Mediterranean Algiers Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1943, Algiers, Algiers                                Saturday August 21, 19431the stars and stripes weekly Page 5 the Shoemaker s Holiday Randazzo gone but old Man could now speak his mind with american forces in Central Sicily delayed a it was a big Day Lor the Shoemaker of Randazzo. He said there had never been another Day like it in All his 60 years at Randazzo a town in the Shadow of mount Etna. First the americans and the englishmen had come into town shortly after the Sun had risen Over the lower slopes of the Moun Tain. He had been expecting us he said for the gel mans had looted . That was a sign that they were going away u stay. Secondly it was quiet in Randazzo. There Hadnot been a bomb or a Shell land in the town All Day. The Shoemaker Kepi looking up in the sky he  believe that somewhere behind those Clouds there Wasny to a Silver plane ready to drop a Black bomb. They had come so Many times before. Stellar left end you see Randazzo was the Stellar left end on what May be recorded As the last German defense line in Sicily. Roads to the nor cd the East the West and the South came together there at Randazzo it is one of the most important Inland communication Points in Sicily. Military strategy demanded that this Road Junction be smashed and the allies with their mighty air Leet smashed it by burying the Road under the debris of the town. The germans were forced to withdraw from their Strong Point because there was no Strong Point left. Nothing remained but crumbled Brick shattered Rock and splintered Wood. There was not. However the smell of death. Civilians had moved out a month ago and during the heavier stages of the Blitz the germans oper by a sgt. Jack fois1e special to the stars and stripes free to say what he wanted to say about fascism in general and the fascist mayor in \ articular. He said it with great gusto to a very interested officer it. Charles b. Conick of Pittsburgh Quot pa., and to sgt. Henry b. An Baigio a. Of new Orleans. The mayor a fellow named Vilen Tzio. Was a very Rich Man and the people he governed were very poor. It had not Bren so until or. Vilen Tzio became a member of the Quot  which was the name of the orig inn of Cist organization formed in 1923. Fine uniform the citizens of Randazzo still regarded or. Vilen Tzio upon his return from Italy As a simple Farmer rid poor Man like themselves. However they were Content to have him As mayor for he wore a Fine uniform and seemed to get along Well with the mysterious somebodies up above. It turned Ort that the fascist mayor soon moved into a grand House he appointed his Cousin the Secretary of the local fascist party and another Cousin became postmaster. A brother in Law became the town banker. They All moved into grand houses and the people of Randazzo became poorer and poorer. Anyone who grumbled was taken to Caltanissetta and the jury never failed to give them less than four year s imprisonment. The people began to hate or. Vilen Tzio said the Shoemaker. Then the bombs began to fall and the mayor of Randazzo went away. One bomb fell through the mayor s roof and a xxx Ted it to the View of the poor people. It was indeed a grand nouse they said. Randazzo s big Day was almost Over. The is n shone High on the lava slopes of mount Etna. The Sammie and the mommies had passed by the town to catch the retreating enemy. Three medics stayed behind to i treat the wounded civilians coming Back from the Hills. The first airmen were sgt. Coy Colwell of Zavalla Texas Cpl. Arcadio g Amano it new braunfels Texas and pvt. Daniel Wall of los Angeles. To them and to All the Allied soldiers who strayed into the ruins that was once Randazzo the Village padre presented scapulars imprinted with the picture of Christ on the Cross. The old Shoemaker looked very Happy. Story of a dramatic double deals w Ith j err y ated in the town Only at night. Thirdly the e was Union or rather reunion in Randazzo. The yank and the Tommy entered the town together Side by Side walking the same mine strewn Road. It was the same British eighth army and the same american unit which had met before on april 8. In the Road from Hafsa to a bes in North Africa. First to enter the first american unit into town was company c of an infantry battalion commanded by maj. Phillip Tinley of Baltimore my. The advanced patrol consisted of pfc. Rafael c. Lopez of Millett Texas pvt. Walter j. Smith. Of Trenton n. J. Pvt. Pala 4 Carter of Muncie ind. Pie fete Polotko of Elmira Heights n. A. Pie. David e. Townsend of Graceville Minn. And a reconnaissance scout. Cpl. Lyndon Marshall of Forbes n d. In one of the first jeeps to get into Randazzo Rode up Jack Miller of the Bronx. N y. And pfc. John Dorothy of Ames Iowa. They had to bypass seven blown Bridges in the last three Miles of Road three jeeps by a sgt. Ralph g. Martin stars and stripes staff writer it with american troops in Sicily it  even happen in Hollywood but it happened in a greyish looking Villa in Sicily two Miles behind the German lines. It All started when 1st it. Fled Thomas walked into a frontline first Aid station and told a sgt. Earl wills a a there Are two wounded american soldiers and one badly Hurt Jerry in a House a couple Miles behind the German lines. But i can take you right where they Are. Can you come with me Twenty two year old sgt. Wills canoes. N. Y., with four years of regular army behind him looked up at the Looey for a Long minute Quot yeah sure 1 11 come a he said. Medics arrive he came up with three other medics piled into two jeeps t-4 John Packard Highland fails y. T-5 William Larson Story City Iowa and pvt. Robert Holden Rochester. N.  They raced along the Road tar in front of our Advance troops their red Cross flags Hying and finally the Looey said a a this is the  turning left off the Highway they came into the courtyard of a big old House and when they approached the open door the four medics stared blinked stared again. Inside the big front room there were 18 paratroopers and two germans All of them armed drinking wine and eating Chow served by some italian civilians laughing having a wonderful time. Whet the Lour open mouthed medics looked at the Looey he smiled and then motioned them into a Back room. In the Back room there were three wounded soldiers two yank one Jerry. Still slightly bewildered of the whole tiling the medics dressed one yanks shattered Arm Alioth room to say goodbye to their Comrade. They made sure he was comfortable reassured him that everything would be All right and then motioned to the lieutenant. A a it s of now a a said the Looey to sgt. Wills. A a you can put them into the jeep. And in Case you re stopped by any German patrol the password is  with a wild look in his Eye sgt. Wills walked up to the Booty. A what the hell goes on Here sir a he asked. A a who s crazy a and so the Looey explained that morning the paratroopers had brought their two wounded soldiers to this italian Villa and they were chowing up and figuring out their next move. Suddenly without knocking a German Soldier opened the door walked in and politely informed them that there were two Mark i s hidden in the Brush outside with their guns focused on the door so would nobody please try to take a walk that afternoon. Then he proposed a a a gentleman a  the bargain it seems that the two tank Crews were one of the last few nazi patrols in that sector and everybody was pulling out that afternoon. Both tanks were out of order except their guns which worked perfectly so the German Crews were going to blow up their tanks and leave earlier on foot. But one of their comrades was wounded and needed immediate attention and their own first Aid station had moved Way Back earlier that morning. If the americans would Send some one to bring Back transportation to take their wounded Comrade to an american Hospital the germans would go their Way and let the americans go theirs. There must by no funny business the German added. Everybody must give his word of Honor As a Soldier and gentleman. Just 0ne my also fixed to make sure of course the Cerer s Bullet wounds and also Leci  the 17 Nara i of the first five that attempt to run the Gauntlet of mines i not get through rhe old Shoemaker of course i not mention the joint Anglo Merican entry for he did not in stand the significance of it. Al. Fathomed was that there had last come to Randazzo an army Trotier than the German fourthly the Cid Shoemaker was mans we Ould hold the 17 paratroopers As forfeit. And that just what happened. Wilt n sgt. Wills told the Story to copt. John Lauten Glendale you i calif., the Captain smiled Indus gently you be been working too i hard sergeant a he said. These Shell Shock cases Are beginning to affect you. That sort of tiling just the Looey Smilen again a a there j does no to  Are two German Maik via spark but the sergeant insisted and de in the Orchard right in front i the Captain started checking up. Of the House with their 83 s gov first Stop when the american cling the exit. I have to get their i troops pushed Forward was to drop slav before you can leave in at the Villa. Sure enough in epo Rij a wills could lose his j were the two Mark i tanks born Mouth the Looey had gone out turrets and guns Tho Reighly desk v. Up the Jerry Wilt had shrapnel wounds in his arms legs and stomach. They were loading the patients onto the litters when the Looey came up to wills again. A Vait a minute a he said Guys Ait in a pretty hot spot. Double trouble in the other room the Jerries land yanks were still drinking i Vino still smiling at each other 1 and kidding the italian civilians. But a few minutes later the party was Over and the German soldiers trooped into the Back polished. After that the Captain hunted up the paratroop lieutenant questioned the wounded German prisoner. Everything checked and double checked. But still when the Captain told the Story he scratched his head. In t it crazy a he said. 9baby needs some Vino a Yankee tint Strong in re of Squadron with american troops in Sicily the pilots were bunched together in a Small tight Circle. On the nearby table a Victrola blared out the scratchy music of some old italian records. But none of the pilots were listening. It might have been a briefing but it was i. It was a crap game. It was a surprisingly quiet crap game almost As restrained As a game of Bridge. But every once in a while out would pop a a come on seven baby needs a new bottle of  maybe the restraint was British but the expressions we re from Brooklyn. And that a just what these Guys a ire. British Brooklyn. As member pilots of the Only Canadian fighter Squadron in this War theatre this unit was patterned pretty much after the american Eagle Squadron in Britain. The crap game ended Only because you could no longer see the dots on the Dice and because someone came out of the Large tent and announced in a loud Clear voice Quot there Are Only 21 bottles of Vino  then everybody made a Rush. Globe t totters its a mixed Bunch this Roaf Squadron the still raw Pilous fresh from College still Hunting for their first Quot Kite the hard boiled veterans who have flown with everything except Angels and the Guys who covered the sicilian landings have also been in dogfights in Burma China Fiance Germany the Battle of Britain. Squadron Leader Stanley Turner of Toronto was in the Battle of Britain in Britain Turner teamed up with a Guy named Bader Bader is the boy who lost both legs put on tin ones and kept flying and when he crash landed in enemy territory and broke his tin legs too. The nazi boys let it be known that they would allow a British Raf plane to drop a new pair for him. Together with Bader. Turner knocked out a lot of e Ixia us. But alone he chalked up a record of 14 enemy planes destroyed three probables and six damaged. At the Dunkirk show alone he shot Down three Mes in a single tiny. They gave him the dog Lur that. After England Turner had a six months hitch at Malta and when he finally took a vacation trip on a British Cruiser the Cruiser was torpedoed and Turner had a Long swim. From there he went to the Middle East took Over his Canadian Squadron pushing through Egypt with Montgom that Long desert trek was Dusty and Dull a a but that boy Koplitz sine helped liven up things a said Jim of Brien Princeton class of 42. Johnny Koplitz one of the yanks in the Squadron strictly from East Orange n. Jis a former bandleader who kept things in pred up during the dark lonely nights by giving Jam session concerts on the piano clarinet and accordian. Second tour9 Hay another yank in the Roaf is really an american engish Iii ii born in the dates Hay was brought to England at the age of three finally came Back to go to Yale just As he graduated War Bloke and Hay rushed up to Canada and enlisted. He a already had three years of it and so this is ins a a second  he was at Al Alamein when his plane was shot Down fiver the drink and he spent la hours in a Dinghy and then he waited in a German Shell Heile until the British troops caught up to him. If Hay is american British then sgt. Dack Doyle Only flying sergeant in the outfit is British Aine rican. Flight officer Guy Wood. Ann Arbor mich., is the Only Ameri ran american left in the outfit. Koplitz has recently transferred to the u s. Army air Force Quot i was thinking seriously of transferring along with Koplitz but i be been in this Squadron a Long time and All these Guys Are Good friends of mine and i really like it Here Quot Wexel said. A a besides a he added Quot what difference does it really make. We re All in the same  Well done atm mar v car it Gen Carl a. Staatz commanding general of the Naa congratulates it. Col. Leroy a. Rai a on the completion of Bis or oud a first year in combat while maj. Gen. James h. Doolittle looks on. A photo by Cpl. J. D. Miller