Dale County AlArchives Photo Person.....Sorrell, Walker Byrd 1944 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Christine Thacker CGT714@AOL.com March 11, 2005, 9:21 pm Source: The Southern Star Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/photos/gph1633sorrell.jpg Image file size: 34.2 Kb Reprinted from The Southern Star May 19, 2004 60 years Ago May 18, 1944 Ozark Engineer Is Decorated Capt. Sorrell Gets Service Cross With the Fifth Army In Italy. May 12- Most combat engineers are either consistent heroes or dead ones and yet they generally get less recognition than any other frontline units of an Army. Those general truths explain why everyone knowing the parties involved felt like applauding overtime recently when Major Gen Geoffrey Keyes , commander of an American Fifth Army formation, pinned the Distinguished Service Cross on Capt. Orville (Bill) Munson of wessington Springs, N.D. and Capt. Walker B. Sorrell of Ozark, Al. Bill Munson and Walker Sorrell are consistent heroes; probably two of the most consistent heroes of the fifth Army. Carring out spectacular jobs in front of the front is a habit with both men, _____. Well, perphaps there is a better word. Their jobs are spectacular, all right, but they are jobs that one just sitting back and looking at the general panorama of war would miss altogether. For example, the drawling Sorrell, of the closely- cropped hair and strong Army issue glasses, who takes healthy swigs of hot coffee whenever he gets the chance, probably had more to do than any other individual with the cracking of the enemy's Gustave line along the Rapido River north of Cassino. It was Sorrell who discovered a roundabout route now called "Sorrell's Skyline" by which tanks could cross the river and furnish devastating, close support for hardpressed infantry. Sorell personally reconnoitered that route; directed the demolitions necessary to make it passable, even lugging 50 pounds of dynamite to a demolition site himself in daylight under constant enemy fire; led the first tanks across under fire from German snipers, and finally helped remove mines from the area. Yet, only a handful of men and officers knew anything about it. All most of the tankmen knew was that someone had found a route by which they could cross the river after they had taken a beating at the original site. All the infantrymen knew was that somehow the tanks had gotten across the Rapido to take a tremendous yoke off their necks by tearing up the enemy's barbed wire defenders, exploding his mines and blasting out his gun emplacements. Likes His Coffee. It was only on the tip of a grateful tank commander-Lieut. Col. Harry W. Sweeting of Auburn, N.Y.- that the writer discovered Sorrell. The 24 year-old captain was calmly drinking hot coffee in a little Italian house near the front and he seemed amused that anyone should think the job he had just done was out of the ordinary. "It just takes a strong back and a weak mind and a willing heart to be a good combat engineer," he explained in his Alabama drawl. "If you want to talk to some guys with real guts, talk to those dough-boys who had to stick it out in that river bed on the night before we got those tanks across. Talk to those guys if you want to talk to some guys with guts." Walker Sorrell doesn't look like a hero. And as was the case with another Fifth Army luminary, Commando Kelly, Sorrell once had his troubles in the Army. But his combat record is one studded with feats such as the one at the Rapido. In fact the day General Keyes pinned the DSC on Sorrell, he also awarded him the Bronze Star for voluntarily leading two enlisted men on a mission to recover Army trucks loaded with bridging material after an attempt to construct a bridge had been called off because of an intense enemy artillery barrage. From the News of Our Men and Women in Uniform dated June 22, 1944 reprinted in the Southern Star June 23, 2004 pg 4B. Capt. Walker Byrd Sorrell At Home Capt. Walker Byrd Sorrell, son of Mrs. Toxie Sorrell, arrived home Tuesday for a two week leave before reporting to his new assigment with the Second Army. Capt. Sorrell has spent the past seven months in Italy with the fifth Army as a combat engineer. He left Italy June 1st and arrived in the States June 14th. Capt. Sorrell was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Bronze Star recently for Cracking the Gustave Line along the Rapido River north of Cassino. Captain Sorrell is being warmly greeted by his many friends. * Found this for Claybank Cem. (CGT) Ard Plot Row 4 Sorrell, Toxie Ard- April 3, 1891- Jan. 2, 1971 W/o W.M. Sorrell "" , Warren Martin- Feb. 2, 1884- Aug. 29, 1925 "" , Warren Martin,II, Inf.S/o Walker Byrd & Madge Jarred Sorrell b/d Oct. 30, 1950 "" , Majorie Word, Jan. 4, 1924 ndd, W/o Martin Ard Sorrell. "" , Martin Ard, Jan. 6, 1918- Oct. 10, 1997. Ard , Erastus Bryon,July 4, 1861- Nov. 23, 1922. " , Zenada Byrd, Jan 12, 1868- Apr. 19, 1942. W/o Erastus B. " , Waldo Emerson, Oct 28, 1892- June 10, 1957 " , Sue Kolb, Jan. 27, 1894- Apr. 26, 1975. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/photos/gph1633sorrell.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb