I remember the time our squad of three jeeps and nine men got lost in Germany. We were descending a small mountain in convoy, when suddenly we realized there was nobody in front, or behind us. Oops!
Now you know why I never made Sergeant. The next step up was Point Sergeant, and we all know what point means. He’s the Canary pulling the wet noodle and leading the forward progress. Yes, I was asked, and I said to give it to Gung Ho. I prefer playing follow the leader. Now our leader was uncertain as to what to do. We had come down from the mountain and were driving along the side of a river when a burst of machine gunfire convinced him to change directions. Why? Because somebody across the river didn’t like us.
In battle, there is nothing more disheartening than to encounter the unexpected. So, the Sarge decided that a retreat was in our best interest. The order was given and our driver, Pfc. Maisie, started to turn the jeep around while making a u-turn. The back of our jeep momentarily faced the enemy, and they gave us a burst of machine gunfire. One bullet punctured a 5-gallon metal water tank that was up against Pfc. Maisie’s car seat. It went through the tank and into his back, splashing water all over us. The driver figured he’d had enough and left to take cover. That was OK, but he left the jeep in neutral, and it started to roll into the river. The GI in the back seat and I jumped out and grabbed the jeep by the bumper and tried to hold it back, but alas, the law of gravity prevailed. I have never done my best work under machine gunfire.
You know, I hated losing that jeep. I had a pair of French pistols worth about 20 bucks apiece, and a .22 automatic in the glove compartment. I was going to sell them to rear echelon troops for some poker playing money. What? You thought all we did was fight? Now the whole squad took cover behind a concrete wall. Pfc. Maisie included. The water tank had muted the force of the bullet, and the point did not penetrate very far into his back. It was painful, but he survived, and I looked like I had just peed myself.
The wall was not the best defensive cover. It was too good a target, but it was the only cover available. It would protect us from small arms fire, but not against artillery. We were then trapped with our two remaining jeeps being pelted with machine gunfire at the river’s edge. What to do? What to do? Pfc. Gerschpach was our radio operator. His jeep was parallel with the wall. He decided to crawl around the wall on his stomach, using the side of the jeep as cover, got to the radio and called for help. Within 20 minutes, it was the Cavalry to the rescue. The rest of the troops arrived with guns ablazing. 30 and 50 caliber ammo plus 37-millimeter shells saturated the enemy area across the river, where the gunfire was coming from. “Viola”! Another gallant rescue and heroic retreat. Well, as it turned out, our driver, Pfc. Maisie, got a Purple Heart, and I wet my pants.
But did you notice that my drivers always seemed to be leaving me in the lurch? Why?
#1. Bender
#2. Sergeant Greenie
#3. Pfc. Maisie.
It couldn’t be B.O., we all stank!
Germany
Editor’s notes: men mentioned in this story identified as:
Tec 5 Ernest NMI Bender (37081137)
Corporal Thomas Masi (15324867)
Tec 5 Robert F. Gerspach (16150044)
Sgt Joseph J. Doornhaag Jr (36407317) - nicknamed Gung Ho in Joe’s memoirs.
Although Joe labelled this story as Germany the timing of Masi’s wounding suggests that this was France, in the vicinity of Charleville and Rocroi, on September 3 1944.