Volume I Number 15 • June 30, 1945
SCHOOL BELLS RING FOR 135TH
Hundreds Flock to Classes in
Educational Program
SAN REMO, Italy -- This seaside resort town is beginning to take
on the atmosphere of a college town. Any afternoon you can see Gls
from the 135th Regiment hurrying down the streets, books under their
arms, on their wav to class. Groups'of them lounge in front of class
rooms; or sit under the trees boning for a coming exam.
More than 500 combat veterans of the 34th Division regiment are enrolled
in the classes...and it's only a portion of bigger things to come.
Hundreds more are on tbe waiting list, and a similar program is being
inaugurated in the other regiments and units of the division.
Although the division is not eligible to participate in the full scale
activities of the Army Education Program, Lt. Robert A. Leadley, the
135th Regiment's I and E. officer, decided to go ahead with as much
of the program as he could make available.
He sent out questionnaires to find out what the men wanted to study
. . . or if they were even interested in studying at all. The response
from the Gls in the regiment and attached units was tremendous. He
began to lay plans for his education program. First there was the question
of instructors. From the information in the questionnaires, and from
the service records,he found men qualified to teach all the subjects
that had been requested by enough students to warrant a class. It is
interesting to note that a11 but four of these instructors came from
the ranks of the enlisted men.
Then there was the problem of (Continued on page
4) (Continued from page 1) where
to hold the school. Lt. Leadley scouted the town and obtained the
use of three former school buildings in which to hold his classes.
It has always been the policy of the United States Armed Forces Institute
to supply texts and work books free to study groups of more than five
GIs. Invoking this long-standing; prerogative, Lt. Leadley set off
for the Leghorn warehouse of USAFI, and came back with the necessary
textbooks.
A few days later the program was in operation. Its present curriculum
consists of 20 subjects and one supervised study period for men taking
USAFI correspondence courses. The soldier students can study anything
from the "Three R's" to dancing in the school.
Greatest stress is laid on studies which will help to train the men
for a job in civilian life. Although some purely scholastic classes
are offered, such as Italian. Basic Math and English, most of the courses
are designed to teach the men a trade. Mgst popular of these trade
classes is Auto Mechanics, XX students are enrolled for this course.
It is a part of what the 135th calls "on the job training".'
The men are put on TD with the motor pool, and actually work on automobiles
under the supervision of regular mechanics. In addition, they go to
daily classes, study teexts and attend showings of training films on
auto mechanics.
Four other classes are taught on this same principle: Driving, Supply,
Cooking and Typing. The Cooks', Bakers' and Butchers' School has an
even more Unique set-up than the others. A renowned chef, from one
of San Remo's largest hotels, volunteered to teach the finer points
of the culinary art to interested Gls. One cook from each company in
the regiment is put on TD with the school. Seven days a week they attend
classes and prepare foods under the careful supervision of the chef.
Three courses are offered to men interested in going back to the farm
(and almost a hundred are). They can study Agriculture, Livestock Production
or Crop Management and Soil Conservation. Through a special arrangement
with the Agricultural college located in the town, an Italian professor
of Agriculture conducts the classes through the college's experimental
farms twice a week. There, they may put to laboratory use the things
they have learned from their textbooks.
Another popular course is printing. At present the class is limited
to 20 men a session...and there's a long waiting list. Lt. Leadley
made arrangements with a well-equipped local printer to allow the men
the use of his shop afternoons and evenings. Here they set type, run
the presses, and learn all the ins and outs of printing.
Other courses taught in the GI school are: Photography, Journalism,
Advertising, Blueprint Reading, Carpentry, Fundamentals of Selling,
Dancing and Harmony.
The school is now operating entirely as an off-duty program. Should
the 34th be allowed to include time on the training schedule for educational
activities, Lt. Leadley looks for an enrollment of almost 100 percent
of the men in the regiment.
CONGRESSMAN GREETS 34TH IOWANS
The Hon. Thomas E. Martin, Representative from Iowa City, Ia., takes
time out from his tour of the Mediterranean Theater to greet fellow
Iowans at the 34th "Red Bull" Div. Hq. Cong. Martin paused
in his chat to have this picture taken with Maj. Gen. Charles L. Bolte,
division commander, and seven Iowa soldiers. Shown here (standing l
to r) are: T-Sgt. LeRoy E. Jacks, T-4 Dominic Prochaska, Sgt. Theodore
W. Van Den Berg, Pfc. Raymond L. Bailey, Cong. Martin, Pvt wayne E.
Brown, and Maj. Gen. Bolte; (kneeling) Pfc. Raymond Fincher and Pfc.
