“Je Suis Pret” by Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band I was raised in a small North Dakota town. It was primarily a farming and railroad center---in fact at one time this community was the end of the line---hence its name Enderlin. During the years 1930-1938 the whole county was in a severe depression. Jobs, and particularly money, disappeared. In 1938, my junior year in high school, things started to pick up. We had a good crop, no more dust storms or grasshoppers, and the general economy had turned around. These were the days of P.W.A., the Public Works Administration and Mr. Roosevelt’s N.R.A., the National Recovery Act. However, another solution to depression was being advocated in Europe. Hitler’s rise to power with the Third Reich, and in Japan with the prosperity program for all of Asia---of course, Japan had been in war with China since 1932. As you are well aware this whole international kettle boiled over with Hitler finally going into Poland with his armed forces, the useless Chamberlain plan to appease Hitler as he quickly over ran all of Europe, including the Maginot Line, and then began his own demise with the attack on Great Britain. Politically there was a mixed opinion in the U.S. as to who to support---Britain or Germany. F.D.R., of course, backed Britain and through lend-lease provided Britain with minimal help, and airplanes through Canada. This was the summer of 1940. June of 1940 was that marvelous time when twelve years of experiences culminated in graduation from high school for yours truly. With forty-two fellow graduates our future was to be mightily determined by the actions of people all over the world. While in school I played in the band, sang in the choir, played baseball and football, made a lot of dear friends and generally had a lot of fun. In 1940, the army came out with a program suggesting that you could serve one year and satisfy your military requirements---even by serving in the National Guard. In a neighboring town they had a National Guard band directed by our former town bandmaster, Gerald Wright. Five of our group decided this would be an easy way to earn $5.00 a month by practicing one night a week. So we joined the North Dakota National Guard. The band at the Lisbon Armory , 1941 The fall of 1940 I toddled off to Grand Forks to attend the University of North Dakota. I had $75.00 which I had earned working all kinds of jobs---I was loaded! Shortly after beginning college I was notified that we would start our year of training in December of 1940, so I left school at Thanksgiving. Typically, our induction into federal service was postponed until Feb 10, 1941. Things were boiling in the Battle of Britain, and Japan was becoming more restless to expand its co-prosperity program policy. On February 10, 1941, our regiment paraded down the main street of Fargo, North Dakota, loaded on Pullman coaches, and headed for Alexandria, Louisiana and Camp Claiborne. 14
The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued) I should have mentioned earlier that in June of 1940 we attended National Guard camp at Camp Ripley in Minnesota which was the largest contingent of military operations that the United States had put together since World War I, about 100,000 men as I recall. On our arrival in Camp Claiborne we found a sea of red mud, construction unfinished, and about 50,000 other men who were also involved in this mighty whirlpool. You quickly realized that your control over direction and content of your lives had pretty well vaporized---yet, we in our band had direction, satisfaction, challenge, and a barrier to intrusion because we had a unique skill. Most of this has come to me as hindsight, but we nevertheless played the hand we were dealt, and four of a kind beats a flush! Art “Doc” Nix, Ralph “Pooky” Oehlke, Arthur “Peep” Ford, and Chuck “Hooky” Bell. Four tentmates under the leadership of Sgt Clyde “Shorty” Massee who treated us to all his insight and day to day knowledge and experience of the real world . Our tent #5 was very special. However, it was due to change, Shorty was declared too old for the rigors of the Army so he was scheduled for discharge on a given day. His tent four buddies had a taxi waiting to take him to the camp gate where he caught a bus into Alexandria, La. Discharge in Roger Ralph Arthur John Arthur Stanley hand. He spent the war building Melroe Oehlke Ford Richling Nix Peterson airplanes at Boeing in Seattle.
