Mediterranean Algiers Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 17, 1943, Algiers, Algiers                                Page Iother stars and stripes weekly saturday july 17, 1943 flying in gliders no bed of roses with a Guder Tjit Worth i Africa do foil i mapper too Fin time you looped the Loop la a roller coaster Well. A Man room Lach shaking than that glider flight i Mien. Riding la a Gilder ii something i like dangling on Tbs tall of a Ute Only the Man holding the Kite string la a big Taro mooted transport. So that talk abort a glider sail-1 tog along like a Swallow is it dirt by a song Tor the Birds. I Hare lost completed a More than boo mile flight in one of the army s newest Type gliders. One of the pforts frytag of ser cd w. Blount of Warren Ohio said it was the bump est trip be bad Ever made. Hie other flying officer Jack Quot red Gray of utile Rock. Ark., looked with distaste at his steel helmet in which he had sporadically vomited too air sickness. Quot first time Fie Ever lost my cookie Quot he explained with in shamed face Quot Iti never live it Down. I on this trip the glider although built to carry a larger number of men or the equivalent weight in arms and equipment took Only six men Over some High mountains. First at. Ernest in Seddon lot new Bedford is was in before the invasion. A emr. Smiths hold pre jump party Gal s legs contribute Nylon for Tow rope command of Tbs squad then there were pfc. Carl la Tameler of Evansville ind. Pvt James de land of Charleston Al a pvt. Herbert by Lowe of Ashville n. Cd pvt. John mordent of Southron. A and i had been substituted for the sixth Man. He did not appear at All sad when z apologised for squeezing him Ort Quot and be sure to carry your helmet a the fellow told me a a word of parting advice. I saw that everyone else had his helmet Handy and i could t understand Why. I soon found out. Quot Hou of the glider a was named the Quot plying redhead Quot a was wheeled out to the Aid of the runway and the slender 350-toot Nylon Tow rope attached to the ring in its nose. Up came a me transport with a glider unit. North Africa if the women of America want to know where their Nylon is going Here is one answer the glider Tow rope. This 350-fort lifeline Between the towing transport pin it and the glider la made of it Wigh Nylon to weave at least 350 a pahs of sleek slim Hose for Beautiful feminine legs. But this is wartime and to the Hae tanks that slight White strand taut to the big 0-47 or c-63 tug Lane ft11 la All that keeps their flying Boolean from settling Down to a sometimes rough embrace with Mother Earth. This Tow rope with a diameter of eleven sixteenths inches and in tensile strength of ,000 pounds Oan stretch to 15 percent of its length. Thus under maximum Strain tile 350-fort rope can Vang Tow to 435 Toet it pays to take Good care of the Tow rope Tor the Cost eight dollars per foot a considerable More than a pair of Nylon stockings. Even if some  done to think so. And he rope was made fast to its tall attachment Mettle the Quot redhead Quot Cabin we tightened the safety Belt around our hips and gripped the plywood seats. The glider Pilot signalled Quot ready Tor Takeoff Quot and the transport Pilot signalled Back Quot Okay. Hold  there was Only the blinding rattle of dirt and Dart and a Rush of air against the All Glass Pilot compartment to Tell us that we were moving Forward. Our wheels were off the ground within it Toet while the transport still was churning up the Takeoff. This was the crucial Point in the operation Pilot Gray nosed her up then nosed her Down to a wrist the transport in getting Kab Tail off the ground. Now we were Beth climbing to my right through the thin porthole Glass i saw another glider and its Tow. The ships appeared to Fly he two trained acrobats in Swarow Hyce movement. There was no Shabow Uke motion to the Quot flying redhead Quot we dipped and dropped and lurched and swooped. And the noise of the Wood on the Glass nose on the fabric covered plywood wings and the fragile fabric sides of the fuselage was Uke the beating of a dram. Quot hey Quot i shouted to Pilot Blount. Quot will it be he this All the Way Quot Blount haunt heard me. He shouted Back Quot Chew gum. It will  we All began to Chew grim As if our lives depended on it. It helped for a Short time but eventually one by one the boys reached for the steel helmet and Bent Over. That didst help the zest of us. Either. The first sergeant appeared to be the sickest of All but at the moment i cup Lent see any humor in the sight of the top kick sprawled Over the lashed Down Luggage i was feeling almost As bad. I wondered How men land in these gliders fit to fight. Then i looked across and saw Fie. Klaus Meier the Only glider Veteran. He was hang Flat across the seats snoozing peacefully. Once the glider hit an air pocket and Dro fixed with in ten foot swoosh. Everyone in the plane left their seats sgt. Seddon not being strapped Down almost hit the ceiling. Helmets aril of half digested breakfast went All Over the place. Everyone groaned and hew on oar More. High climbing we were steadily climbing get-1 Ting As High As 9,000 feet to Cross the mountains. Against us we Tiad the meat of the Tow Tene prope and for a to a a decided headwind that seemed determined to rip the seemingly delicate Quot towed target Quot Park but the fabric which will not resist a moderate thrust of the Tost never budged before tax it Osi winds. Even at the Apex of Strain a the Frame holding the claw that held the Tow rope there waa not the slightest wrinkle or quiver. So we chewed our gum and relaxed Fiat a bit. Quot Africa has the trickiest winds a Ever seen Quot said Blount Quot Why in the states we could count on fairly smooth flying but Here a a sudden Side slipping lurch stopped All further conversation. So we chewed and chewed our gum and wished to be Beckta the Aratea. Finally we passed Over the tart Range of mountains and the weather became a bit smoother Gray from the left Pilot seat Art Blount a get ready to tabs Over. Vipont grabbed the  steadied the ship and fastened his eyes on the tug trip ahead. Quot ton can see Quot red said after stretching luxuriously Quot Why 7 dont can of selves a Flat and Copilot. We both do the same top for the same length of time. It has to be that a both men a had right months of glider training before they came Oversea. To Toby get wings with a g to the Center. Guder released we were now approaching the Landing strip and the transport Pilot had signalled to cart off when suitable. It was up to Gray to select the right moment to push Forward the Tow or lease lever cutting us free from the grip of those powerful transport engines. Blount Art the controls would take us to. Quot now r cried Gray and he slammed Home the release lever. Tiie re was a slight Forward surge of Freedom and then we were for the first time in our trip floating like the proverbial Bird. No longer was there the drumming hum it was Quirt except for the thin a whistle through the air vents. No longer were we an unwilling. Dog on a Leash we were gliding gradually Down. Blount just at the cutoff had nosed up and with the motion we gained perhaps 20 feet of a Altitude. It turned out we did no to need that extra height making the runway with plenty to spare. Our air Speed was above 80 Mph so Blount raised Quot full spoilers Quot to Cut Down 8 it eed. The Quot flying redhead Quot touched ground firmly hopped once and settled Down again. Within six feet it had rolled to a Stop and was turned off the runway. The passengers stumbled out pry Happy indeed. In no time at All t he first sgt. Re erected his Chin to its usual Stern authoritative Angle. The other a otters regained their health and Begarif looking Tor dinner to replace the breakfast they bad lost. The Crew chief Junnke of an Center wta., came Over Man the transport to which he had ramen Quot for the Joy of it Quot and began to of com cwt Che mess in the glider Cabin. And we decided to Start Dhem tog on Ari Frash piece of gum. A with the fifth american army training Center Inhta is a Story of Yankee Soldier who were pretty Damn we they would be among the Hurt to get a crack at the invasion of snap. And some of them did. _ these Are sons of father who  on foreign Ali. The Isons remember and above All Rise i they Are determined to do the Job i this As thoroughly As completely and a quickly a possible. This Cool headed Busto Esa Uke ate Titue in strikingly evident to the Chow line chats and the dusk lit Bull sessions that i have been in on with these men of the fifth american army. It appear to be reasoning fostered not by patriotism not by a lust for blood the yank by direct addition has i figured it out that the sooner the enemy la beaten into uncool too Lal surrender the sooner he can go Back loth states. I Ani brother there Isnit a Soldier Oversea a week who do know that Quot thereto no place Home. So there was no talk Tartlet the bombers do it or let the British. French or russians de it. No h was Quot hell let s get Gringo Quot i mum was the word a go think the soldiers of the fifth american army training Center an army trained for invasion. They were zealous in guarding the re-1 Rispon Sivility which had been placed in them. No one Blit the highest-1 ranking key officers of course knew anything of the invasion Diana but Security measures sex tented All the. Way Down to the private. I wore the insignia of i a the stars and stripes correspondent. Could i get them to we i about How they Felt about Quot the leap across the Waters Quot no tar j i not until i had shown them my i dog tags my identification card until i i explained my status i As an army Man reporter and assured cd at least a. Battalion of Eagle eyed press censors would see Ray stuff before publication i then did they talk but by about their personal  thoughts on Quot the  there was another reason i Dia i covered for their cautious Security the greater number of. Them did not want their parents to know that Quot they were on the verge Quot Quot More would worry a hell of a lot if rim knew. It certainly would t help her and it would t Hripsme. Auth folks know is that with a paratroop regiment july 5�? delayed a this a an evening not to a forgotten Man of the Reihnert virtually on i the Ere of Battle tonight celebrated Tim flirt anniversary of the organisation of their regiment. It a a Celebration full of the democratic traditions the gusto and fiery youth of America. I for More than three hours the stifling silence of the Netth african Ollre Grove a tumbled about by the sound of a feast army style barbecued beef Cool Beer and shoot wine to the tune of Jitterbug music by an airborne military band. Siam the party was a bit sough. Men who jump to fight Are Apt to be overflowing with red blooded toughness. This was their tart Only Ann Aii article pm thai Page Are by Sal Jock potato Atar mod Atrip staff writer Nata North Africa that i Rode a and that i lore to hmm very  said one ammunition Carrier from Bunnia Quot to let ism know where i am when i get to  and he grinned a he cleaned his my Rifle. So there a Fol be no names mentioned to this Story. But the words and the thoughts and the Quee Tirawi Ype no from the Rota who Are to the thick of the fighting As the town of a new Day comes to Europe. What do you know some of these men had no experience under fire. The first question they asked Nae was. Quot what did you learn up front the training we got Back in the states a is it any Good Quot and the tunisian Veteran would come through with a full Campaign narrative heavily punctuated with the personal pronoun Quot i and sometimes a illustrated with the still purple scar of a shrapnel wound. But he does manage to get a few Good Points across cd that there int a Soldier alive who int scared to Battle and yet there Are comparatively few who Dent have the guts to keep right on fighting going Forward. The fiercer the Bau tie the less time they have to think How scared they Are. 2 that this int a second work War i this is a lightning a War spared to the immobile Trench fighting of 1817. Mobile War is easier on a Many a mind because the periods of actual Contact Are not Likely to be extended but it is harder on a Man physically because the rapid shifting of troops Tovo Jafes More forced marches More blackout driving Bra Steep of Fiat a Leader is a Man of cuts and that wily men of got ice Pate Confidence. I that this to total War and no one to out of bomber Range. So dig that Slit Trench and dig it deep. I. 5 that though Many die the greater percentage of those goings into Battle live. Fling before the Day which would teat their toughness and prove their year s training. Only once during the gala evening was there comparative quiet. That a when the commander stepped up on the empty 200-gallon Beer Keg to talk to Bis men. For his men Only the men gathered around the Beer Keg on which their colonel. Stood. His staff officers gathered Ron the fringe. The colonel grinned warmly and waved the bars and Oak leaves Back to their tables. A a Al Lex Quot he chuckled Quot chaplain Wood la George b. Wood of Biddeford me will Lead you officers in prayer. I want to speak to my men  the men roared their approval. Their colonel his sleeves rolled up his hands on i hips began talking Quot a year ago this regiment came into being. Originally it was to a a Para ski outfit. We Haven done skiing and i dont think we win to this  the Para Tofan Drymen laughed and wiped the sweat off their foreheads. Their command Ergo face grew serious. Quot but to a very few Days we Ara going into a fight a Tough fight. A lot depends on us men. He paused and the Glimmer of Boyish humor came Back into his eyes. Quot now you know you can fight and i knew you can fight and so do a lot of people around our training areas Back to the  there was an embarrassed understanding laugh from his men. Quot All i m asking men Quot the colonel was saying is that you fight As you be been trained to fight and As you re always fought. Ifs going to be hard to convince the enemy men but Damn it a can do it cant we their answer was a Roar of Adeb Natum. The Celebration continues festivities were resumed becoming Era Lier and Wacker and More american As dusk lengthened Toto dark noes. T-6 Raoul Anaya of Loa Angeles a Man with is jumps to his. Credit took me aside for a of Reev and a Weed of explanation. Quot hell wet just average Guys. Just or. Smiths we volunteered for jumping because it was something new and a bit screwy and a Challenge. Take me. I a Iii the recruiting  he laughed. Quot i fell for my own line i  he wigged Down his canteen cup full of Beer. _ Quot the Keg is almost empty. You can Tell when there Are bits of Wood in the  then we heard the sound of bombers overhead. Quot a soften them up for us baby a he murmured. Another one of these men who dire into space not knowing whether they la Taal on a Bayonet an outhouse or a Quot Farmer s daughter is id year old pvt. Harry riles of new Yock City. Harry was a professional hocus pocus Man one of the new generation who Dine their a with gaga instead of myster chm Amatuc mumblings. Now he does his act with hand grenades for Rabbit and a carbine for a Wand. Veteran Quot of Quot Bert still adj other la 54-year-old t-4 Charles Quot pop Quot Bert oldest Man to the outfit. He la planning to make a Pomfret jump at an age when Mort men do their exercising in a rocking chair. He fought in fire major Batties to the tart War. Which ones Quot cant just remember. Wait until i go get my Victory  then he showed k to me. It had fire Baza attached Mon tidier Noyon Aisne Marne St Mihili and the first and second Battles of the Meuse Argonne. Pop wanted to be a two War Veteran so he tried to get Back into the first infantry division his old outfit but they were already overseas. He got Toto the Para troops As a non jumper. Quot but in be talked the old Man into letting me make a combat jump Quot he said grinning Quot if i make it in get my  these Are some of the men of a paratroop regiment these and a lot of others who volunteered for one of the Mort dangerous types of combat the Beer had run dry but the wine still bubbled from secret Springs. The band settled Down to a swing session. The intelligence officer and the personnel adjutant in their jumping boots danced the Boempe a Daisy. The magician was picking rubber balls from his Adams Apple. Pfc. Leon Simons who once tooted the flute for the Cincinnati conservatory of music we ripping off a hunk of the Quot Jersey Bounce Quot while Gap a. W. Ireland the regimental jut amp it who probably never read Iota of Mush in ids life directed. And those who were not singing or or drinking were talking about their wives or sweethearts or just women. Prelud8 to Battle it was a scene to rival the Jungle Dante the March of the dwarfs the precession of the priests the ceremonial of the incas. It was nets and crazy and strange. It was the american War dance before Battle. Here we the first Art of the greatest drama Man has. Written War. The second Art will be to a transport plane where a the red Light flashes a warning the jump master cries Quot stand up Check equipment Hook up ready Quot and Anaya son of americans melting pot answers  the magic in Young America answers  Quot pop Quot once again answer  the Quot or. Smiths Quot answer Quot ready the regiment answers Quot ready. The jump meter commands Quot stand to the door Quot the Green Light flashes. The jump master commands Quot jump Quot and jumps plunging Down Toto darkness into space. Sky soldiers a  v a a % a a a x r a a pm v v y a it. A v a a. A 4�?� it Salt a a v a v c. It. American  Ere pictured land tag on Terra Firma a few mammas after had jumped from an army transport plane. The jumpers were snapped while still in training fur the invasion of Sicily