Frank Paradiso
Little 'El Morocco' Opened By
Red Cross in Racconigi
Manhattan memories are pleasantly stirred by the overseas edition
of El Morocco, new GI jive joint premiered by the Red Cross in Racconigi
last week.
Officially opened by Congressman Thomas Martin of lowa, Maj. Gen.
Charles L. Bolte and Brig. Gen. Harrv B. Sherman, the club got off
to a flying start, with more than 500 soldiers from the 34th Division
crowding the lounge and snack bar on opening night.
Located in a former city gymnasium, not far from division headquarters,
the new night spot offers lounge and writing room facilities, a snack
bar, ping pong tables, and outside volley ball and badminton courts.
A full program of entertainment is being planned for the club, including
dances three nights a week.
The new club is large and roomy. The main lounge is in the spacious
gym. It is well equipped with tables, chairs and two ping pong tables.
On one side is the writing room, which also serves as a center for
I and E activities. On the other side of the lounge (Continued
on page 4) (Continued from page
1) is the Snack Bar. Its chairs and tables, zebra-striped
by a blow torch, make it reminiscent of New York's famous El Morocco
Club...but the drinks are weaker, and you can pay the cover charge
the night before payday, and still have lires left. A well executed
series of contemporary murals, by T-5 Richard Cummins, of 109th Engineers,
adds a s plash of color.
Betty Nyce, Corlin Cullen, Barbara Jones, Mary Anne
Walsh, Janet Kyle and Harriet Savage make army
life a pleasure for t-5 Richard Cummins, 109 Eng. and T-5 Harold Barber,
Div. Hq.,
at the opening of the American Red Cross Club, Racconigi.
The necessary feminine touch is supplied by bouquets of flowers scattered
on tables and window ledges throughout the lounge and Snack Bar...
and by the ever present Red Cross girls, Mary Anne Walsh and Betty
Nyce.
Organizer, and "father" of the new Racconigi Club is Mr.
Richard H. Percy, Division Red Cross Field Director. Mary Anne and
Betty did most of the planning and decorating. The brawn and sweat
were supplied by a crew of GIs working under the direction of Cpl.
Paul Allen and Pvt. Jacinto Romo.
The club is open daily from 1600 to 2300. For those Who enjoy coffee
and cookies, the Snack bar serves from 2000 to 2300.
NEW FACTS ALTER PREVIOUS STORY
(Editor's Note: May 19th, the Red Bulletin published an article
on the 133rd's Tanskforce "S" erroneously referred to as
Taskforce "Jaybird". We regret to say that our correspondent
who wrote this article was mis-informed on a number of facts concerning
the action. Hereewith follows the true story of the situation, as
described by Lt. Col. Timothy F. Horan, commanding officer of the
2nd Battalion, 133rd Inf.)
At 2030, the night of April 26th, the 2nd Battalion pushed off toward
the Po. It's objective was Montecelli, and the route ran through the
towns of Cortemaggiore and San Pietro.
Minus Company E, which had been sent with the 34th Recon to clear
some houses to the east, the battalion moved out. Cortemaggiore was
reached at 2330, and the houses cleared. With Company F in the lead,
the battalion moved out in the direction of San Pietro. For almost
three hours they slogged through a driving rainstorm, and at 0300 entered
the outskirts of the town.
After a brief firefight, in which F Company captured a German officer
and 49 men, the battalion prepared to push off for its next objective.
By that time, E Company had completed its mission, and joined the rest
of the battalion. But the move was canceled by an urgent call from
tbe battalion rear, located in Cortemaggiore.
A large force of Germans was passing through that town, headed for
San Pietro along the same road the battalion had taken. This was the
last message received over the phone. The Germans found the wires and
cut them.
All four companies immediately (Continued
on page 4) (Continued from
page 1) moved into battle positions extending along
the road for a distance of one half mile south of the town. The
three 57mm guns, and the heavy machine guns, were set up in the
center of town to cover the road. The ambush was prepared, and
the 2nd Battalion waited for the Krauts to walk into the trap.
They didn't have long to wait. At 0530 the Jerries came marching down
the road in a column of twos The Americans let them get to within 30
yards of the center of town. Then all hell broke loose.
The first hail of fire littered the road with dead and wounded Krauts.
Above the din of the battle could be heard shouts of 'Kamerad",
mingled with the moans and screams of the wounded. Many gave Up, but
others quickly reorganized in the ditches and began to fight back.
