London Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1942, London, Middlesex                                Page 2 the stars and stripes after the War already there Are men and women who arc working on plans for building a better world after the War is won. We feel this is Good and from the new York Herald Tribune we have gleamed a a one Olfer a a that Points in the right direction. Says the Herald Tribune i he nazis have made pretty thorough work of taking Possession of the great meat and Dairy resources of All occupied countries in Europe. When the War is Over the United states will have the task not Only of feeding the populations but of providing seed herds and seed flocks Lor restocking France Belgium Holland Denmark Norway and the Balkans. It will be a fascinating and a highly important Job. A a or. Walter Dobe Chicken fancier of Buffalo has one of America s finest flocks of barn velders. He has sent word to the Netherlands embassy in Washington d.c., that at the end of the War hell readily cooperate with dutch poultry men m restocking their flocks. His offer has been accepted with gratitude and it is Safe to say that what he has done other american breeders will match so that Europe can be restocked with our Best  for example we have literally millions of blooded holsteins the world s great milkers which originated in Holland. We can Supply the Best geese to build up once More the Fine droves in France. We might make plans for our Best set keep strains to be set aside earmarked for Export and so with the finest of american live Stock give Back to the people of Europe the droves flocks and herds they lost with their Freedom to nazi masters. Such a practical after the War gift will help a Breed a a better world. The stars and stripes daily newspaper of the . Armed forces in the european theater of operations. The stars and stripes is edited and published by and for the personnel of the . \ armed forces in the european theater of operations. Printed by the times publishing company ltd., at printing House Square London e.c.4. Telephone Central 2000. Contents passed by the . Army and Navy censors subscription is 26 shillings per year. Staff . Of. M. Llewellyn associate editor.1st. It. H. A. Harchar associate editor.2nd it. J. C. Wilkinson editorial Board news . Robert Moora City . Bud Hutton photo and . Ben. F. Price . Mark Senigo  Tom Bernard. User vol. 3, no. 48, december 29, 1942 an open letter typical of Many letters received from americans who spent their first Christmas in England was the one written to us by George w. Goodman director of the great George St. Red Cross club staff. It expresses the reaction of thousands of us to the most amazing and unusual Christmas we have Ever been privileged to enjoy. Here in part Are his own words i wish it were my right and privilege to thank the people of great Britain in behalf of the american forces Here and the american red Cross for whom 1 work for the happiest Christmas of my life but unfortunately i have no such right. And yet i have the feeling that what i personally experienced on Christmas Day is representative of what thousands of american soldiers Felt. A there were Christmas parties for hundreds of children everywhere in this Island children who for three Long years have suffered the extreme deprivations of War. I personally saw youngsters at one of these parties whose expressions were those of Little old men and women and yet whose faces at the offer of a Mere chocolate bar lit up with a new Joy and Hope that seemed to miraculously eradicate the lines and wrinkles that have come much too soon. These parties in great Britain simplified beyond the remotest possibilities the meaning of the Atlantic charter the things for which the Ordinary Man is daily laying Down his life. They were not planned by or. Roosevelt or or. Churchill but were the result of the spontaneous reaction of the Ordinary american Soldier to the kindliness of the British people and to the need he saw existing. They came out of his Heartfelt yearning for those peace Loving practices that men of every nation have always loved. The things that represent a consummation of All the laughter tears Joys and sorrows the things that in the innermost recesses of their hearts men do not normally feel inclined to deny one another irrespective of whether he be White yellow Brown or Black. A a these Are the things that the staff of our red c Ross club were privileged to experience on Christmas Day 1942, and what helped to make it the merriest Christmas anywhere in the  and it was so at every children s party Given by our troops. Ujj Cost /7 aaa6 Flash from the Home front. In Miami coloured Mitchell Banks charged with failing to notify his draft Board that he had moved protested a a the draft Board moved and they Ain t notified  . He won his Freedom. One of our Alert observers in the states spotted this sign in an air plane factory where mostly women Are employed and a a tuesday dec. 29, i94, a pilots Eye View of desert Wai shot Down on Way Home was guest of legion the on it men that get around Are occasional inspectors. It reads a a no swearing there May be a gentleman  from Dubuque Iowa Friend Jimmy most sends this gag. In that quaint Little River town there lived a fellow who has no arms. He was called to the Murphy Hospital to take his army physical. Thinking it was a joke he reported and much to his Surprise was