Gwinner
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A fellow bandsman, Melvin “Pint” Carlin received his discharge at the same time Shorty received his, but he chose to stay in camp and drink that cheap beer. When he arrived at the camp gate about 7 P M the guard looked at his discharge and told “Pint”, “I’m sorry to tell you, but all discharges were cancelled at 5PM “. He spent the next three years with the Band. The summer of 1941 was hot, very military, and we were introduced to the South. On the one hand, signs saying “KEEP OFF: No dogs, niggers, or soldiers allowed!” On the other hand, absolutely marvelous hospitality as only Southerners can display with charm and affection. During August we had the big maneuvers---code name “Big Red”--something like a million men involved for about a month. This was a trying time of Hugh Massee our education as military personnel: discipline, self-reliance, cooperation, and that all important ingredient—the will to survive. Then, BOOM-OH, the world exploded on December 7, 1941! I was on a pass to New Iberia, Louisiana, enjoying the hospitality of the Bradley family who just happened to have two good looking daughters. The radio announced all personnel report to base immediately. Knowing that our world would change when we got back to camp, we took our time---getting in around 8:30 P.M. Thirty minutes later it was announced that our regiment, the 164th Infantry, had been detached from the 34th Infantry division and that we were catching a train to the west coast at 8:00 A.M., December 11th. Actually, it was about 11:00 P.M. before we got underway. The only thing we could take with us was our government issued clothing, equipment and mess gear. Each man was totally independent, including weaponry and minimal ammunition. Of course as bandsmen our weapons were still our instruments although we did have colt 45’s---the old six-shooter. These were later traded for carbines. On the cross country trip our train was defective resulting in about a half day delay getting to Los Angeles. The convoy we were scheduled to be on sailed without us to the Philippines---the last convoy to reach the Philippines before being overrun by the Japanese. The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
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Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued)
After spending all day aboard our train at the Los Angeles railroad yard we proceeded on to San Francisco, arriving at the Cow Palace just after their having a cattle show and rodeo. So there were many aromas to make all these North Dakota boys homesick. The night we traveled from L. A. to San Francisco a Japanese submarine shelled the coast somewhere near Ventura. There was no damage, but it really set everyone’s nerves on edge. While at the Cow Palace my parents, who were visiting in Orange County, came to San Francisco to visit which was a thrill. And, of course, my buddies made their motel room headquarters. Also during our stay in San Francisco, the boys discovered “Rainier Ale” which was about 17% alcohol and sold for about 35 cents a pint. The average uninitiated could only handle about half a bottle before becoming quite inebriated. Our C.O. was pretty disgusted with this state of affairs, so he ordered our drum major Sgt Bob Sanders to take the band out in the yard for a close order drill. This was fine except he was in no better condition than the rest of the men. After several column rights & lefts and to the rear marches he had the column headed for a chain link fence. Then he started to laugh, no command, he’d forgotten what the order was, so we just marched on top of each other into the fence, everybody hilarious. The C.O. realized he had better end this comedy and ordered “Dismissed”! We are seldom together more than a few minutes at a reunion before someone will retell this escapade. 16
On the 24th of December, we entrained for Umatilla, Oregon. We had our Christmas celebration in Klamath Falls on a beautiful sunshiny morning with about six inches of fresh snow covering the trees and railroad platform. Arriving in Umatilla the regiment was put on duty guarding domestic installations across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, & Montana—bridges, dams, communications, transportation, electric, etc. The band was assigned to duty with headquarters in Walla Walla, Washington where we defended the Marcus Whitman Hotel from the local Armory which was across the street from the Methodist Church. Early March found us on our way to Fort Ord, California where we would get our final physicals and shots preparatory to going overseas. Once again we had another family visit when my sister, Jeanne, her husband, “Babe”, and a new nephew, Gary (nine months old), came to see us. We were in the “east garrison” of Fort Ord which had not been used for troops since World War I. The place was filthy---crabs in the latrines so big they’d put the toilet seats down for you. The mess sergeant enlisted several bandsmen to clean up the mess hall. We hooked up a fire hose, and everything that was loose was washed out into the yard. While at Fort Ord all troops were given the opportunity to bring infirmities, disabilities, etc. they felt would be a liability to the attention of our company officers, who, in turn, would make a recommendation as to fitness for overseas duty. The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
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Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued)