German 75's at the rear of the long column began lobbing shells into
the town.
The battle raged for several hours. At one time a force of 300 Germans
counter-attacked Company E. but intense mortar fire from H Company
routed them. Gradually the resistance weakened and died out.
As the battle drew to a close, the taskforce sent by the Regimental
Commander arrived. By then, the few remaining Krauts were waving white
flags; and the taskforce found it unnecessary to fire a single shot
as they helped round up the isolated and beaten survivors of the German
column.
When the prisoners were counted, it was found that the 2nd Battalion
had taken 459 Jerries in this bitter action. 75 others lay dead along
the road, and huge quantities of equipment, mules, horses and weapons
had fallen into our hands.
The prisoners were then taken Over by task forces so as to allow the
2nd Bn. to continue its mission to Montecelli.
Red Cross Replacement
Robert Smith, of Decataur, I11., has been appointed to replace Richard
H. Percy as 34th Division Red Cross Field Director.
Percy left the division June 25th to return to his home in Rochester
N. Y., where he will resume his old job as an English teacher in the
public schools.
The new Red Cross Director came to the 34th from the 1st Armored Division.
Previous to that, he was attached to the Red Cross Club in Montecatini.
-Save Your Feet-
A bus service has been scheduled to the Red Cross Club for men in
outlying units near Racconigi.
The bus on the north route makes the following stops: Hq., 109th Med.
Bn., 1526; Town Square, Lombriasco, 1542; 151st F. A. Bn., 1546; and
l09th Eng. Bn., 1554.
Busses on the south route leave the Savigliano Square beginning at
1540. A complete schedule is on file in your order1y room.
The Red Bulletin
Weekly newspaper of the 34th "Red Bull" Infantry
Division.
Published under supervision of A C of S, G-1.
Editor: Pfc. William J. Brewer, Acting Public Relations
Officer.
Mechanical Director: Pfc. Raymond H. Dietz.
Photographer: Pfc. John J. Ling.
Printers: Pfc. Michael Guman, Pfc. Raymond L. Bailey, Pfc. Leon Marmarosh.
Staff: Pfc. George Moluar 133rd Inf Regt., T-5 Wilbur
D. Bornstein, 135th Inf. Regt.,
Pfc. James V. Wadden, 168th Inf. Regt., Pvt. John S. Williams, 34th Div.
Spec. Trps.
THE RED BULLETIN is published weekly in the field in Italy by and
for the men and officers of the 34th Infantry Division, United States
Army. Address all communications to THE RED BULLETIN, 34th Infantry
Division, APO-34, United States Army. Member of Camp Newspaper Service,
New York, N. Y. Contents may be sent through the mail.
VOL. 1 NO. 15 - June 30, 1945
SPECIAL SERVICE PRESENTS
What a racket he's got! Sure he's got a racket; but it's a tennis
racket. That's right you too can have a racket; again I mean a tennis
racket. Yes, it was the 34th Division's Tennis Tournament, started
on Sunday, June 24, 1945, right through to Friday, June 29. Each morning,
at 0900 hours, men reported to the Racconigi tennis courts, and there
found the Special Service Athletic officer, Capt. R. G. Thornton, who
briefed them after the details of the tournament. All necessary equipment
was furnished by Special Service.
However, Special Service was a bit disappointed at only approximately
50 entries. Fellows, it's your division's diversion; so let's make
it your racket with a game of tennis. Equipment will be on hand at
Special Service at all times.
Note: Be on the lookout for the arrows posted on the road leading
to Torino. . . they point to the tennis courts. Let's see you out there.
I know you'll enjoy a few good games of tennis - it's a great sport.
Swimming Meet
A bit of advance information . . . A swimming meet is now in the making.
Applicants are to see their unit Special Service officer for exact
details. At present, the only definite info is as follows:
Place - Mussolini Stadium in Torino
Date - 10 July 1945
Time - 0900 hours
If you like to swim, this is a swell time to take advantage of the
sport. There'll also be a few thrills out of the competitive spirit.
• • •
Wanted: Harmonica players, with at least three years
experience and a bit of practical playing with an all-harmonica band.
Special Service is on the lookout to form a specialty act of either
an harmonica trio or quartet. So, if you're the man we want, get in
touch with the Div. Special Service officer. Come on guys, let's make
music!
- T-5 Bob Rosen
Special Service
G I University
Here's a brief note to you who are planning to talk your I and E
officer out of a bit of education by having him send you to the Army
University Study Center, in Florence.
This school is set up by army personnel and is open to you who want
to get some education - either to continue where you might have left
off back home or to get vour fingers into some new field. This school
is offered on a college level, which means you must be a college student
or a high school graduate or bave an AGCT score of 105 to take a course.
In our division, the first group of 54 to attend school leave here
to report to Florence by July 1. Those of you selected to attend school
will be placed on TD to the University. All you need to take with you
to school are your personal things (mess gear, bedding and equipment
are furnished). The University is open to both officers and enlisted
men. This first course is four weeks long; those courses to follow
may be longer.
As soon as we receive our quota for the month of August, it will be
broken down to the separate units. If you are interested in taking
some college courses in a school which is run very much like any school
back home, contact your I and E officer and put in your bid--he's the
man who can help you.
And the beauty of it all, should your name come up for a trip home,
you won't be forgotten or made to stay in school; all you have to do
is pack up and hit the gang plank.
These are the courses offered for the first term:
AGRICULTURE: Beef Production, Dairy Cattle, Disease
and parasites of Poultry, Forestry, Marketing Farm Products and Pork
Production.
ART: Art Today, History of Art, Treasury of Art
Masterpieces.
BIOLOGY: Botany, Zoology, Physiology.
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION: Principles of Accounting,
Business Law, General Insurance, Merchandising, Office Management,
Personnel Management, Salesmanship.
CHEMISTRY: General Chemistry.
ECONOMICS: LAbor Problems.
EDUCATION: Foundation of Modern Education, Introduction
to Study of Education.
ENGLISH: College Composition, Survey of American
Literature, Journalism, Public Speaking, Shakespeare, Modern America
and British Poetry.
GOVERNMENT: American Government, International Relations.
GEOLOGY. Historical Geology.
MODERN LANGUAGES: Elementary French, Italian, Spanish
and German.
MATHEMATICS: Review of Mathematics, College Algebra,
Solid Geometry, Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry, Slide Rule.
MUSIC: Harmony, History of Music.
PHILOSOPHY: Introduction to Modern Philosophy, Preface
to Philosophy.
PHYSICS: Survey of Physical Sciences.
PSYCHOLOGY: Applied Psychology.
SOCIOLOGY: Criminology, Principles of Sociology.
- I and E
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Dear God, teach us the true dignity of our manhood. Grant us the
realization that profanity, gratification of our passions, overindulgence
of our appetites do not constitute the measure of a man. In physical
combat we were strong; may we not be weak in the face of temptation.
Thus may we prove our manhood. Amen.
- Francis J. Fish
Asst. Div. Chaplain (1st Lt.)
Do You Dig Me?
I woke up in a cold sweat,
Yanked the covers from my head.
Quietly, the Squaw still slept;
I got out of the bed.
Slowly going down the stairs
And to the closet door,
I opened it, began my search,
Both on the wall and floor.
I must have searched five minutes
For the thing I knew was there.
My God, would I never find it?
Where the hell was it? Where?
I had given up all hope,
When I touched the thing I sought.
And knew that I could do it now,
The way that I'd been taught.
But then there was a shout,
As I turned to steal into the night.
"Lester; Put that shovel back.
It's the first door on the right"
- Pfc. Lester Weinstein
Hq. Co., 133rd Inf. Regt.
BULL, STRICTLY!
Welcome!
To all new members of the 34th Infantry Division. We
know we will like you, and we are sure that you will be proud to wear
the famous "Red Bull" Division insignia.
• • •
Quite an Idea !
Recently we were walking down the street, and encountered
two GIs who were accompanying two WACs. Suddenly the GIs broke into
Italian, and this is what they had to say. "Whenever we want to
signal to one another, let's speak Italian. The girls can't understand
a word." The perfect answer for a troublesome mother-in-law. I'm
sending home a dictionary tomorrow.
• • •
Reminder
Buy in July!
Slap the Jap!
Let's all get on the BOND wagon.
• • •
Wuxtra! Wuxtra!
News headline! A11 GIs get steak and ice cream, when
they reach the STATES. Good old "Bossy", alwaYs ready to
give her "uddermost."
• • •
Overheard!
"Are you doing any good?"
"I'd be doing fine; but I can't get rid of the family."
• • •
Cberehez. La Femme!
We know a Tech Sergeant who wants to get points for all
the broken hearts he has left behind. . Campaign stars?
- T-5 Bill Bornstein
135th Inf. Regt.
ON THE LEVEL
It always was a question,
In the days before the war,
Where to go on our vacation,
To the mountains or the shore.
