Leonard's Story: April 7, 1943

[April 7, 1943, page 1]

(A.A.)

CAMP DAVIS

NORTH CAROLINA

                                             4-7-43

Dear Arnold,

     Thanks for your unusual and

interesting letter of the 29th. I

wish something unusual, exciting

and different would happen to

me.

     Well, I think I am beginning

to wear into the groove a little. Now

I just don't five a damn what happens.

I just play along - I don't even

bother about the date or how many

weeks left - I just go thru a

specified series of motions every day.

     However, I had to change my

schedule the other day - temporarily

I hope - It happened this way:

One by one the toilets went out

of order until only two were still in

working condition - naturally a

shit crisis developed - so I had

to changed my schedule. Otherwise

[page 2]

things are just about the same here

as ever. I could fill pages of beefing

such as shaving with cold water, the damn

furnace broke down, etc., But perhaps

I should write about something good -

- damned if I can think of anything

good at the moment - we measure from

the xy axis down here, consequently every-

thing is just a relative degree of badness

Example         |

                    __|__ good [arrow up] +   note: The equation of the curve

                        |   bad  [arrow down] -            of OCS does not extend

                        |                                              above the x axis

     Everybody here believes in the philosophy

of the dog (forgive me for my coarseness, but this is

the army). Philosophy of the dog: If you can't

eat it or fuck it, then piss on it.

     Well I am writing this in the

baggage room after 10:30 which is illegal,

and its almost 11:00 so I guess I'd

better get in bed before bed check.

                             Your brother

                             Leonard

P.S. If you were in the army you would

hike 100 miles where you could ride 16.

N.B. Flavell would enjoy the dog philosophy

as it is his type of humor - so tell him

for me.

GO TO NEXT LETTER

GO TO PREVIOUS LETTER

Leonard's Story: December 10, 1944

CP is probably Command Post. 
_______________________________________________________________ 

                                                                    Philippines

                                                                   Sun, 10th Dec

Dear Arnold,

     How is the home front?  I have finally had a little

real combat experience, sleeping in a muddy fox hole all

night, being under fire, seeing dead of both sides, and

even killing a Jap.

     On Pearl Harbour day I was assigned (volunteered) to go

on a special / mission up to the front to search Jap bodies, recover and

capture all possible documents, and try to identify the enemy

force.  Searching bodies is not normally my duty, but identifying

is.  I was flown up to an airstrip about a milebehind the lines,

and hoofed it the rest of the way.  I finally found an officer

of the unit I was looking for and he supplied me with an ample

bodyguard, and four AA men on their day off decided to come along

for excitement.  We were on the right flank, and the road to the

main fighting area was under fire, so we had to go a long way

around.  The mud was over our knees at times, and often we became

mired and had to pull one another out, in addition we were travell-

ing in an area in which there were snipers.  We got lost once and

almost walked into the main field of fire, however we finally

arrived at an air unit which was more or less temporarily isolated

on a hill, as firing was going on in all directions around them,

in fact shortly after we arrived we neard firing in the direction

we had just come from.  They treated us well, fed us and gave

us water and directions.  We started out about noon and travelled

down a road whcih was practically one the line.  All the Japs

inside the area had already been searched, and I had to go into

a swamp fifty yards in front of the lines.  I took one of the

AA men who seemed like a reliable man.

     It was a messy ticklish job, in muddy, bloody water.  I

was'nt so much afraid of meeting a Jap, as having one get in

between us and the lines, and having out own troops shoot us

while shooting at the Jap.  We found some with grenades or their

weapons still clenched in their hands.  We finally reached our

last Jap.  I thought he looked in pretty good codition, and

he did'nt seem to be hit badly.  We had just finished searching

him, and while turning him over for a final check we pushed

his head under water.  The bastard was playing possum, but he

could hold his breath, and when we turned him back up he started

gasping.  He opened his eyes and looked at me, that was his last

earthly act and mistake.  I shot him in the head with my .45

at two feet, you can well imagine the effects.  He might have   ?

been helpless and merely recovering conciousness, and I could

have just as well cold-conked him, but in that one second I

forgot I was in intelligence and all I could think of was

what if he had a grenade or knife in his hands which were

below the water, it was him or me.  However I have no feelings

[page 2]

                                    [arrow, handwritten] I'll never know

about the matter, even if he was helpless, but I do which I

had taken him prisoner, we could use the information.

I got some good souvenirs; Jap flag, rifle, bayonet, watch, [arrow, vertical in margin] 

                                                                                        And a good cigarette

                                                                                        case that coincidentally,

                                                                                        see other side

other misc items.  I am going to send all home except the

rifle, which is verboten.

     That same night we had some most unusual excitement,

the nature which I am not at present permitted to disclose,

but you probably read about it in newspapers.  We had Japs

running around near our area creating a good deal of conusion,

but not too much damage.  These green troops were all "trigger

happy", and consequently those at the Division Cp hit more

of our own men than they did Japs.  Two men were hit in the

G-2 tent ten feet from me.  No Japs were found the next morning,

but some of our own wounded and dead were, shot with our own

weapons.  It is a sad situation when you are shot by your

own troops.  Some of these fools must have thought it was

fourth of July, and shot at everything and anything that

moved or made a noise and a great deal of things they imagined.

Someone would open up and everybody else would follow suit,

not knowing what they were shooting at. Consequently I spent

most of the night in my foxhole.  I have only fired oneshot

at the enemy.

     The second night I was on temporary duty with a temporary

unit guarding an object.  There were green troops again, just

brought up from the beach, and again history repeated itself.

A man was killed fifty yards from the CP I was at by a carbine

bullet.  About two AM the Colonel ordered me to go out and

find out what they were throwing grenades at, although I

crawled out on my belly, they almost got me.  Periodically

they would lob a grenade out in front of their foxholes.

In the morning we aggain found no Japs in their immediate area.

There were some Japs about three or four hundred yards away,

and we did receive some mortar fire, but I don't know if it

was from the Japs or our own troops.

     Things are almost back to normal now, and I doubt if I

will see some excitement again for some time.  For a while

the sun came out, but it has started raining again, nevertheless

despite the weather, our troops have made good progress as

you have probably been reading in the papers, and it should'nt

be long before things care cleaned up here.  I imagine in the

next operation I will have even more exciting things to write

about.  Well write soon and give me the latest news.  By the

time this letter reaches you, you will be at MIT, and Christmas

and New Years will be a thing of the past, but just the same:

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEARS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

                                                                         LOVE,

                                                         [signed] Leonard

P.S. That earthquake was convenient, I have been hoping for the

thatsame for the last three years.

[page 3]

(in pencil - very faded

                     AHN)

I was on pretty friendly terms

with our Native baggage boys

but since I killed the Jap

that I might have captured

there has been a change. Try

as I may they wont take

a cigarette from the Jap case.

                                         ?

GO TO NEXT LETTER

Leonard's Story: Yank Jungle Patrol

Uncle Len would be around 24 years old when he writes this narrative. I am not sure what “AA men” would be — AA is sometimes America’s Army, other times Anti-Aircraft — I am inclined to the latter interpretation. BAR stands for Browning Automatic Rifle — photo here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Browning_ar001.jpg. “Division CP” would be Division Command Post.

____________________________________________________________

[handwritten: Ed - Please return this when you are finished. Thanks, Arnold

by L. J. Nevis]

                              ON A YANK JUNGLE PATROL

     Several weeks ago I had requested the authority to go on a 

patrol outside the perimeter into Jap territory.  The other day Maj.

Ayres stopped by and said that preparations had been made for 

me to go out on a patrol.  Several hours letter the S-2 of one 

of our regiments called and told me to be at J (J because of 

censorship) Company at eight o’clock wednesday morning.   I drew

the necessary equipment, and spent the rest of the day cleaning 

my carbine.  Calling back the next day to check on the patrol, 

I found that I should be there at seven-thirty instead of eight 

o’clock.  Before I went to bed tuesday night I had everything 

ready. For the first time since i have been here I got up at 

reville.  After a hasty breakfast, I had Letwin drive me up to 

J Company area, which was situated thigh up on the ridge that forms

the perimeter.  I was introduced to the Lt. who was the patrol

leader, rations and ammunition were handed out, and a few instruc-

tions were given.  We then boarded a truck and are driven out to 

the Company whose lines we were to go out through.  our patrol 

consisted of fourteen infantry men, as we detracted we were met 

by fourteen AA men, who were to go out with us.  The AA men were 

designated to bring up the rear, and I followed behind the Patrol

Leader, whose was in turn behind two scouts.  We started out single 

file up over a little ridge.  On the other side we could see an 

outpost, as we approached they open the wire in front of them so 

that we could pass through.  At the outpost we stopped and made 

a check of the radio and our equipment.  The command was then 

given to load and look.  We went out through the wire and down 

a path through the mine field that was planted in front of the 

wire.  We were on our own now, out in no-mans-land.  We kept going

down,the trail getting steeper and steeper.  This was nice after 

climbing over the ridge to the outpost, but then I realized that 

every step we took down meant two steps up.

     The men in the patrol were all young, probably between twenty 

and twenty-five.  They were wiry, healthy, good looking kids.

They all looked capable  and looked like they knew what the score

was.  Apparently the misfits and weaklings had been weeded out long 

ago.  We finally reached the bottom of the little canyon, and 

started up  It was hard work climbing with a pack, I was sadly 

out of condition and became quickly winded, but somehow I kept 

up with them.  The morning passed slowly on, and we kept climbing 

or descending.  The trail became steeper and rougher.  Just about 

the time I felt I could go no farther, the patrol leader would

call for a halt.  The trail became even steeper; we would climb 

up for about fifty feet or so, and then rest.  I had only a piece

of toast and a cup of coffee for breakfast, and though I was wind-

ed before, I now began to feel weak.  I counted my pulse and it 

was constantly up around 150 or 160, and at times it went over

200.  I thought my heart was going to burst and my lungs ex-

plode with it.  Just about the time I felt I must stop, a call

came from the rear that that a man had fallen out.  We had to stop

and rest for a half hour, and wait for him to recover. This

certainly was a break for me.  A little while later two men fell

out and said that they could’nt go any further.  We radioed in 

[page 2]

our position and then left them there.  We then started forward

again, but this time a little slower.  We continued to climb and 

then descend, hour after hour, yard after yard.  A little before

twelve, we reached the crest of the ridge that we were to follow.

The mission of the patrol was to find a trail along this ridge to

an outpost that was our destination.  After following the ridge 

for about twenty minutes we stopped for lunch.  After I had eaten,

drank a good quantity of water and rested, I felt much better. At 

this point I learned that six of the AA boys had dropped out about 

eleven o’clock and started back, this decreased out patrol to twen-

ty men.  I was also told that the hardest part of the hike was be-

hind us, and so with the food, rest, and this knowledge I started 

off feeling more like my former self.  Although the ridge was eas-

ier than climbing up and down, it was was still rough.  The trail was 

narrow, and the ground sloped away rapidly on both sides.  If you 

can picture a flea walking along the top of a chipped and broken 

razor, you will have a rough idea of what it was like.  Occasion-

ally we would pass an old Jap gun position with some 75mm ammunition 

scattered around.  From these old positions we could look right 

down on our perimeter.  It must have been a terrific job for the 

Japs to get these 75mm’s up there.  Once in a while we would pass

a few abandoned Jap helmets.  Suddenly the Patrol Leader signaled

for a quick halt.  Ahead I could see a trip wire across the trail.

A scout went ahead to examine it.  It turned out to be merely a 

warning system, as it was attached to a couple of cans.  One of 

the men cut it and we proceeded, however a little more carefully. 

These two scouts had a tough job, every time the trail forked at 

a questionable place, they would drop their packs and each would 

investigate a branch.  They would then come back, and report their

findings to the Patrol Leader, who would decide which trail to 

take.  If any enemy was ahead they would be the first to contact 

them.  Behind me was a man with a BAR (automatic rifle) who could 

give immediate heavy fire power in case of contact with the enemy.

     We continued on when suddenly we were once again signaled to 

a quick halt.  Ahead was a newly prepared gun position.  We took 

cover, and the man with the BAR came forward to cover the scouts

while theyexamined the position.  One went to the left, the other 

to the right, and they started slowly crawling forward to flank 

the position.  Suddenly they jumped up and signaled us to come

ahead.  They postion was empty.  A little while later we reached some 

more old 75mm positions and the ridge fork at this point.  We

dropped down to rest, while the scouts went to investigate the 

fork.  In the distance we could hear artillery fire and some auto-

matic weapons firing.  I was so tired that I did’nt even bother to

try to find out how far away, where, or who it was.  The scouts 

finally came back, and it was decided to take the ridge to the 

left.  We were find later that this was to be an expensive 

mistake.  We started down the ridge, the going became rougher. 

Fortunately, the noon rest had done me a great deal of good and 

I was’nt any more tired than the others.  Once again we started 

to go up and down. The trail became steeper, and in many places 

it was necessary to use vines, or pull a man up with a rifle.

                                            -2-

[page 3]

Finally we started up a rather steep ridge, it was tough going,

but a least we thought we were on our way back to the main ridge.

However much to our disappointment we found our selves on top 

of a little pinnacle shaped mountain.  He we rested and the Patrol

leader planned the next move.  The dense jungle was a great hind-

erence on climbing up an down, but the vines are often handy at

a particularly tough spot.  We again got under way, this time we 

kept going down.  The slope became steeper, it was more and more 

difficult to descend we came to a little stream that was damp

but dry.  Here we started up again.  After a long climb we finally 

started down again.  The trail was an old one and hard to follow.

Suddenly the Patrol Leader signaled us to an abrupt halt.  The 

scouts went forward to examine a trip wire.  They were able to 

follow it for only about five feet on either side of the trail,

and then the going became too rough.  As it was slick they decided 

to cut it.  I got well back under cover, for if any booby traps 

were going to go off, I did’nt want to be around.  One man went 

forward and carefully cut the wire.  Nothing happened so we pro-

ceeded on down the trail.  After continuing down for several hun-

dred yards we found ourselves hacking through the brush.  Some-

where we had missed the trail.  The going got steeper, when we 

suddenly found ourselves on a ledge over a straight drop down.

     There was only one thing to do, and that was to go back.  I’ll

never forget that going back.  Once the Patrol Leader slipped and 

slid down about twenty feet before he finally caught hold of a 

root.  Somehow we finally made it back up and then down to the 

little damp stream bed.  Several of the men said that they could-

‘nt go up any more, they would have to go down.  We started to 

follow the stream down.  The rocks were slimmy with moss, here 

I took my first fall of the day.  The stream suddenly took a 

drop of thirty feet.  We went down a vine hand over hand. Every 

hold I took on the vine creaked and cracked, and I expected any 

minute to have it snap and go plunging down to the rocks below.

I was the fourth man down, the twentieth and last man said it had 

creaked and cracked on him.  Now we must continue downward for the 

vine would never hold if all of us tried to climb up it.  For some 

time now the men knew that we were lost, and they began to bitch 

bitterly.  A little further down the stream there was another straight 

drop.  We looked down and could’nt even see the bottom as it was 

obscured by folaige.  It looked like we were really stuck this

time.  The afternoon was wearing away, and in a few hours it 

would be dark.  The Lt. in charge finally worked his way around

a narrow ledge to the left, and we all followed.  After hacking 

along the edge of a very steep slope we finally came upon an old 

trail.  We started down, for over an hour we kept climbing down,

it was fast and rough going, as the Patrol Leader was trying to 

get us down to level ground before the sun went down.  We finally 

came out on an old Jap bivouac area, and upon crossing it we found 

a little stream.  Here we paused and filled our canteens, being 

careful to chlorinate the water.  Continuing on the trail, which 

now had become more  or less level we entered the site of a former

Jap hospital.  There were boxes, bottles, shoes, skulls, bones, 

and helmets strewn about. It was rather a funny feeling to look 

over at an old rusty Jap helmet, and see a skull nearby, sardonicly

leering up at you.  There were numerous foxholes, dugouts, and 

old fortifications on the other side of the hospital area.  About 

five-thirty somebody shouted, “This is far enough, lets stop for

                                             -3-

[page 4]

the night.  The Patrol Leader guided us off the trail to a little

level spot, and we threw off out packs.  I picked me a spot, and 

started to hack out a clearing with my knife.  About that time it

started to rain.  I did’nt even bother to put on a poncho, as I 

was already wet and covered with mud.  Normally guards and out-

posts would be posted, but we were all so tired that we were or-

dered to bunch up, and the Patrol Leader let it go at that. 

I asked him why we did’nt stop at the Jap bivouac area, as it was 

a much better spot.  He said that this place, well concealed and 

off the trail would be much safer.

     I opened my “K” rations and proceeded to eat a cold dinner of 

crackers, spam, and a choclate bar.  I took a couple of salt tablets

and some dextrose tablets, and prepared to settle down for the night.

I took off my wet fatigue jacket and slipped on a dry “T” shirt.

I dropped my poncho over my head and made a pillow out of my shelter

half, using part of it for a flap to keep the rain out of my face.

An hour later I woke up in a puddle, and had to move to higher 

ground.  Soon the rain let up and I fell asleep wet and cold with 

any and spiders crawling over my legs, and oblivious to the many 

sounds of the jungle night.About one in the morning I woke up ex-

tremely cold, I found that the warmest position was to lie on my 

side, cross my arms at my chest, and draw my legs up.  So once

again I fell asleep, however, this time with the moon shinning 

through a break in the trees right in my face.  About every hour 

i would wake up with a sore hip, then I would turn over on my back.

An hour later I would wake up very cold, so I would turn over on 

my other hip, curl up and go back asleep.  I did this alternately

all night.  We got up at six o’clock, ate breakfast, packed our gear,

and started off.  We figured ( or rather they did) that it would 

take us about two or three hours to hit the main trail that ran

out to a trail block and outpost.

     We went along a pretty good clip, I I was feeling pretty good

and did’nt mind it too much.  At one point it looked like we were 

going to have to cross a swamp, but they finally found a muddy

trail around the edge.  We were making pretty good time, when we 

found out that the rest of the patrol was quite a ways behind us.

They finally caught up with us, and they were pretty mad.  Mean 

words flew back and forth.  A man with a BAR wanted to throw it

away.  The Patrol Leader tried to find somebody else to carry it.

Every one declined, declaring that he was too tired.  Finally the 

Patrol Leader said that we would levee this spot until someone

would carry the gun.  The man that owned it then said, “I’ll carry 

the damn thing, lets get the hell out of here.”  Once again we 

plodded our weary way forward.  The jungle became very dense, you

could not see a man on the trail five feet in front of you.  Forty-five

minutes later we suddenly came out on the main trail, what a grand

and glorious feeling.  Because of the jungle out radio had not worked

since three the previous afternoon, so we flagged down a jeep and 

gave him the message to have the trucks come out and pick us up.

Two hours later I was sitting in my tent freshly showered and in 

clean sun tans relating my experiences to some friends.  Although 

we did’nt contact the enemy, I was well satisfied with patrolling, 

and determined to stay near the Division CP unless ordered to do

otherwise.

GO TO NEXT LETTER