home
—«—
A victim of poor health for some
time, Cecil Bernard Powell, Jr., died
at the home of his parents near Ev
eretts last Friday morning at 3:30
o’clock.
The son of Cecil Bernard and Ed
na Mae Saunders Powell, he was
born December 12, 1941.
Funeral services were conducted
last Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock
by Rev. E. C. Wilkie, Robcrsonville
Baptist minister, and interment fol
lowed in the Robersonville Ceme
tery.
Fourth of County’s 4E’
w
Bond Quota Been Sold
Over $100,000.00 Is
Invested In Bonds
During First Week
Cross Komis to Hold Ilia Hal
ly Wednesday Nipht; Komi
Show Here Next Week
Opened on May 14, the Seventh
War Bond Drive made splendid
progress during last week, accord
ing to a preliminary report released
yesterday by Drive Chairman D. V.
Clayton. The three main issuing
agencies, (he Branch Banking and
Trust Company and the Guaranty
Bank in Williamston and the Guar
anty Bank in Robersonville, report
ed “E" bond sales in the sum of $100,
1108.25 during the first week of the
drive. The sales to date are well ov
er one-fourth of the "E’' bond quota
assigned the county. Drive Chairman
Clayton pointed out that quite a
few purchasers had delayed buying
bonds until last week so their pur
chases would be counted in the drive,
that only wholehearted cooperation
and real patriotism could carry the
drive over the top.
Below is the county "E” bond quo
ta broken down by townships witli
the salt's reported during the first
week of the drive.
Jamesville $
Williams
Griffins
Bear Grass
Williamston
Cross Roads
Robersonville
Poplar Point
Hamilton
Hassell
Goose Nest
Quota Sales
14.750 $ 4,181.25
7,300 75.00
18.500 2,287.50
13,000 2,812.50
157,500 49,987 50
11,300 2,250.00
111,300 29,935.75
7,300 5,775.00
14.750 4,181.25
7.500
11,300 1,406.25
$371,000 $100,398.25
The above figures, while subject
to correction, offer an impressive
picture of the work being done in
some of the townships or districts.
Poplar Point, for instance, is push
ing on toward its goal, and if Pop
lar Point can successfully meet the
challenge every other district in
the county should be able to come
across.
The first of the district bond ral
lies has boon scheduled in the coun
ty. Cross Roads Chairman Paul Bai
ley is offering a free picture show
for Wednesday night, May 23, at
7:45 o’clock in the Everetts school
auditorium. In addition to the free
picture, the chairman will offer
special prizes, including cakes, pies,
merchandise and other items such
as five; gallons of cylinder oil. Sher
wood Roberson will auctioneer.
Chairman Bailey is anxious to get
out a large crowd and carry bis dis
trict over the top with its “E” bond
sales at the rally. Sgt. Raymond
Rang, just recently back from ov
erseas where be lost both feet in a
prisoner of war camp, will attend
the meeting if he is able and will
recall a few of his experiences.
Chairman Herman Bowen an
nounces a special bond show for
Williamston to be held on Wednes
day night of next week. A special
picture, released in advanced, is
being shown through the coopera
tion of the owner-operator, J. W
Watts, of the Marco Theater. Ad
mission will he limiterj to those buy
ing bonds between tomorrow morn
ing and the time of the show a week
later. Seats will be issued in ac
cordance with the price of the bond.
Negotiable bonds will be placed
on sale on June 14. Martin County
people have been asked to invest
$374,000 or more in that, type of bonds
in addition to the $371,000 they have
been asked to invest in “E” bonds.
-«
County Boy Homo
From War Prison
—<t>—
After a stay of nearly two months
in a prisoner of war camp in Ger
many, Pvt. William J. Etheridge re
turned to his home near Hassell last
Thursday.
Indirect reports reaching here stat
ed that the young man lost between
thirty and forty pounds during his
stay in the prison camp. Pvt. Eth
eridge, home on a 30-day furlough,
was captured without firing a shot.