When we were inducted into the service we passed between two doctors each of whom looked into your ears. If they didn’t see each other, you were o.k. Also, we had some overage people. Our regiment was brought up to full strength of about 5,400 men with draftees and transfers. Once again we entrained for San Francisco, Pier 43, USS President Coolidge---a luxury liner newly converted from two per stateroom to twenty-four per stateroom. We had no idea where we were headed, but it would not be the Philippines---things were totally bad there. About 11:00 P.M. the gangplank was hauled up. The tugs put us in the channel of San Francisco bay headed for the Golden Gate. We shared a sense of wonderment---will we pass this way again? We were not alone. The Queen Elizabeth followed us out, and suddenly a long gray silhouette went by us---the Cruiser Denver. Thus we had prestigious company. Next day we were told our destination was Melbourne, Aus. I had checked out the kitchen facility before we sailed. The maitre de was a Hawaiian left over from the Coolidge’s civilian crew who accepted my volunteer help. My job was to bring the food up from the hold to the kitchen on the elevator. Another shipboard duty was to check the cargo holds to be sure the cargo was not loose. To echo the longshoremen in San Francisco, we were to be down and full which meant no way for heavy cargo to get loose and ram the ship’s sides. Soon we were celebrating the crossing of
The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
the equator with all the festive hi-jinks. We were traveling about 16 knots which we were assured was faster than the submarines could travel, and we were too far out for them to reach us. We stopped at the Marquesas Islands to re-fuel the Queen Elizabeth. She could run only about ten days without re-fueling. The tanker which re-fueled her also re-fueled the Denver and came along side to finish emptying into the Coolidge. Crewmen on the tanker said the QE had 13,500 men on board and they were offering $20 for a sandwich. Our food on the Coolidge was good and we had lots of it. Each person had a chow line card, and you were entitled to two meals a day. Five or six hours a day were spent in the chow line which never ended. I played Pinochle with the same two friends, Leo “Slim” Jorgenson & Verne “Pinky” Nygard, every day--moving in the chow line. We went south from the Marquesas, and in a few days were in a sea storm to end all storms---waves that broke over the top of the Coolidge and wind that blew everything on deck overboard. The seas ran so high that the Coolidge would crest in a wave like a row boat--bow and prop out of the water. The QE and Denver would totally disappear in the sea. Finally they broke up the convoy and each ship was on its own. My “cush” job of going down in the hold to check cargo suddenly took on new dimensions. It was scary! We laid over so far in a wave that the sea came through a porthole, flooding our compartment, and it was about sixty feet above the normal sea level.
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Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued) Finally, the storm subsided, and we arrived in Melbourne. We spent three or four days unloading the Coolidge and transferring our gear to three little Dutch ships that had been used in the horse trade up in the Dutch East Indies. They were about 200 feet long, about ten feet from deck to water line, and about forty feet on the beam. On one of our first visits I noticed a tail hanging down between two pipes in the overhead. I reached up and gave it a jerk and a mighty surprised tailless rat took off. When I returned to the Coolidge I had all my buddies put their pack items in their barracks bags except for the shelter half. This we kept to make the most beautiful packs you ever saw for gallon cans of fruit, marmalade, syrup, and other things which we pilfered from the Coolidge. The food on the Cramer proved to be atrocious. They had loaded mutton on a deck cargo, and when it stormed for two days the deck cargo got a real salting. Ten days later it still smelled bad. After several days of uneventful sailing we arrived in Noumea, New Caledonia, a French penal colony, home of the politically unacceptable, Javanese indentured laborers, world’s supply of nickel, source of President Herbert Hoover’s fortune, elegant scenery, Vichy French stronghold, a major allied base to be maintained even if all the rest of the Pacific were taken by Tojo’s war machine. There is a critical war going on in Europe that has the highest priority on men, equipment and money. General McArthur has his headquarters in New Guinea---we are part of his command. The Navy under Admiral Nimitz and Admiral Halsey is trying to get back to sea after suffering catastrophic physical losses at Pearl Harbor a four short months ago. As we unloaded in Noumea we were informed that our bivouac area was about ten kilometers out the only road leading inland. This particular camp was on a side hill at about a 45 degree angle. The field mess was set up at the bottom of the hill below the road. The second day we were in this position we were advised that we would be given yellow fever shots. As the medics gave us this shot the syringe looked like a quart jar with a nail in the end of it. Needless to say, about half the troops took a step or two and passed out---the rest of us took a few more steps before we sat down. That was our introduction to field medicine. My buddy “Doc” Nix and I were aware of a French soldier contingent at the top of our particular hill. He and I decided to see if we could get acquainted. Our French was bad, their English worse, so with a dictionary we struggled. They were the equivalent of the New Caledonia National Guard or militia. Their commanding officer was Leftenant Bailey who had been out of touch with his family since December. Doc and I agreed to see if we could contact his family in Noumea. Ignorance is bliss, and we were unaware that the Vichy French sympathizers were very active in Noumea---they controlled the night. Doc and I received a pass to go into Noumea. It was easy to find Msr. Bailey---he owned the largest general store in town, “Maison Barreau”. Naturally, he was delighted to learn that his son was o.k., and surprised that he had been so close to town. 18