accepted and classed As 1-a. Next Stop was Des Moines where he was inducted and sent to Texas. Reporting for duty he walked up to a sergeant and asked a a say just what the hell kind of a Job do you have for a guv like me ? i he sergeant pointed Over his shoulder and said see that Guy Over there pumping water ? a Ivan a a rep de the armless wonder. Well said the non-com., a a you go Over there and Tell him when the bucket is full he s  a Sec pvt. Adolphus Sears of Hutsonville 111., imports that just before he left the states he was watching a unit of negro troops go through their paces. The second lieutenant drilling the group was really snapping out the orders and a is Ere drilling with precision. I he unit halted and the lieutenant barked a a eyes right a a sweating Rookie on the end Pear rank his face beaming with admiration a blurted a a you Sho is Boss you show is Jujj sgt. Bryce Burke of Washington d.c., now in the British Isles is responsible Ler this one. By Andrew a. Rooney stars and stripes staff writer a 210-Pound, six foot three irishman from Brooklyn ., walked into the Washington club the other night and gave american soldiers a first hand account of what is going on in North Africa. Sgt. Pilot Frank a a Rocky a Reardon Veteran of 27 bombing raids Over Germany with the Raf told the Story of How he was a hot Down in the Sahara desert while flying his Halifax from Cairo to Gibraltar on the Way Back to his station in England. He was flying along the coast of the Mediterranean when he was attacked by the Focke wolfes that shot him Down. He was carrying 13 men aboard. Two of them parachuted to safety and the rest crash landed with the big ship into the hot Sand. Tri color ribbon a a we were plenty Lucky a Rocky said. A we landed near a French foreign legion Camp and they picked us up. I was wearing a red White and Blue ribbon that i got Here at the Washington club the night i was head waiter at the snack bar when the soldiers gave the volunteers a party. A a when the frenchmen saw that pinned inside my combat jacket they thought 1 was wearing the French colors. From then on they treated me like a pal from  when he had a Little time to look around sgt. Reardon asked if there was any one in the legion from the states. A rough looking character stepped Forward. A a name s Peterson Portland Oregon a the fellow said and that was the extent of Rocky s conversation with americans in the French foreign legion. A Tough american l Don t think he wanted to be questioned a a Rocky said significantly. A a he was the kind of Guy you would t want to meet behind a dark Sand  the legion had a very strict discipline and they lived in a tent Camp hundreds of Miles from the nearest City without even the colourful fortress that Hollywood usually pictures them defending. The most pleasant part of his stay with the legion was a swim in their Pool. A a nothing but Sand for As far As you can see. And they take you a few Hundred Yards and there in front of you is this Beautiful Crystal Clear Pool fed by constantly flowing Artesian Wells. It looked like a Mirage it was that Beautiful he explained that they would give you anything they had a a but a he added stars and stripes photo flight sgt. Frank Reardon quickly a a you had to give them something in return. Anyone in Africa is always ready for a Trade a sgt. Reardon said fingering the Little pin which a a the Gestapo a wore and which he got from the sheriff of la Krider. There were almost no buttons on Rocky s Raf uniform As he sat there answering the questions of a curious group of american soldiers. They were the first things that the legionnaires went after. V they All carry these Sharp blah ded knives he said a a and out there on the desert when one of those Tough babies comes up to you puts that Blade right under your Chin and asks if he can have the Button you Are in no position to refuse  Here s a Good number Reardon is 25, and despite his three years in the rat he is a typical american kid grown up. His pockets were crammed with foreign coins restaurant menus Nom Oran Telephone numbers of girls in Cairo try Ahmad Bay Radivan 1 Merikas St., Roda Cairo Egypt. He pulled innumerable souvenirs of the adventure from his pockets to illustrate his conversation which always avoided the military and stressed the human Side of his tale. After a few Days with the legion Rocky and his party caught a desert train to Oran. He lived and talked for hours with american soldiers in Oran. He admits frankly that they Are having no picnic there. They Are living in tents and it is a hard life but they Are not grumbling. A a a lot of soldiers have their own Batman though he said using an Raf term which Means dog robber to an Ai american in Rai treated like pay from Paris american a a and that makes life  a the French that he met in 0ran harder to convince that he As an f flyer was Friendly. A a i argued for two hours with an f i Lish speaking Frenchman in Oran an still believes that the Raf has to l. Paris off the map. Paris to the Frek is like Vatican City to the italians / the German propaganda machine taken advantage of that  Battle lines in the desert Are not Taru drawn and forces tend to gather in my cent rations rather than lines. In m 7 places sgt. Reardon said he could s3 Down and see the German planes on ground the same German planes wh3 he has seen coming at him with Ujj blazing so Many times. One bad Choice a a i made one bad Choice a sgt. Reardon said with a big Irish smile. A when was getting out of the planet it Wasoin up fast i saw my camera and six Lem on the floor of the ship. I grabbed six Lemons and let the camera go. I d taken the  from Lemons the questions led food and Money. In explaining Ine monetary system he casually remarked that in Cairo you could get eight eff for eight piastres using the eggs As at illustration of what Money was Worth the Money was forgotten. Here was a Man who had just had eight eggs f0 breakfast. A a sure a he laughed a a the Raf Down there serves three eggs for breakfast that proves they re  from Oran Reardon was flown to Gibraltar by the american air Force where he stayed for a few Davs before hopping a Cruiser Back to England. Wants to Fly forts just As a matter of interest he would like to get his hands on the controls of a flying fortress but he has t thought too much about a Transfer to the America air Force. A a it does t make a hell of a lot o difference whether you fight this War Fror an american plane or an English one we re All fighting the same warn if i a in this thing for Money i never would have quit my Job in my father s office of Wall  Frank Reardon was born in Brooklyn raised in Brooklyn and lives for the a he can get Back to Brooklyn. But i loves to push a that big Halifax of hit around and he bus a Hunch he s going to see a lot More of this War and still gel Back to Brooklyn. A a you know How it is. Those dodgers a Burke tells us that in the egyptian Desu 1 ?ner, italian officers captured by the British made violent protests. M a a i his is an outrage a he squawked we weren t fighting we were just  j. C. W. A hurry up and wait a even at leaves from reporters notebook show problems done to Chang 0\ Iii Bolf no mph a re. Front by Hal Boyle associated press War correspondent with Allied forces North Africa dec. 28 it s still the same old army military machines now move with Blitz v or know de the Earl or whatever it is that owns this Castle still lives in it. A a Why Bill what she done a 99 Speed in Battle but it is still True As it has always been that to most soldiers time seems to be spent in waiting. The up Rase or i1 is quot hurry up and wait. Wait for Chow wait for report wait tor a train or plane or jeep wait Foi action on request wait for leave wait for pay Day wait for a letter wait to March and then wait after marching. Troops learn that their Long hours waiting is but a prelude to blinding action yet patience remains the most difficult of soldierly Virtues to achieve. Summing up 30 years of military ser ret ing sergeant put it this was Well Captain i be spent 30 years in the army and now in a leaving. I figure 1 spent 20 years of that time waiting for something to happen in the other 10 years. Daily ration of Butts troops in French Morocco have a much fun or time obtaining soldiers comforts than world War doughboy who usually had to buy cigarettes and Candy from canteens set up by welfare organizations whenever they could get supplies through. Now Western passports in Morocco Are organized so that cigarettes matches Candy and some toilet articles Are part of the daily ration supplied soldiers without Cost. A a this has been a great Factor in building morale a said it. Arthur e. Conn. New gardens Long Island officer in quartermaster stores. \4 everybody is quite Happy about it. Men do not have to worry about where they Are going to get smokes shaving Cream and  troops in actual combat obviously can to be supplied this Way but whenever the military situation permits quartermaster stores Are following through. 250-mile hike the longest March by american troops m Africa was a 250-mile training and toughening trek in French Morocco by a 1,000-Man combat team in an infantry division. Led by col. Edwin Randel Muncie ind., the troops averaged 15 Miles a Day carrying full combat equipment. Arabs astride diminutive donkeys or Stilt legged camels Rode up and Down the ones Selling oranges tangerines almonds leather pocketbooks and native shoes to troops at every rest period. Soldiers Short of Money found Nad an excellent barter medium in Amer can cigarettes which Arab Merchan accepted eagerly at a value of one to Liv francs each. Its not the walking we  Sai pvt. Sammy Genz Bronx  A a by the sights we see. What with camels am All it s just like being in Central Park sickness was held to a minimum durin the March. A a there has t been a single Calt a o serious illness a said it. H. B pop Leman new Brunsw ick n.j., me officer matter of fact men have been Fai healthier than they usually Are in a permanent  woke before crash conscientious pilots Fly even in the sleep. At an african Airport a group of Frici bedded Down for the night were startle when one began to cry out a a no of no no no no awakened by fellow pilots he explain sheepishly a a i dreamt i was Landing top of the Rock of Gibraltar and m brakes went  they 4 the last Farewell do not become a nun dear when i am far away. Just have lot of fun dear slip out each night and play. The lads i leave behind dear. They too must have their fling be sure you treat them kind dear and dance and laugh and Sinz. Do anything you will dear. Pet and flirt and Park with Jack or Joe or Bill dear be careful after dark. The years Are All too few dear your happiness to wreck and should i find it True dear ill break your bloody neck. Ensign Tom Mcc Artel