The young man with several others
were billeted for the night in a cellar
somewhere in Germany when the
enemy closed in during the night and
trapped them.
Liberated on April 1st, the young
man has regained much of the lost
weight and is looking real well.
Firemen Called To Filling
Station Here hunt Evening
—.-'<t,
Firemen were called 4o Gurganus'
J-way filling station, corner of Wash
ington and Sycamore Streets here
last evening at 8:40 o’clock after
>omeone dropped a eiga» Re into a
dove and fired an accumulation of
japer and trash. Some smoke leak
ed into the room and persons pass
ng the station and seeing the smoke
:hought the building was on fire and
sounded an alarm.
U-Boat Skipper
COMMANDER of the surrendered
| German submarine U-85H that was
brought in at Cape May, N J., Lt.
Thilo Bode, 27, nonchalantly ingra
tiates himself with Americans by
blowing smoke at us and sneerin ' a
bit In the best Nazi manner, lie and
his crew—4 officers, 52 men—are
now prisoners of war. U. S. Navy
photo. (International Soundphoto)
Attends University
Of South Pacific
With U. S. Armed Forces on New'
Caledonia. A Williamston, N. C.,
sailor is one of the more than 1000
servicemen and women enrolled in
the “University of the South Pacific,”
first Army overseas educational in
stitution of its kind in the world.
Herbert E. Lee, SC’B 3/e, husband
of Mrs. Herbert E. Lee, RED 3, Wit
liamston, and son of Mr. and Mrs. G.
E. Lee, is enrolled in the school’s
course on Small Business. Assigned
to the Navy at this base on New Cal
edonia, French-owned island, Lee
entered the service in April, 111-14,
and came overseas in July.
After attending school in Green
ville, N. C., he worked us a meat
salesman for 1). M Roberson, Wil
liamston, and also for C. O. Kersey,
Jr., in New Bern
I Classes in this Army University
[are held three nights a week at Ma
jor General Frederick Gilbreath’s
South Pacific Base Command head
I quarters. Students, attending in off
duty hours, include sailors, soldiers
and marines- -officers and enlisted
men—Army and Navy nurses, Red
Cross girls and New Zealand civil
ian employes. Instructors are Army
and Navy officers and enlisted men. I
Offering credits for college and
high school m 2(i different courses, I
the University was established to
supplement correspondence courses
available through the United States
Aimed Fim c Institute, which fuin
ishes textbooks for the South Paci
fic classes. Its facilities enable many
to resume educations interrupted by
the war, while others are studying
now with a view to post-war em
ployment in a specialized field.
So populai is the University that
more than 1000 applications were
turned down for the first semester
of six weeks because of limited fa
cilities.
Returns Home After Long
Stay Spent In Africa
Miami, Fla. Florida’s palm fring
ed beaches looked good to Cpl. Jos.
O. Wiggins, when the ATC plane in
which he rode nosed toward a land
ing
“But the sight of Witliamston, N.
C, will look even better,” the 23
yi ur old corporal said today as he
cleared Air Transport Command's
Miami Army Air Field enroute home.
Overseas in Africa for 27 months
with the Air Corps, he was flown
home to the States in a huge ATC
ocean spanning plane.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.
W. Wiggins, RFD 1, Williamston.
Local Man Uninjured In
Minor If reck Last Friday
No one was hurl and very little
property damage resulted when a
truck owned and driven by Joe Mike
Mitchell of Williamston and a 1039
Ford sedan driven by R. C. Alexan
der crashed on Highway 64 near the
Roberson vilit- Cemetery last Friday
evening about 6:40 o'clock. Alexan
der, according to information reach
ing here, started to make a turn and
his car was struck by the truck dur
ing a rain storm. Damage to the
truck was estimated at $25 and that
to the car at $100 by Cpl. W. S. Hunt
of the Highway Patrol.