The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued) Struggling to communicate we accepted an invitation to dinner. We learned that Mrs. Bailey was in the hospital, but that his daughter would prepare dinner for us. She was about fourteen, but she carried it off very well with apologies for the prunes she served for dessert. Our experience was related to Lt. Bailey much to his joy. The high brass decided that we had totally impressed the Vichy with our unfriendly intentions so we proceeded to move inland about thirty miles to a camp area called Dumbea. It was a rancher’s Suva Park – bandstand pasture with a flowing stream, a lot of is in the background eucalyptus and trees similar to our birch. The real intrigue of this site was a small rock out-cropping that was about 100 feet high, about fifty feet in diameter and crowned by a cave, or a grotto. This was known as “Banquo Mountain” to the Americans. Within fifteen minutes of being turned loose, all the GIs suddenly had skulls on sticks. What they didn’t notice was that each of these skulls had the tops of them bashed in---WOW! About then the French Army escorts excitedly told our officers that the skulls belonged to people who had been executed by having their heads bashed in, and unless we wanted to take on the natives, we had better return the skulls to the cave NOW! The next several months were spent in maneuvers, truck rides, forced marches, band concerts, stocking supplies twenty-four hours a day, fishing, vacationing in the South Pacific, and trucking bombs from Noumea to Thio, about sixty miles round trip. Other areas of the world were also preparing to flex their muscles. Admiral Yamamoto was cruising the South Pacific like he owned it---and we did little to change his mind. Admiral “Bull” Halsey laid some bait out to entice him down into the seas just north of New Caledonia---the Coral Sea. It worked. We had limited sea power, but the navy vessels could re-arm at Thio by tying up to shore. Our planes could operate out of Tontuta air base which was about two hundred miles from the action. We had a new aviation gas fuel tank with a pipeline to tankers---not GI cans. Now trucking bombs to Thio makes sense even if we lost men on that one-way road. The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
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Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued) As a band we played concerts at the hospital and visited with navy personnel who had been injured in the sinking of their ships and the resulting fires, etc. Believe me, this was a shock, a sense of unbelief, a creation of determination--a resolve to end this devaluation of mankind. “Bull” Halsey was successful at the Coral Sea, but he had yet to run the Japanese navy through the battle of Midway which resulted in an even greater American victory. But don’t count Admiral Yamamoto out---he was clipping a lesson out of Halsey’s plan. The Japanese had captured Guadalcanal---a Lever Brothers plantation, and were forcing the natives to build an airport. This would give them land-based control of the South Pacific sea lanes! The marines were enroute from New York to New Zealand, probably fifty days at sea. Their ships were loaded for a long voyage, every space was full. They also had a regiment in Samoa making a movie---the 8th Marines. Nimitz and Macarthur were pounding for adoption of their game plan. Marshall was really under heavy pressure to support an invasion of North Africa to take the heat off Britain and Russia. This was July of 1942. Probably the deciding information came from the coast watchers on Guadalcanal. They reported that the Japanese were ahead of schedule with airport construction and would soon be moving in planes. The navy made the decision to load the marines back onto transports and ships that had brought them from New York to make an amphibious landing on Guadalcanal. On August 7, 1942, the marines landed on Guadalcanal and Tulagi. The landing at Guadalcanal was comparatively unopposed; the
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landing at Tulagi was fiercely opposed because it had been used for some time as an observation post for sea planes, and the terrain was vicious. Tulagi has a ridge that runs out of the mountain dividing the peninsula in thirds. This ridge is approximately two hundred feet high and probably a hundred yards wide at the top, so for all intents and purposes the Japanese had the top of the “fedora”, and the marines were landing on the brim with the crown as their goal. It was tough but the Marine Ranger Battalion solved the problem in a few days---with tremendous casualties. Meanwhile, on Guadalcanal the natives didn’t show up for work on August 7th because they received word there would be a big battle. They all headed for the southwest corner of the island---about 20,000 strong. The marines battled removal of their gear from ships