Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
February 14, 1945 Verhovay Journal Page 7 THE VERHOVAY ... Sl/C. DESIDERITIS RABOCZI Commando Raboczi returned to duty at the end of January and awaits his reassignment in Norfolk, Va. * * * ESCAPES GERMAN PRISON CAMP Reports of soldiers missing in action always mean anxious suspense for their families. Here is an unusual story of a soldier who was reported missing, then held as a prisoner of war by the Germans. Now we received word that he escaped with several of his comrades, made his way through enemy territory and rejoined his company. Edward Czakoczi, son of Mr. and Mrs. Emery Czakoczi of Homestead, Pa., a member of Branch 89, recently arrived home for a 21 day furlough, after which he will be reassigned for duty. He has a hunch that this time he will be sent against the Japanese. ❖ A HOUSE OF SORROW Mr. Daniel Matto, Sr., Manager of Branch 16 of Star Junction, Pa., lost his beloved wife on May 28th, 1944. To the sorrow of the husband now the deep anxiety of the father for his son has been added, for Mr. Matto received notice from the War Department that his son has been missing in Germany since December 16th, 1944. Mr., and the late Mrs. Matto have been very proud of their son Daniel Matto, Jr., who graduated with honors from college previous to his enlistment. In the army he soon won the confidence of his superiors and the esteem of his comrades. He made himself an excellent record and served last in the rank of a First Lieutenant. He lias a younger brother who is a Navy Air Corps Cadet in Bethany, W. Va. We sincerely hope that Branch- Manager Daniel Matto will be spared the sorrow of losing his son and that soon he will receive notice as to his safety and wellbeing. We of the Verhovay are proud of our fellow-members who made good in the army and we follow their careers with the greatest concern. * # sK MARATHON MARCHERS — Presenting the true type of the American soldier. — Any soldier who belongs to the third infantry division is a hero and earned himself a chapter in the “Verhovay Epic”. This sweeping statement is based on facts as reported by well-known war-correspondents. Doughboys of the third infantry division are the only American soldiers who participated in the four great campaigns in Africa, Sicily, Italy, and France. Since they fought ashore in French Morocco Nov. 8, 1942, they have been in the frontline for 300 days. We quote Hal Boyle, noted war correspondent: “No one who hasn’t been under fire himself can begin to understand what that means in terms of human endurance. It is frightening enough to be under machinegun, sniper or shell fire for a few minutes. But there are ho words to tell of the cumulative terror of living in danger day after day, under courage draining physical hardships of inadequate food, rain, cold, mud and a lack of cleanliness. Some soldiers become indifferent to life or death under such whips of fear and discomfort. They get careless and many get killed. Others crack under continual strain and must be removed as “battle fatigue” cases. ONLY A FEW MEN BORN TO BATTLE, HAVE AN IRON STRENGTH OF WILL AND PHYSICAL CONSTITUTION — AND THE LUCK AS WELL —TO STAND UP MONTH AFTER MONTH UNDER THE EXACTIONS OF FRONTLINE SERVICE.” This division fought 38 straight days in Sicily ... 58 consecutive days in southern Italy, 65 days in the hell at Anzio . . . and finally 75 straight days in southern France! There are only two other divisions which have spent as many days in battle as the Third, but none equalled its battle-performance. For the Third captured Casablanca in Africa,.... Palermo and Messina in Sicily.... crossed the Volturno.... spearheaded the Anzio breakthrough.... and ii^m France, ambushed a column of 2000 German vehicles 12 miles long and wiped out the entire column killing 900 German soldiers and capturing the 900 Nazis who remained alive. No wonder that the turnover is large in this Division. While it normally consists of men, altogether 40,000 comrades fall and die, per- a letter dated December 31, 1944, secuted the enemy with vengeance, distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism and courage, was wounded twice, recovered and went back for more, and more . . . We have a significant letter before us, written by him to his father, mother and sister, on New Year’s eve, 1944, in France. The turning of the year makes him remember and so he relates what happened to him since he left home ... We can’t say what moves us more: the tenderness of the letter, so strange in a soldier toughened by three years of frontline service, his gentle humor, of the understatement of all the dangers and privations he had to endure as a member of the Third Infantry Division . . . “Dear Mom, Dal and Mai” — writes Norm’ — “It’s time to swing out the old year and swing in the new again. Been quite some time since I spent my New Year at home. Let’s dig down in the bag and see. 1941 was my last at home. When February 21, 1941 rolled around, I was rolling on to Cleveland for my physical and from there to Fort Lewis, Wash., for basic training and getting into the Third Div. Those were the- days when I learned, when my sarge said “shut up!” — that was it. K. P. has its good points and so I leárned. After basic went to King City, Cal., for maneuvers lasting six weeks and back to Fort Lewis again. After Pearl Harbor we headed down to San Diego for amphibious training and later were stationed at Camp Elliot, Cal. From Camp Elliot we went to Fort Ord, Cal., for a while. From there we travelled to Camp Picket, Va., then up to Maryland and back to Camp Pickett again. Wasn’t long after that when we hit the transport heading for same place for an invasion. We landed at Fedela in Africa Nov. 8, 1942. Saw very little action in Africa as French Morocco gave in on the 11th. Our time after that was patrol, drill, moving up to Tunisian area just as the hostilities ceased. Wasn’t long till we invaded Sicily and after that going into Italy. Was plenty lucky, though I did get hit twice, Rosing no time on my first and a few months on my second. After that we pushed through from Anzio to Rome, it looked like some rest. No rest for the wicked, we were in for another deal. When 1 we got on the boats we knew what the score was, but where we were to land, only the Big Shots knew. We guessed and I lost as we hit the shores of Southern France. 