Bitter Struggle For
Okinawa Is Believed
Near Turning Point
i
l iisi \nipricana \re 011 Way
Home for Furlough* be
fore Going to Pacific
After turning back a suicidal
counter-attack and even though bit
ter fighting continues unabated, a
turning point is believed near in the
bloody anti costly struggle for Oki
nawa. The Japs, using uniforms
taken from the bodies of Americans
and captured American weapons,
staged the counter-attack but were
repulsed with heavy losses by the
Sixth Division Marines Sunday
night.
Fierce action, some of the hottest
of the long southern Okinawa cam
paign.. raged all along the Naha
Shiiri-Yenaba.ru line, but Fleet Adm.
Chester W. Nimitz said the 10th
United States Army made advances
on both flanks and in the center yes
terday.
Attacking before dawn, 77th Di
vision infantry raptured Taira
Machi, north of Shun, despite in
tense small arms fire. This “Statue
of Liberty’’ division already was
within 900 yards of citadel Shuri’s
northeast fringes. Fighting doggedly
all day and throwing back enemy
attempts to retake Taira, the '77th
moved south of the town in the eve
ning.
Recent gains by the Chinese in
and around Foodchow are being con
nected with the unofficially report
ed movement of American ships in
to the territoi ial waters off the
China coast. River traffic from the
coast lias been extended inland for
a distance of about forty miles, and
reports state that supplies are being
moved in from the Chinese forces.
It is too early to accept the Jap
reports, hut it is possible that if a
big U. S. naval force is moving into
the China area it is connected with
a possible landing.
In the Philippines, General Mac
Arthur’s men are continuing their
gains on Mindanao and are within
one mile of their goal. ,
After mopping up in the European
theater, General Courtney Hodges’
famous American First Army is now
on its way to Tokyo via the United
States. General Hodges, a few of
his officers and a small number of
enlisted men are expected in At
lanta on Thursday. Others are
moving by boat to the States where
they will spend furloughs before
continuing on to the Pacific.
The post-war strain in the Trieste
area in Europe has been eased by
the withdrawal of Tito’s forces from
the disputed area, hut it remains to
he seen whether the move was a vic
tory for the imperialists or for the
people's democracy.
In San Francisco, Secretary of
Slate Stettinius says the United Na
tions Conference nearing its goal
and that the task will be completed
possibly within the next two weeks.
On the home front there is talk
about increased gasoline rations and
the lifting of restriction on the man
ufacture of more civilian goods, in
cluding automobile parts and house
hold goods. The meat shortage is
gradually becoming worse and a
chicken gets no closer to the pot than
it did hack in the Hoover days.
Most men over 40 are now eligible
for discharge from the Army.
r
■ V
I
nas narrow escape
In Crossing Rhine
With the 84th Infantry Division
m Germany- (Delayed)- After ov
erturning their small homemade boat
and dispersing as best they could in
the water, four enlisted men and one
officer of Third Battalion Headquar
ters Company, 333rd Infantry, bob
bed around like corks while at
tempting to escape a rain of bullets
from enemy guns just a short dis
tance away.
The four men, after recovering the
boat, searched in vain for the offi
cer before returning to the Ameri
can-held side of the Rhine River.
After paddling across the Rhine
m moonlight, the five man patrol
proceeded up one of the barge canals
which branched into the east side
of the river. Suddenly, four German
burp guns and two rifles began to
fire at them.
The patrol members immediately
overturned the boat. Enemy bullets
began to fall around them like hail
stones. Two of the patroi members
rapidly lost strength swimming in
the water with their equipment.
Realizing they would not be able
to last much longer, Private First
Class Bennie E Bland, Hassell, North
Carolina, swam in the direction of
the enemy fire to recover the row
boat. At the same time. Private First
Class Paul N. Arnette, RFD 4, Lew
iston, Illinois, assisted the two ex
hausted patrol members in remain
ing afloat, and brought them safe
ly to the shelter of a nearby pier.
Meanwhile, Bland had recovered
(he boat and was swimming tluuUgh
the small arms fire towing the craft
behind him. Under cover of the pier,
Bland and Arnette assisted the two *
exhausted men into the boat.
Using their hands to paddle, the
doughs searched for the missing of
ficer and then returned to the west
bank of the Rhine.