Crisp County GaArchives News.....LT. W.C. PRIDGEN TAKES ENEMY CARS BEHIND LINES 1944
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
WYLIE SHEPPARD JR http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007303 May 16, 2011, 2:57 pm

CORDELE DISPATCH 1944
THIS IS A STORY OF A RECONNAISSANCE UNIT OF PATTON'S ARMY,A FEATURE IN A 
RECENT ISSUE OF ''WARWEEK'', A COMBAT CORRESPONDENT MAKES THE FOLLOWING 
MENTION OF A CORDELE BOY, IN CHARGE OF AN M-8.
''LT. WILLIAM C. PRIDGEN ,A GOODLOOKING KID FROM CORDELE,GA., WAS SNOOPING 
AROUND IN THE DARK BEHIND ENEMY LINES. HE WAS IN CHARGE OF AN M-8 AND TWO 
JEEPS AND WAS CUT OFF FROM THE REST OF HIS OUTFIT
 I GOT OUT TO READ A SIGNPOST BY SHINING A LIGHT THROUGH MY FINGERS'' SAYS 
PRIDGEN ,''THEN I HEARD THREE VEHICLES DRAW UP ABOUT 30 YARDS APART. THET 
DIDN'T SEE US AND FRANKLY I COULDN'T TELL IF THEY WERE YANKS OR GERMANS.
 I SNEAKED UP OUT OF THE DITCH TO SEE WHAT WAS WHAT.WHEN I SHINED THE LIGHT IN 
AND FOUND IT FULL OF GERMANS .I ROLLED INTO THE DITCH, AFTER THROWING MY 
FLASHLIGHT AT THE FIRST FACE IN THE CAR AND MY BOYS OPENED UP. AN M-1 RIFLE 
WAS SHOOTING UP THE FIRST CAR, MY ARMORED CAR MG WAS GETTING THE SECOND AND 
THE JEEP'S MG WAS TURNED ON THE THIRD. WE WIPED THEM OUT TO A MAN.''
 LT. PRIDGEN EXPLAINED WHYTHE OPERATION WAS A SUCESS.
'' IF WE HADN'T PLACED OUR VEHICLES IN STRATEGIC POSITIONS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 
A SIMPLE LITTLE THING LIKE READINGA SIGN POST -WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SURPRISED 
AND MOPPED UP. BUT THE BREAKS WERE WITH US - AND AT FIVE IN THE MORNING WE GOT 
FIVE MORE ENEMY CARS AND AN AMMUNITION TRUCK . A GOOD HAUL -EIGHT VEHICLES AND 
THEIR PERSONNEL. AFTER THAT WE GOT THE HELL OUT,JERRIES WERE DEAD ALL OVER THE 
PLACE.

Additional Comments:
MR PRIDGEN WAS KILLED IN 2004 BY A SEMI TRUCK ACCIDENT. HE WAS A PALLBEARER 
FOR CORDELE ACE PILOT MAJOR FELIX WILLIAMSON IN 1947.

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