But that was quite a while ago,,
Since then, I've worn 0. D.,
And dragged my frame from peak to peak,
All over Italy.
So listen, Mom, dear wife and pals,
I'm stubborn as the devil.
I've come to this conclusion,
And I'm really "on the level".
It will never be a question,
In the days after the war,
Where to go on our vacation
Not the mountains, but the shore..
- Pfc. Lester Weinstein
Hq. Co., 133rd Ini. Regt.
News Material Wanted
THE RED BULLETLN is your Division newspaper and your suggestions
and material are always welcome. If you have stories, letters, poems,
cartoons, sketches or photographs for use in the newspaper, send them
by Message Center to the Public Relations Section,Hq.,34th Inf. Div.(Fwd.)
Air OP Pilots Flew 7,000 Hours
Artillery observation pilots flying a fleet of 10 Piper Cubs and
L-5s, spent over seven thousand hours in the air (7,088 hours and 50
minutes), vitally assisting both the howitzer outfits and the infantry
throughout the long Italian campaign.
Following a trial use of a Piper Cub at the Casablanca landing in
November, 1942, the small observation planes were put into regular
use by the 34th Division during the first of the Tunisian offensive.
Maj. Stanley Williamson, Aiken, S. C., flying for the 175th F. A. Bn.,
was the first pilot to adjust his outfit's 105s on German positions
in Tunisia.
The small Piper Cub planes neatly house a pilot and an observer, equipped
with two-way radio communication. Transmitting and receiving on the
same channels as the ground observation posts and the infantry battalion
command post, they are able to correlate action on the part of the
infantry, the artillery and the hill top observers, taking over observation
of the enemy positions when the posts on the mountain tops no longer
afford a view.
Since the African campaign, observers in the Piper Cubs have registered
their battalions on base points at each new location, a task which
had always been performed previously by hill observers. This, and flying
over enemy territory, searching out targets of opportunity, have been
the primary objectives in their use. However, the highly practical
Cubs have proven indispensable under varied circumstances.
During the breaks through at Anzio and Bologna, the Piper Cubs regularly
flew ahead of tank and armored units to ascertain enemy positions and
would then return to drop notes to the ground forces informing them
of what lay ahead. Intelligence sections at artillery and 34th Div.
headquarters were also kept informed by this same means.
Lt. Billie Bishop, of Megargel, Tex., one of the veteran pilots, recalled
seeing two columns, only a few hundred yards apart, traveling north
during the break through in the Alban Hills, south of Rome. The column
in the rear was definitely American but the forward column on the winding
mountain road was unrecognizable. He dropped a note to the Americans
asking for a negative sign if they had no troops forward of themselves.
The ground forces replied with a negative, not being able to see the
Germans only a short distance from them on the highway. Bishop proceeded
to direct artillery fire on the enemy group.
The relatively low speed of the Cubs, only 80 miles an hour, combined
with extreme maneuverability, often proved an advantage when fast German
fighters were in the air. Lt. Joseph Enos, of Oklahoma City, Okla.,
related that on one occasion two German planes shot by him, doing around
360 miles an hour while he was cruising at 60. "They came along
so fast they didn't have time to shoot at us," he said.
The Cubs were of the utmost value during the Anzio beachhead action,
due to the absence of hills in the flat terrain. However, the formidable
presence of German fighters almost annihilated the little squadron.
S-Sgt. Robert H. Menapace, of Syracuse, N. Y., who is the airplane
mechanic for Div. Arty., related that at one time at Anzio, the German
fighters had eight of the ten planes out of commission. A total of
eight planes have been lost in Africa and Italy and there have been
numerous repairable crackups.
Doughboys have been grateful for the cooperation given them by the
midget planes. Time and again the artillery air observers have given
them invaluable information on the condition of roads, the results
of demolitions and the movement of the enemy.
Capt. Marshall Haines, of Auburn, Calif., in charge of the 34th's
air observation planes, stated that only two men had been killed and
seven wounded in Italy and Africa.
BULLETIN BEAUTY . . .
You asked for her again, so here she is! In case you don't know remember,
she is lovely Chili Williams from RKO's "Having a Wonderful Crime."
SWIMMNG MEET
(Sponsored by Special Service)
Get in the swim by diving into your Special Service
office today, and registering for this
division event.
0900 a.m. TORINO July 10
CLUB OPENS
A new Red Cross Club has been opened in Torino, 23 Corso Trieste.
Hours are 1000 to 2200. See next week's RED BULLETIN for further details.
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