Crisp County GaArchives News.....PVT L.H. SIMMONS WITH CO. HOLDING PASS ON LEYTE 1942 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: WYLIE SHEPPARD JR. http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007303 May 23, 2011, 1:32 pm CORDELE DISPATCH 1942 WITH THE 24TH INFANTRY VICTORY DIVISION IN THE PHILIPPINES THE DANGER AND HARDSHIP ENDURED BY A LONE COMPANY ON A NINE-DAY MISSION DEEP INTO THE JAPANESE MOUNTAIN STRONGHOLDS OF LEYTE ISLAND IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT PVT. L.H. SIMMONS,308 10TH ST S. CORDELE GA.WILL NEVER FORGET. IT WAS WHEN THIS CRACK VICTORY DIVISION WAS SWEEPING THROUGH THE LEYTE VALLEY THAT CO A OF THE FAMOUS OLD 19TH INFANTRY REGIMENT ROCL OF CHICKAMAUGA CLIMBED INTO THE HILLS DIRECTLY TOWARD THE JAP BASE AT ORMOC TO PROTECT THE 24'S FLANK. WITH FILIPINO GUERILLAS AS GUIDES THE GALLANT COMPNY PROBED FAR INTO THE HIGH PASSES DAY AFTER DAY THTOUGH CHILLING MISTS AND OVER ALMOST IMPASSIBLE TRAILS, SUPPLIED BY ONLY WHAT THEY COULD HAND CARRY INTO THE RUGGED TERRAIN. SEVEN TIMES THEY RAN INTO PITCHED BATTLES WITH THE JAPANESE. THEY STRUCK BOOBY TRAPS OF LACED VINES, SNARLS OF LAND MINES. THEY SLEPT IN SODDEN MUDDY FOXHOLES WITH ONLY PANCHOS FOR COVRT. DURING ONE SHARP FIGHT FOR A RIDGE TOP JUST BEFORE DARK THE COMPANY CAUGHT IN A TORRENTIAL RAIL WHICH MADE FURTHER ATTACK IMPOSSIBLE . SIMMONS AND HIS BUDDIES WITHDREW DOWN A DEEP GORGE AND SET UP A DEFENSE PERIMETER ON A NOSE WITHIN IT. T WAS LUCKY THEY DID FOR IN ONLY MINUTES THE GORGE CARRIED A ROARING MOUNTAIN FLOOD THAT WASHED THE BODIES OF THE DEAD JAPS THEY HAD JUST KILLED PAST THEM INTO THE VALLEY. THREE OF THE NINE DAYS THE COMPANY HAD NO FOOD EXCEPT POTATOES AND TARO ROOTS PROVIDED BY FRIENDLY NATIVES. MANY OTHER TIMES THE MEN WERE ON HALF RATIONS. AT THE END OF THE PERIOD MORE THAN HALF OF THE COMPANY HAD BEEN WOUNDED OR BECOME SICK FROM PHYSICAL STRAIN AND EXPOSURE TO MOUNTAIN COLD. Additional Comments: THANKS PVT SIMMONS File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/crisp/newspapers/pvtlhsim3060nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 2.3 Kb