Leonard's Story: June 5, 1945

MG probably means machine gun. A defilade is a defense configuration

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                                                                                             Philippines

                                                                                             5th June

Dear Arnold,

     Sorry I have'nt written to you for such a long time Bud.  I have'nt

done much letter writing in the last month and a half or so, for several

reasons.  Mainly I guess I was just too damn lazy to overcome the

difficulties involved, and consequently I am very much in arears on my correspondence.

However, now that I am no longer in a "fighting outfit" I expect to regain

my reputation as a prolific purveyor of typewritten nonsense.  I suppose that

you have already  noticed that have a new return address, yes, I am almost

a Base Commando now.

     Back in the latter part of April the situation between me and the Colonel

got to the point that I decided I could no longer continue in his services

and retain my sanity, so requested immediate action.  Some time before that

I had disscussed transferring down to one of the line outfits with him, and

he promised that it would be done, but inasmuch as there were several other

transfers floating about in his section he put it off, as he did'nt want

the General to ask why so many officers were trying to transfer out of his

section.  The whole matter was temporarily solved by sending me out to work

with the Guerrillas, to run down their reports that 500 or more Japs were

raising hell in their area.  I spent about amonth with them, and had quite

an experience.

     I did quite a bit of patrolling, finally tracking down one large group

of Japs down to place where I was able to bring an US Inf Co in on them, and

we bagged 150 of the little bastards.  I guess I might as well tell you the

whole story.  In fact since I have'nt written to you for some time and owe

you several letters, and since you have indicated that you like to hear

about these things, I tell ya what I'm going to do, I'll tell the whole

story, and we'll call it even, and you can write to me again real quick like.

Since this is going to require a lot of space, I think that I will put it

on a separate page and use the back of this page for the fourth page.

Confusing I'll admit, so remember look for page two, but you won't find

it on the back of this sheet, silly si'nt it.

[page 2]

     Since this little action happened over a month ago is all cleared up

now, and probably does'nt make much difference anyway, I am going to use some

of the place-names (most of them are'nt on the map nayway), as I understand

from the Base Censor that this is permissable.  Well as I said before the

Guerillas in this particular area had been reporting contacts with large

groups of Japs, and in some cases as many as 500 Nips.  Now we had previously

received a report that 300 Japs had evacuated a little island off the coast,

and had landed somewhere on the shorts of CAVITE Province (north shores), but

nobody had since reported sighting them.  So we figured that possibly these

were the same Japs that the Grls had been reporting.  I was sent out to check

on these reports, and to try and clarify things.

     One of the Inf Cos of the Div had also been sent out to help the Grls

dispose of the said Japs.  Well we started to check down the reports, and

found that the Grls were basing their reports on rumors that the civilians

had told them, and after hiking over steep mountain trails in the hot tropical

sun for several days without contacting the Japs, and finding that the rumors

probably originated from a small group of stragglers we were quite PO'd at

the Grls.  Finally we get a hot report in, "The Grls are fighting the Japs

at MAGALLANES, all civilians reported evacuating towards MARAGONDAN."  An

A/B 75mm Btry was brought up as close as possible, and the next morning the

Inf Co started out to attack the Japs.  Unfortunately there were no roads

to the Barrio of MAGALLANES, and the trail ran perpendicular to five steep

gorges.  It was rough going, and many of the men carrying heavy equipment

(81 mortars and HMGs) became sick from the heat and vomitted along the

way, which slowed thing sup considerably (you must remember that these men

had been in steady combat for three months, and were a bit shot).  Finally

we crossed the last gorge and started to approach the barrio.  We noticed that

the natives were working in the fields as if nothing had happened, and upon

questioning found that they had heard reports of Japs being four or five Kms

away.  Inside the barrio we foudn no Japs, no Grls, only the local inhabitants,

who reported that there had been no Japs in the barrio, and the only ones

to evacuate were the Grls, but that they had heard that there were Japs about

4 of 5 Kms away.  I went out with a patrol to investigate and after a couple

more hours of hiking, questioning, and searching we finally found where the

Japs had bivouaced two days before, and estimated their were about 50

of them.  Naturally everyone was most disgusted.

     Upon return to Grla Hdqs, I found another report that the Japs were

now a little place called DALIG (five nipa huts) on MT CARILAO, and that

the Grls were in contact with them.  The next day a platoon from the

Inf Co went up their and took a forward observer with them.. They found the

Grls firing on a hill about 1000 yds away (even with tommy guns), and so they

had the artillery shell the area.  The Grls refused to advance so they sent

out four American soldiers who looked over the hill and reported no Japs.

This was the last straw, and the next day the infantry and the artillery

pulled out and went home, and the major (US) in charge of the Grls and myself

went around and reamed the Grla Commanders out concerning their reporting

methods and combat efficiency.

     However, the story does'nt end here.  I might tell you a little about

these Grls.  Most of them had joined up after the US landing and had no

military training.  The weapons they did have were mainly .03 rifles, with

a sprinkling of carbines and Jap rifles.  They lacked heavier equipment,

such as MGs and mortars.  Although they were useful as guards and could

take care of small groups of Jap stragglers, they were inefficient when it

came to fighting an organized group of Japs armed with MGs and mortars.

I might add that there are some good Grla units, in fact we had one join us

later which was armed with US MGs, 60mm mortars, and bozookas, and could hold

their own anytime.  The Grls also seemed to be lacking in courage, although

I think it was mainly a lack of traiing discipline, and they too often let

their impulses control them, or should I say their feet.

[page 3]

     The next day we another report that there are Japs up on MT CARILAO,

so I take a patrol of Grls and some AA men and go up there.  I might explain

that there was part of a battery of Airborne AA troops at Grla Hdqs (AA now

stands for Almost Anything).  Well believe it or not there were some Japs

up there and they were armed with mortars and MGs.  Well the Grls had howled

wolf just one too often, and so it was up to them to do the job alone.

Well it was obvious tha these japs were moving down generally south, and

by plotting their route I figured that they would make another move that

night, So I picked the two main tails going down off the mountain and

set up ambushes on them.  The Japs moved alright, but they crossed the main

highway at different spots than I had estimated they would, however, one

of the Grla ambushes heard them crossing further up on another lesser used

trail and atacked them.  Here the Grlas vindicated themselves to some

extent and by killing 21 of the Japs.  Now these Japs had been moving in the

night and hiding in the day time.  When I came down in the morning to inspect

the ambushes I found that the Japs had used 2 lesser known trails and had

crossed the highway in two places and were heading towards MT CARILAO on the

other side of the road.  By now I guess that you have figured out that we

have two mountains Mt CARILAO on the north and Mt BATULAO on the south with

a main highway running through a pass between the mountains.

     I took one of the Grls and went up the road to inspect the Jap Crossings.

At the first place I saw where a considerable number of them had crossed the

road and the signs were quite fresh.  At the second place the Grla pointed

out the spot (about 100 yds away) where they had attacked the Japs in the early

predawn light, we could'nt see any dead Japs, and as I only had two US soldiers

and two Grls with me I did'nt feel like going over to investigate the area at

that time, however we did go over to a little ridge and there on another ridge

about 600 yds away I could see some Japs.  I counted 18 of them before the

column halted to take a break.  Two of the Japs heeded the call of nature,

and it rather irked me to see them squatting so arrogantly right in the open

almost up on the skyline.  So, although the range was excessive, I told one

of the US soldiers with an M-1 to see what he could do about it.  He opened

fire and one Jap pulled up his pants and dove for cover, the the other one fell

back on his pile (I could see rather plainly through the glasses), and the

last I saw of him was his shinning bare ass as he crawled up the train behind

some bushes.  Of course the rest of the Japs all hit for cover, and I decided

that it was best we move on before they open up with a MG.  When we came

back by the first crossing, we found that the Grls had returned from breakfast

and were in a skirmish line firing at the Japs, who were in as much defilade

as the Grls, and consequently nobody was getting anywhere.  Now the night before

I had requested a US Inf Plat reinforced with mortars and MGs, and had received

an answer stating that the Rcn Plat was being sent up.  So with the Japs more

or less pinned own, at least as to location, I went on back to Hdqs to get the

platton.  In the afternoon I came back with the Rcn Plat, who had a 81 mm

mortar with them, and/we found that everything was quiet near the first crossing

where the Grls had previously engaged the Japs that morning (I later found

out that the Grls had simply knocked off and had gone to lunch), so we went

down to the spot where I had observed the Japs earlier in the morning and dis-

rupted their morning toilet.  The Rcn Platoon sent out a small patrol, which

found the Japs.  They killed two and we scattered the rest with mortar fire.

Returning to the first crossing (vicinity thereof) we found that the Grls

had returned from lunch, and were busy shooting at the Japs again.  Now past

experience had taught us that the Grls usually engaged the Japs at maximum

range or greater, and when we found them (the Grls) about sixty yards down

on the forward slope pf a ridge shooting up in the air, we naturally assumed

that the Japs were either way down in the bottom of the ravine on the other

side or else on the opposite ridge about 800 yds away.  So I ordered the Grls

to move to the crest of the ridge, and the Rcn Plat Ldr, a Sgt, and myself

reached said crest first.  Meanwhile the Grls were coming up, relaying the

orders and shouting and making quite a hubahuba.  Imagine my surprise when

I reached the top and looked down the other only to see the Japs about

twenty yards away down the reverse slope of the ridge. a bit embarrassing.

About that time a Jap MG burst opened up directly in front of the Sgt catching

him squarely across the body.  But he was lucky, as most of the shots hit his

M-1, however he was shot through both arms, the hip, and had his thumb knocked off,

but he lived.

[page 4]

     The Japs seeing us, and hearing the shouting of the Grls opened up with

everyth ing they had inculding MGs and mortars.  We had exhausted our immediate

supply of mortar ammunition in the previous skirmish, and so I took the wounded

man and went after more ammo.  However, the Rcn Plat Ldr soon found that he

was heavily outnumbered, and lacking MGs or mortar ammo and having another

Rcn man and several Grls wounded, decided to break off the engagement.

However, when I retu rned with the mortar ammunition we decided to shell the

Japs anyway, and proceeded to do so.

     This had developed into more words than I thought it would, so I will

finish it up quickly.  The outcome of the whole deal was that the Rcn Plat

was withdrawn and the Inf Co sent back up.  Early the next morning before

dawn I started down with the Inf Co to show them the Japs.  We found that

the Japs had come back to the main highway during the night and had marched

brazenly down the highway for four miles or so.  I took a patrol and started

to track the Japs down following their trail from the point they left the

road.  By this time it was quite obvious that there were between 100 and

200 of them.  It was still rather dark, and in the early morning fog it was

an eire sort of business.  Every once in a while we would come to a spot

where a straggler had fallen out, and had cut a path through the grass

down into one of the ravines below.  The trail followed a ridge running along

about 50 yards below the crest.  About an hour later just as the fog cleared

and the sun came up we heard some shots down in a valley about 1500 yards

away, and could see some Filipinos running.  The company commander, who was

with me, went back to bring up his company, and I went on ahead to investigate.

About fifteen minutes later my scouts signaled a halt, and I went up and found

that they had heard some Japs talking in a small ravine below.  The ravine

ran perpendicular to the ridge, and the trail passed above the head of the

ravine running about twenty yards below the crest of the ridge.  I went up

(crawled is the word), and about fifty yards or less below the trail I could

hear the Japs breaking up twigs and chattering.  I listened and watched for

about five minutes, occassionally getting a fleeting glimpse of a figure

through the thick foliage that grew along the bottom of the ravine.  I finally

decided that this was not the main body, and directed the patrol to sneak along

the trail and by-pass the Japs.  About 150 yds pass this spot one of the scouts

came back and reported Japs sleeping along side the trail.  I went up and in-

vestigated, and decided that it was best not to continue or we might find our-

selves in the middle of a Jap bivouac.  I took the rest of the patrol (5 men)

back to the first spot and posted them along the top of the trail with in-

structions to open fire when they heard me fire.  I then went up with the

scouts, figuring that we might as well shoot as many of the sleeping Japs

as possible before we pulled back.  I was in the lead, and  unfortunately passed

the first Jap without seeing him.  I was sneaking up on another group of Japs

when my scouts (Filipinos) started whispering, "uck, hoy, pss t," and I did'nt

know what was wrong so I went back to where they were, about twenty yards be-

hind me.  What they were doing was telling me that I had passed some Japs,

and the hoying and psssting woke the Japs up.  I only got one Jap here that

I know of for sure, and we did wound quite a few more.  I threw a hand grenade

in the bunch further up, and I know that I wounded at least five of them.

Of course the rest of the men in the rear opened up, and by the time the Japs

could figure out what was happening we were on our way out.  We went back and

met the Inf Co coming up the trail and took them back up and showed them the

place and they went to work.  While they were plastering the area with mortars,

I took another patrol out to investigate the original firing we heard earlier

in the morning.  We did'nt find anything and returned to where the first Japs

were.

     They were really caught in a hell of a jam.  It was like shooting rats in

the bottom of a pit.  By the time we got back the infantrymen were on the crest

of the main ridge and two secondary ridges bordering a second ravine, which

was below the point where the Japs were asleep on the trail.  This ravine was

covered by thick grass about four feet high, and every time a Jap would get

up or move to shoot we could see him.  The result was something like a multi-

ringed circus, maybe five or six Japs would be moving at the same time, and

everybody would shoot and open fire.  We were shooting Japs anywhere from 25

to 200 yards away.  Only one man was wounded and I counted 92 dead Japs in the

[page 5]

bottom of the ravine.  It was getting too late to go down in the first ravine,

so the artillery (which was brought up during the day) proceeded to blast it,

and continued by firing interdicting fire on it all night.  The next day 44

more Japs were counted in this rainve.  But we ran into a little trouble

there, and a number of men were killed and wounded, but that is another

story, and I have already spent much more time writing this than intended

to do.  However, I will tell you about one of those narrow escapes you

sometimes read about.

     The Jps killed a BAR man, and he fell across his buddy, and covered

himw tih blood.  The Japs came up before the buddy could do anything, and

so he played dead, or rather tried to.  He said that he could'nt stop breathing,

and the Japs knew that he was till alive, but seeing him covered with blood

they must have figured that he was sure to die.  The Japs took his M-1 and

his ammunition, and then held sort of a conference, perhaps deciding whether

to kill him or not.  Suddenly he heard some of the other menm calling to him

and the dead BAR man, as they were only about thirty yards away through the

bushes, the Japs apparently decided that they would give their own position

away if they shot him, so they left him there,  He came out of the whole

thing without a scratch.  Well enough is enough.

[page 6]

     The former Order of Battle Officer here went out on a rcn flight,

and never came back.  A while back they found the place and the bodies.

Since the 11th was going into a rest, and me not getting along with the

G-2 there, they offered me the job.  Well I lose a hundred dollars a month

by coming up here, and I could have stayed with the division, but I have

seen all the combat I want to see, and in a way this is a good break.

I have been feeling pretty sick for the last two weeks, but today I

feel pretty good.  I should be back to my old self in another week or so.

     Well Bud, I have to close now, write again soon.

                                                 love,

                                       [signed] Leonard

P.S. I don't need anything in particular right now that I can think of.

        thanks anyway.

[handwritten] New address:

                  Hq I Corps

                  APO 301 c/o PM

                  San ------

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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.

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[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.

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