15,000 have served under its famous blue and white emblem. Its heaviest losses were suffered at the Anzio break-through, when the Third counted 995 casualties in a single day, one of the heaviest tolls ever suffered by an American division in a single day. After two years of frontline battling, the Third is still going strong, on the Berlin ... We are proud to present Staff Sergeant NORMAN J. READER Jr., of the famous Third Infantry Divisian, a member of Branch 360, Massilon, O., one of the few After ’quite"soffife" time on”" the men who have jought with the Third Inf. Div. from the beginning up to the present. He was wounded twice, first in Sicily and the second time at the Volturno, he has been awarded the Purple Heart, the Oak Leaf Cluster, and several citations which he didn’t even bother to report. According to this record he is one of the outstanding men of the most outstanding division of the U. S. Army. Sometimes, one wonders how a soldier feels and thinks who has spent more than 300 days in battle, marched through Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, has seen his' France, which probably refers to the German counteroffensive: “Before I go much further, I want to apologize to Dad in case my letter the other day sounded a little off key. You know, Dad, I think the world of you and even though it wasn’t much you asked, I just couldn’t do it. I guess I wasn’t in too good mood, I felt lousy, and if you remember the news in the papers, it just made me feel worse. A lot of good kids were murdered by the Jerries . . . I guess, I said enough about that and now I swing into a nicer mood. To-day being Sunday,. I went to church at Notre Dame again. Came home with a good feeling, as usual. To-day I hit it pretty lucky ... got your letter . . . and the package. . . On the bottom was that Hungarian ’paper with the write-up of Freckles Molnár. Swell kid, too bad he had to lose his life! I’ve got his picture in my wallet as a souvenir of a swell friend...” * # £ — We have given much space to the story of S/Sgt. Norman Reader because we feel that he deserves it. So much is written nowadays about the mental change, the hardening of the soul, the getting used to this business of killing, of our soldiers, and so many writers indulge in prophesying a spiritual deterioration of those who went through the horrors Of war, that we feel challenged to contradict such generalizations. We feel that Norman Reader is the type of the American soldier: the young men with the invincible soul, who amidst the hellish tortures of war preserve their natural tenderness, their easy going kindness, the elasticity of the spirit, which will always help them to land on their feet, however deep their fall. Please, compare the authentic story of the Third Infantry Division with the story of the same group as written by one of its outstanding members. Such modesty, such understatement, as is reflected by his letters, puts to shame all who claim that American youth has a tendency to be too soft for the cruel business of warfare. We believe, that the- majority, of America’s young men attend to their soldierly duties in a detached way, which does not detract from their heroic willingness to go far beyond the line of duty, but, which at the same time, keeps them from enjoying this business of shooting and killing and thus, preserves all the fine traits that make them first-rate men in peace as well as in war. Therein is the greatest difference between the American soldier and the Nazi, for the latter enjoys cruelty, relishes in killing as long as he gets away with it. while the American soldier conducts his war in a businesslike manner, like something utterly disagreeable which has to be done nevertheless, thereby preserving the integrity of his character, of his mind and soul. And, therefore, we predict that, excepting the cases which belong to the realm of medical science, the American soldier will easily readapt himself to civilian life and will return from the war with the same love, the same humor, the same kindness, the same mental resiliency with which he departed. If there will be any change, it will be to the better, for the American soldier will be more conscious of the beauty of love and family-life after the war than he was before when he took all these things for granted and, consequently, he will be able to display his appreciation more to the increased happiness of all those who live with him. Norman Reader is an example of this contention. And for this reason your editor is grateful for having had the privilege to introduce to the Verhovay family the type of the real American soldier, STAFF SERGEANT NORMAN READER Jr. * * * Please help us compile the records of Verhovay heroism. Report all important news items concerning our soldiers. Do not hesitate to send newspaper clippings as they usually carry all the details. Branch managers are requested to look for such news items and report them. But the families of soldiers who figure in the news are also requested to send their story to the manager of their branch, or directly to the to brag, to be inconsiderate and editor of the Journal, if preferred. WHEN THIS WAR IS OVER. lines I got a break and got reclassified. Summing up it reads like this: New Year 1941 —Home in Civics, 42: soldier at' Ft. Lewis, '43: Africa, 44: Hospital overseas (wounded), 45: that’s for sure, yep, here in France. Counting my days dverseas from the day I left the States they are 26 months and 8 days. Had my ups and downs during these days, learned a lot and saw a lot I want to forget. I am not making any New Year’s resolutions this year. I always break them anyway. Happy New Year to all of you ...” Let us add a few lines from When this war is over and I know it will be soon. I’ll be coming home again my dear singing a happy tune. I’ll see you like you looked for me before I went away; I’ll hold you in my arms again like I did that last day. You looked so sweet and lovely dressed in that pale sky blue, Kissing me at the station telling me you’d be true. I got your letter yesterday and it put me in good cheer', I really was so happy I could have walked on air. Tonight we go to battle and raid some far off town; While half the world is sleeping and won’t hear the distant sound. Yes! I’ll be coming back to you, when all this war is won. When all the world is peaceful and all the killings done. IRENE SAMPIAS, Box 10. , Barracksville, W. Va.
