MEN DOING IMPORTANT WORK The Depot fourth-echelon automotive shop is one of the principle reasons for the high esteem in which this depot is held by the high ranking officers of this theatre. The shop has done the work expected of an organization of its kind and done it well enough to win the respect of the lower echelon shop which feeds a goodly proportion of its work to it. The personnel in the shop has done a marvelous job of maintenance and repair with limited equipment and facilities and while pressed for time. They who receive little but deserve much credit are men culled from all walks of life - as is the case in most organizations - but who have undergone efficient training in the Army specialization schools. They have learned while on the job and have applied their school learning with their experience to do the best work possible. Upon the work of that shop depends the mobility of the forces concentrated in this area and throughout a large part of India. The enlisted men have accomplished unbelievable tasks under the most adverse conditions and with a resourcefulness that is surpassed only by their willingness to work. Vehicles have come time and again from lower echelon sops, condemned as unrepairable and have been returned in prime working condition. Little things like that can go a long way towards keeping the supplies on the move. And they must be kept on the move! The prime suty of the shop is to completely overhaul engines which have been subjected to strain and overwork. A thorough job of overhauling an engine encompasses much in the way of precision work and requires the utmost in technical ability and patience. The engines are torn down, carbon is scraped from the block and head, the block is rebored and numerous other importaznt operations are performed before the engine is fully rebuilt. In a job where accuracy is the keynote, the men of the engine overhaul section are doing exemplary work. After the engines are rebuilt and checked they are sent out to the test block for a thorough check while running. Minute adjustments are made and after the engine has been set at its peak of efficient operation it is allowed to run for eight hours in order to permit the new parts to work in smoothly. If anything is found wrong with the engine that cannot be corrected by the test block experts, it is sent back to the shop. No engine is permitted to leave until it has been checked, rechecked and double checked. Every engine that leaves the test block with an okeh IS okeh. The body of men who overhaul and repair vehicles are doing fine work. Where replacement parts are at a minimum the men have learned to substitute and improvise. The thing uppermost in the minds of the mechanics is the fact that the vehicles must be gotten back on the road in serviceable condition as soon as possible. They work tirelessly towards that end. Their contribution to the war effort can never be fully evaluated; for this is a war of supply and supplies are hauled on trucks. It is the work of the maintenance men of the 4th echelon shop to keep those supplies moving to their destination. The supplies ARE reaching those points, as the Jap can well assure you. There is a section devoted exclusively to repairing worn and broken units. The integral parts of a vehicle; transmissions and transfer cases, steering gears, front and rear ends and several other units are brought back to life by diligent workers whose careful and skilfull ministrations are performing an unacclaimed service. Unit repair is one of the important functions of a shop of that type. Third echelon units merely replace units on vehicles; the worn and broken unit is then sent to the fourth echelon shop for possible repair and reclamation. This shop takes the possible out of the line and makes it "probable." The men in the C and E section are doing essential work and performing their tasks with a minimum of lost time and motion. Working on the electrical and carburetion circuits requires much in the way of intelligence and skill. The tuning up of an engine - to the point where it performs most efficiently and economically - is done, to a large point, through the carburetion and electrical systems. Most of the difficulties encountered in a vehicle are caused by fouling in the fuel lines or the electrical circuit; it takes a high degree of skill to locate and eliminate these troubles. The battery section does much the same work, in respect to batteries, that the engine and overhaul sections do. Old and worn batteries, which are the life giving units of any engine, are torn apart, the damaged cells and sections repaired and in a short time a useable unit is on the line awaiting charging. It is usually possible to locate a battery shop worker by the acid holes in his coveralls. Recharging and overhauling batteries is a thankless job but one that must be done. It is being done very well. There is a two man canvas repair section and a one man glass section. The canvas section repairs the canvas tops of the vehicles. Their work will be more greatly appreciated when the monsoons come. Just now they are taken for granted and given a lot of work. The glass section is devoted to cutting and replacing broken and cracked windshields. It requires a complete lack of nerves; cutting glass freehand is quite a task. It is also not the job for a person suffering from anemia. The glass cutter fingers have more cuts than salaries during the depression. The oil shed is run by two men whose job it is to lubricate all vehicles before they leave the shop. Transmissions, transfer cases, rear and front ends and many other units and parts need grease or oil in order to function properly for any length of time. A careful job of lubrication is as important to the life of a vehicle as any other single operation. One of the greatest causes of undue wear and breakage on