that had been at sea for more than two months---believe me, every piece would be a battle! After a few days word came in that the Japanese were sending in army fighting troops rather than engineers who were building the airport, and the Japanese navy was on its way. They had an air base in New Georgia and they were becoming more pesky. Admiral Fletcher, commander of the navy flattops, looked at his fuel gauge which said “half empty”, so he took off with all the support ships. He wasn’t going to be a scapegoat. That left the marines with only partial supplies of food, ammo, and medical supplies. The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued) MacArthur thought Guadalcanal to be a stupid mistake. Marshall sided with Nimitz making MacArthur commander of the Southwest Pacific and Halsey commander of the South Pacific. In the meantime, the marines had not received reinforcements and had only minimal supplies. One of Halsey’s first decisions as commander was to order the 164th Infantry Regiment to reinforce the marines on Guadalcanal. We received our orders around 9:00 P.M. on October 6th. We loaded our gear on board two navy transports in Noumea Harbor. I was on the USS McCawley. We sailed about 11:00 P.M. on October 9, 1942. You have probably gone to sleep long before now, but the point I’m trying to make in this diatribe is that we were ready to do battle with the enemy. We had spent twenty months in intense training, learning how to stay alive under every circumstance short of being shot at, shelled, or bombed. Little was said about what we were expecting, but we were all convinced that we would make a difference. Mostly we wondered why we hadn’t landed with the marines or shortly thereafter. As usual I was part of the loading party so our group was one of the last to go aboard. Our navy guide took us down companionway after companionway---finally about six decks down he points to some four-high bunks and says, “Sleep tight”, turns and heads back up to the main deck. When he arrived there we were right on his tail. We told him we’d take care of ourselves. Now, on deck was uncomfortable---it was raining hard, so we dug out our shelter halves (two buttoned together make a tent), strung them up under a stairway and had a very snug place to hang out. One of my buddies, Hughie Massey, was hobnobbing with a navy officer at the rail under a roof. He suggested to Hugh that a cup of coffee would taste good and to ask his buddies under the stairs to join them. Hey! That is o.k.---especially when Hugh’s friend was the Captain of the McCawley! On Sunday afternoon around three o’clock, our medical commanding officer, Colonel Schatz, had the bandsmen all gather around because we were no longer horn blowers---we were litter bearers. Doc Schatz’s advice to us was quite brief. “Remember the three B’s: Breathing, Blood, Bones. Breathing, check first---thirty seconds, in trouble. Blood, fifteen minutes’ tourniquet, dangerous. If possible use your arm to tighten so you won’t forget. Bones, do nothing. Be sure all the parts are together. Try Shorty Massee to immobilize where possible. Six A.M., 10/13/42: The finest army regiment in the world was about to become the first U.S. Army troops on the offensive in World War II, “Je Suis Pret”: “I Am Ready!” Each man had a helmet, full pack (shelter half, blanket, change of clothes, toilet articles), ammunition, belt (canteen, personal first aid kit, small pouch), and weapon. A barracks bag with additional gear was optional. We were making an unopposed landing on a beautiful sandy beach about one hundred feet wide. On shore were palm trees standing sixty feet high! As the sun came up it illuminated this gorgeous green land with very discernible ridges running down to the sea. Also you can see where several rivers joined the ocean. The shoreline was a large crescent about twenty miles from Cape Esperanza in the west to Koli Point in the east, protruding a half mile into the sea. It was unbelievably peaceful; however, occasionally we could see puffs of smoke---no noise, just white smoke . The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
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Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued) This was a pleasure the bandsman had never experienced---over the side a landing net, about forty feet to the water, the personnel craft you are hoping to arrive at is bobbing in the water about eight feet at a wave. This is a roadstead, not a protected harbor. Your load weighs about 100 pounds including your helmet which has a tendency to rotate on the chin strap so you can’t see--or fall off which is a total “no, no”. As you climb down the net has holes twelve inches square, so your canteen hangs up as your gun butt sneaks to the other side unnoticed until you take the next step which puts all your weight on the damn gun. Then you get all the above straightened out and find that both your feet are in the same opening which means that you are standing on one of your feet. You think you must be close to that personnel carrier so you look down and realize the net is following the contour of the ship, so the coxswain is either trying to get in closer to be under you, or he has taken off for the beach with the load of personnel he has on board. Among our guys, everyone made the maneuver successfully, but there were some who fell in, usually because someone above had stepped on their head\ It’s a twenty minute boat ride to over the side of the personnel carrier when you drop about five feet into water that might be a foot deep---or frighteningly more. