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Fun and Games in the Mud
In early January 1944, the Division had migrated into Camp Polk, Louisiana. We found ourselves with enemy inside and outside the fence. The Armored "tankers" were inside the fence, and the chilly reception from the habitation of the South on the outside of the fence. We got the feeling that we were not too welcome. I take that back, I really think they hated us. We were given orders as to be good little troopers, not to cause any troubles. Thankful that it was not a direct order we only did what we were trained to do, which was of course to beat up on our enemy. One other point in question was the fact that "tankers" wore a boot similar to our jump boots, that contrarily made us even more unhappy.
There were some good points to all this, at Camp Mackall we had lived in canvas squad tents with outside plumbing. Camp Polk was a little different, it had barracks with heat and showers and latrines inside. Even the chow improved as so-called Army chow can improve. Then to, there was beer available (3.2) in the beer hall's, but better than nothing. PX's had supplies like soap, toothpaste, cigarettes, etc.
Camp Polk was our training grounds. They brought us down to this place to learn the art of war. This took place around the first part of February 1944. You must of heard of the term, "The Sunny South". Well, don't you believe it. What makes a mean, lean killer? You put that boy out in the boon docks, stand him out in the rain with mud up to his ear, then turn him loose. He's mad, I mean real mad.
Each outfit had it's job to do and to learn to do it in the most expedient way. The 127th Engineer Battalion was occupied building bumpy roads out of gooey clay mud, and dragging trucks and jeeps out of the of that mud, looking for a dry place to put them on. The artillery had their problems also. The doggies (Infantry), as per usual, slept, walked and ate on the ground, cold, wet, and up to their eyeballs in mud.
I think we were setup to play a mean game. We got to retreat out of a swamp area and of course the best time to do this is at night in the rain. After a couple of weeks playing soldiers in action, we dragged our tired, wet and muddy butts back to Camp Polk. Where we were allowed to take more qualifications to check out our abilities to fight in a real war. Infantry was assigned to operating as a full regiment in tactical defensive and offensive positions. Also as small units, such as battalion, company, platoon and squad. Artillery was put to the task of speed and accuracy.
Sometime around March of 1944 we all got real busy. Jump school was formed at an Army Air Base, and we got serious about making lots of new jumpers. Medics were in their glory, giving shots and filling teeth. Everyone was as busy as a one-arm paper hanger qualifying in arms, from rifle to machine guns to hand grenades. Heavy equipment operators to truck drivers, if you did not have a working MOS you were given one after you qualified.
As with all Army bases there are always little towns around to collect the pay from the resident soldiers. Bars, restaurants and the ladies of the night. When given a pass to go to town, it meant one thing to the trooper. Have fun!! What constitutes fun to a trooper is not always the same to all troopers. If a trooper got into a beef with outsiders or non-troopers, a simple little call out like, "Airborne!!", you have got more buddies to help put down any little old fight. These boys with custom tailored uniforms, donkey ears tilted overseas cap, cocky, strutting, boot and wing wearing were tough, mean, hard fighting, ready for action and ready to prove it. Towns people in places like Leesville, Lake Charles, Shreveport and all the way to New Orleans, gave a wide berth to these troopers. Lots of M.P.'s , S.P.'s and tankers found blood on their uniforms trying to take a trooper on and it was not the trooper's blood. If you think I'm just bragging, find some of those people today and ask them about the "11th Airborne Division Troopers". Bet me, they still remember us?
Around the middle of April 1944, things started to really heat up. We knew we were getting ready for a big move, no more passes to town, locked on to the post and taking off patches and packing up our belonging. More shots but these were different, we could feel the knots come up on our arms. Officers became very tight mouth when asked questions, and we were told to button up the lips.
About the end of April 1944, we got to go for another train ride, this time to California. End of the trip was to Camp Stoneman, Port of Embarkation. Here we learned how to be a sailor and how to get off a sinking or burning ship. This in itself was not a keen idea to many of us. We learned many new skills, like climbing up and down a rope net with a full field pack. How to use a life raft, and what is in it. Like the word "Life Raft" does not speak for itself? Then of course we learned to jump in the water, in case the ship starts to go under. Which we were willing to do, as we were not the captain of the ship so why should we stay on it! Besides, we were sure this "tub" was not a submarine.
As we moved out for "Frisco", where we were to get our mode of transportation, we got to get coffee and doughnuts for the mere charge of 10 cents from the famous Red Cross. We then moved up the gangplank for our long trip to where ever they would take us, hauling with us our duffel bags and full field equipment. We were assigned a bunk down in the bowels of the ship. This was the first ship ride for many of us and being put in the dark dinginess of the hold with racks for bunks, we waited for the oars to be passed out so we could start rowing. About the time the ship hauled up it's anchor and started off under the Big Bridges of California half of the troops topside were hanging over the side, throwing up the coffee and doughnuts. Our very first trip on a ship, and we were going by rail. We had no idea where we were going or how long it would take. We felt we knew it was to the Pacific.
© Copyright C. J. Johnson & Associates 1997
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, adaptation,
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