vehicles is the lack of proper lubrication. When a vehicle leaves the 4th echelon shop for use it is properly lubricated. The Welding Section performs many odd tasks and services for the automotive section. Most of the work done is underestimated in importance. The body and fender section straightens out bent and twisted bodies and frames. That section performs miraculous jobs as a matter of course. The men of that section do not receive sufficient credit for their fine work. The Machine Shop performs many services for the shop. Without the fine work it does the job of the automotive section would indeed be virtually impossible. Many parts, standard and unorthodox, are difficult to obtain. The machine shop makes these parts. Work of a precision nature is turned out on a grand scale by these hardworking men. They are a valuable asset to the shop. Like any other organization of any type, the success of the shop depends on the working part of the personnel, the enlisted men who finish a day of work begrimed and tired, but smiling at the satisfaction that comes with accomplishment. It is not because of any one or two men or because of the special skill of any one section but because of the complete co-operation between the sections and the men in them that the shop is able to do the fine work it has been doing. The men are not completely satisfied with conditions and they are not receiving the parts necessary for their work but in spite of it they are turning out the work and doing it as quickly as is humanly possible. The depot should be and is proud of the accomplishments of the shop. The men of the shop should be proud of the work they are doing; for they are doing it better than anyone expected and doing it better than anyone has any right to expect. The fourth echelon shop of this depot is deserving of all praise that has been leveled at it. |
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27/28 MAY - SAT. & SUN. "Young & Willing" William Holden and Susan Hayward
30/31 MAY - TUES. & WEDS. "Nothing But The Truth" Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard 1/2 JUNE - THURS. & FRI. "Eagle Squadron" Robert Stack, Diana Barrymore and Jon Hall 3/4 JUNE - SAT. & SUN. "The Navy Comes Through" Pat O'Brien, George Murphy and Jane Wyatt |
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THIS IS THE TIME WE PROMISED an article on OUR SHOP SECTION. Due to an unusually large amount of high priority work the man who was to have prepared the material was unable to present it for this issue. However we wish to give you a word picture of the Staff Sgt. in charge.
ERWIN W. CRANE, A NATIVE OF LODA, ILLINOIS, is unmarried and a darn swell guy. Having considerable technical knowledge he is able to check closely on the work being turned out in the shop. His crew of technicians, working from blueprints, turn out the material and the parts which are not readily available thru general supply channels. Having a call for a critical item the print for the desired part is obtained or worked out from the original item and with necessary material already on hand the piece or part is soon being made, exact to specifications and tolerances. Checking each step in the making, the sergeant is there, supervising and advising on the more difficult phases of the work. Always on call to anyone with a problem the Sgt. is ready to oblige and his men are behind him 100% which after all means that he is a REAL LEADER and a DOER.
ANOTHER OF OUR GROUP LEADERS is Staff Sergeant JOSEPH C. COMSTOCK who hails from Independence, Mo. One of the capable motor sergeants who assists the dispatcher at the Motor Pool. Pete is the head of the gang which brings the personnel to and from the Depot. We seldom see Pete without a cigar and it is a constant wonder to us where he manages to get enough. Ever since we missed reporting his plunge into the river (which was very well covered by another of the Depot scribes) we have been trying to see that all of his various activities are covered in this column. There wasn't space last week and when we gave that as our reason for omitting him he said, "Heck, I'm just doing the job they gave me. I don't have to be mentioned." That is J.C. Comstock, nothing theatrical about him, just an ordinary guy doing his job. That is what all of us are doing, our part of the job ahead. Pete is a home man and is the father of a boy who is back there with his mother wanting to know when Pop is coming back.
PETE'S GANG OF DRIVERS TRANSPORT the civilian workers and they all say it is great work except for the hours.
Seeing some of the girls we are wondering if they mean driving a sis-by-sis.
It came to our attention that they have received some nice offers.
Some time back T/5 ALBERT SAWATZKI got an offer and to date he never has told us how he made out.
Then we remember hearing some talk about "DADDY," while this predawn group was having breakfast one morning.
T/5 BILL STEWART did recover from that candy given him by his friend.
That was a dirty handout from the Artillery Section.
This crew eats its breakfast together then go their separate ways, taking their different assignments for that day.
Working at all hours and never knowing when they will be called on an extra assignment, they drive by both night and day and are on the spot when and where they are needed.
LATE NEWS FLASH. There is a confirmed report about a lot of hand shaking having taken place in the Shop Section. The Sgt. is very modest about the whole affair but we notice that he gazes fondly at that right hand, sighs, then replaces it in his pocket or out of sight under his shirt. It is reported (unconfirmed as yet) that he was seen taking a shower with that hand done up in a cellophane cover. Upon being asked since when, was he left handed, he evaded the issue and mumbled something about liking to loathe himself left handed.
THE BOMBER WENT INTO action again today playing the "JIVIN' TEN." They came out on the short end of the score but had that old fighting gleam in their eyes as they took the field.
MOST OF THE OTHER OUTFITS welcome newly added members in their columns. We just make them welcome and by now we are sure that they feel as if they had grown up with us. DEEDS not WORDS ARE WHAT COUNTS.
AGAIN WE REPEAT - This is YOUR column, let us have some news on that fellow next to you. Does he have some special knack or accomplishment? Dig those personalities out and let us hear about them. The folks back home want to know about all of your buddies not just the few that write home about. - Pfc. Al Pharo
SITTING IN THE cool shade of not less than 110 degrees which is being furnished by the green palm trees swaying overhead thru the courtesy of Spam incorporated, I take my pen in hand and commence writing. Gazing thru last week's edition of Tiger Rag, I was greatly amused at an article based on malaria control which compelled me to look twice before writing. It emphasized the splendid work which is being done by the MPs who are on duty nightly at the theatre to see that our sleeves are rolled down and sufficient clothing worn in order to withstand that spectacular foe, Mr. Mosquito. And rightly so, for it's a direct order from Colonel Hackett. But as I looked at the first page I noticed the soldiers medal being presented to Sergeant Peterson by the little colonel who had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Dis I say something wrong? Pardon me. There were many GIs who noticed it at the theatre and if you are in need of proof, just take a gander of last week's issue of the Rag. Picture don't lie. This brings back into the spotlight that old familiar saying "why don't you practice what you preach?"
THAT BLONDE HEADED gentleman you see walking around is that two fisted Corporal Donald H. Foster. Here's one man who I can truthfully say the company looks up to, because he stands 6ft.,4in. Foster who packs dynamite in his two long legs takes great pride in talking about his forty-seven acres of land which lies in Ohio and at the wars conclusion, he's cruising home to greet every inch of it. Don will agree with you that marriage, chickens and cows, plus forty-seven acres are all a man could wish for. Quite right ole boy, quite right. But remember, you must have 47 acres, no more, no less, in order to make a go of it. Prior to coming to the Army, he worked at ignition and carbeuration for eleven years which just goes to show you that he worked at ignition and carbeuration for eleven years. Incidentally, Foster is married and every day after work, "stringbean" would rush home to the little wife and begin working his land till nightfall, which is no small task. Holding a civilian kob and farming too is a pretty big job but Donald is a pretty big man. Observing his large frame maneuver around reminds me of the statement, "they grow them big on the farm" but I never realized they overdid it.
THE PERPETUAL SMILE ON THAT shining face belongs to that happy-go-lucky Irishman, Edward J. Murphy. With a million dollar disposition and heart as good as gold, the reason for him being the most likeable man in the outfit no longer remains a secret. Ay, tis a foine thing ta see Mr. Murphy paradin down the ole hometown with a shamrock in his lapel and a smile from ear to ear on that happy St. Patrick's Day. Murphy is so Irish that even his blood turns green on St. Pat's Day. Up to this day he hasn't understood why anyone would want to throw the overalls in Mrs. Murphy's chowder. By the way pal, I've been a little low on cash the past few days and I was wondering -
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN, Sergeant First Class Harry (Squirrell Head) Metzler and the other part of the act Sergeant F. (Sparrow Brain) Taylor, alias Frank and Jesse James have reported sneaking out every night when no one was looking and making mud pies. I think the Nut Brothers would be a more appropriate title because I wouldn't put it past these two if they were even playing cowboys and Indians on their off moments. "Squirrel Head" has been seen recently driving a tractor around the motor pool and I'm sure he doesn't know either. There has been a rumor floating around the company saying you're planning on resigning your post and dropping down in the peasant class with us. If you do retire why not take "Sparrow Brain" with you? Good night all. - Jeep Friedman
JUMPING UP TO 4th PLACE IN THIS WEEK'S PERSONALITY is S/Sgt. Owen Diamond Mike Jr., the mess sergeant. Mike hails from Asbury Park, N.J., and Washington, D.C. He spent five-and-one-half years in high school, one-and-one-half of which he sacrificed merely to play his favorite sport, football. His hobbies are: hitch-hiking and lovely dreams, for sports he has football (in which he is an all-star guard) and track. Prior to his induction he was a cook in the Census Bureau in Washington, D.C., feeding six thousand persons. In 1941 he satisfactorily reported in to Fort George G./ Meade, Md. to start his Army career, from there to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. where he was mess sergeant for the Sixth Battalion, feeding sixteen hundred GIs. Later he was in the cadre to activate this company, his place was in the kitchen, of course, and he did a swell job as sergeant. He was appointed to his present grade while in Greenville, S.C. Our next trip was to Texas and he was glad to leave S.C., but didn't care for Texas, the Lone Star State. When he left Texas he was wondering where his final destination would be, to find it is beautiful, romantic India, the land of mystery. Still carrying on as mess sergeant, he says he is going to build a home and take care of his father when he gets out of the Army, but he also wants to stay in the Army a while after the discharges start pouring in: I think we will.
MIKE's PASSWORD TO OFFICERS IS: "Sir, just when do you think this war will be over?"
He always receives some answer.
Recently he asked a second lieutenant, the Second Lieutenant's reply was "Ten years, sergeant."
Since that time he has been "AT EASE."
Mike has the grasshopper's mind, now he wants to get married if conditions permit (I don't know what he means by that).
Anyway, let's consider him this week's pin-up and remember boys the quotation from CBI Roundup, "Gripe about everything in the mess hall, whether its good or bad."
A GROUP OF MEN under the supervision of M/Sgt. Victor B. Phillips, and S/Sgt. Hiram S. Cleveland, recently returned from D.S. Welcome back to your parent organization boys, we have been a long time and no see (sea).
THE FOLLOWING MEN WERE RELEASED from the hospital and sick bay during the week: Sgt. John P. Perry, Sgt. Herman T. Gilbert, Cpl. Hubert Burell, Cpl. Gorlon Houston, Cpl. Lucious E. Henderson. Glad to have you men back too.
THE STORY OF THE DANCE will follow in next week's edition of the Tiger Rag. - SKULL
YOU WOULD THINK that Paramore washed each item of clothes himself from the way we hear him cursed whenever the laundry comes back...
we wouldn't have his job AT ANY PRICE...
we know of at least three people who were going to wring his neck...
frankly, we waited in our barracks and listened for his screams...
well, the laundry came back, didn't it?...
as Regoli says, the only fun we have anymore is seeing whose laundry we got...
MATERIAL FOR A 3-ring circus is Sgt. Potter, who with his sixth rib should be a sensational attraction...
we tried to count the Sgt's ribs (How many ribs should a Sgt. have, anyway), but the Sgt. is ticklish and there is too much of him between his epidermis and the sixth rib...
we asked him how it felt to have an extra rib and he said that he really didn't know the difference...
we asked how he knew he had a sixth rib...
"A doctor told me," he replied...
which was proof enough for us...
maybe that's why he perspires so much...
maintaining an extra rib must be an exceptional strain on one...
WE THOUGHT WE would have to carry our friend Sgt. Ulen out of the room the other night when the orchestra at one of the local bright spots began to play that song about the banks of the Wabash being so far away... certainly no one was more conscious of the distance of the Wabash banks than the Hoosier Sgt., in whose eyes we saw reflections of the moon shining through sycamores... we even thought we smelled some new mown hay (Undoubtedly the tobacco of the English gentlemen at the next table).
NOTE: THE DISTINGUISHED CRITIC of the theatre and of the dramatic arts, Victor Courtien, has kindly consented to contribute a brief critique on the recent picture, Claudia. We feel very fortunate in having this celebrated New Yorker in our midst, and in addition to naming him MAN OF THE WEEK, we have asked him to be guest writer on this week's column. His critique on Claudia, which appears directly below, is we believe one of the best things he has ever done.
SGT. MOORE'S MOST DIFFICULT task the past week was tryhing to get the boys in the Ord Section to take a furlough... he simply begged them to go... even the picture of snow capped mountains, of the bright social life of one of India's most famous resort cities, of days where temerature is 60 degrees at noon, had no effect... chief complaints were lack of funds and of presentable clothing in which to make the trip... anyway, we all said we'd go, if we were asked again whether our laundry was back or not... we'll probably never be asked again.
OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO the 2005th who in spite of the fact that they have been severely crippled by the loss of four of their best men (Horton, Redmann, Harrison (You can have him back. All he does for us is SLEEP), and Courtien) are still carrying on in a terrific way - if we are to believe correspondent Pharo's words in a recent column. And we do believe of course.
The 83rd has been swamped with requests for transfers to the 2005th... it seems that the boys want to be where something is being done...
VOLLEYBALL AGAIN CAME INTO being this week.
The Orphans beat the 886th Signal, 47th Supply, 83rd Air Corps.
Fortunately for the 2005th, a dust storm interrupted the game, which was threatening to be what is called a "push-over" for the 83rd boys...
This week the tireless Pop Thornton is back with us again with an open letter to his Pappy, "Old Folks" Thornton, Sr., who is keeping things "stirred up" back in the hills of "Ole Mississippi" until the day when Pop returns from the wars.
Dear Pappy,
That feller in our outfit what kin reed an rite, Theogundi, tole me ter rite sumpthin fer the paper.
I wus so tard I couldn't think o'nuttin bust cause he redlined me onct on the payrole I was scared not ter try, so I tole him I'd let him reed this letter I'm agoin to rite you.
Sattiday nite all the fellers had took there weekly washin an it shure did make em lite an happie.
You know at first I thought it war one of them hog callin bouts we used ter throw t'home.
More whoopin an hollerin that all git-out.
Some of em musta thought they wus a'fightin f'ar.
They had some pumps an hoses a'shootin water all aroun.
One buster allowed as how all the beds wus durty (they w'ar) so he took em in that place war they dun the washin an turned the water on em.
T'other nite we took down our shootin a'rns and went out to the range, which is a new fangled way of holdin a turkey shoot.
Anyways, I seen sumthin a'flyin on the end of a pole which i thought wuz a red flag to show there wuz some shootin goin on, but they tole me it wuz a pair of red drawers which wuz to be presented to anybuddy who missed the target every shot.
The First Sergeant shure does look funny wearin red drawers.
You know Sattiday nite one of the fellers got so t'ard and sleepy he just went t'sleep rite on the cement floor without no clothes on.
He sho looked peeked next day.
I hear he ain't et anything yet.
Says the heat don't agree with him. Bottled heat.
We air plannin to start some more of them follyball games this week if we kin git the younguns out'n the sacks.
Us old men have a chanct to git even with em cause we kin arguate the loudest an they tell me that's what counts with the score keeper.
Pappy, you watch out for them revenooers and keep the still agoin till your prodigal gets back that.
I'm a goin to bring home some of these hyere contrapshuns called shoes so's we kin use em to season the first runoff.
Your boy, Old Folks, Jr.
Welcome to the new fellows and to Lt. Seligson.
We are glad to have you with us.
Sgt. Grauff - Why do you have your eyes in the direction of the dispensary every morning?
P.S. Could it be the fords that pass by?
Sgt. Bonesteel: We all regret to state that the ocarino you have wasn't made for you but we all appreciate your efforts to entertain us. (? How about that ?)
Sgt. Lustberg and Pfc. Piasecki. Glad to see you boys back again and hope you enjoyed your little vacation.
Fellows: Did you know that we have a fellow GI in our outfit that actually speaks Hindustani better than the Indians?
(Guess who?)
Is that how you get acquainted with that little girls across the river?
That's all for this week brother rats but look for next week's issue when we ask the sixty four dollar question.
PASSING OUT ORCHIDS
It is about time that this column paid a little attention to our two - twenty-four hour radio men, T/4 Aristide (T.D.) Tselikis and Cpl. Pasquale (Pat) DiPaolis.
When not working at their regular job of trying to find out what is wrong with the darn things at the radio shop, they are on duty in the area,
servicing and extending the Public Address system that they have set up for the entertainment of the rest of the company.
They now have speakers arranged so every barracks in the area has a speaker within listening distance, and wires to every barracks, which speakers can easily be attached when available.
When completed and in operation, the setup will be a two-way communication system between the orderly room and all the barracks, and also will be able to play through the radio, and pick up the GI station (and all stations that use a language that we can understand) and we can use our phonograph and play that when nothing is available on the radio.
They also have done quite a bit of radio work for another company on the base, helping set up a similar unit - All on their own time.
PFC OF THE WEEK
Since Pfc. Frank Heinzinger has been retired from his occupation of combination train guard and assistant sweeper for Zag Nut (the Ace of the Area), he has acquired two new jobs - Assistant mail clerk, and Charge of Quarters.
Seems as if he is one of those GIs that just can't get himself an 8-hour per day job.
The way he says it though, is "Anything but the warehouse!" - "J.O."
SWIMMING The depot swimming pool is now open for the GIs of the post. The pool was first put into use by men of the depot this past Wednesday. It will continue to be available for use every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The three other days of the week the pool is closed to all. It is only through the kindness of the owners that depot personnel are permitted to use it so following the regulations that have been set up for everyone's protection will insure the constant use of the pool. The rules are few but important. Swimming trunks must be worn. A shower must be taken before entering the pool. And if GIs will limit their swim to 30 minutes there will be sufficient room for all to bathe. The pool is for your use; don't misuse it. |
McCAMEY GIVES ONLY THREE HITS Well the Flaming Bombs have been wet down and put away again. This time the Jivers played firemen by the score of 3 to 0. There was only one home run hit in the game and that came at the beginning of the third inning. McCamey still in good form allowed only three hits, while the Jivers banged out six hits that were good for three runs. |
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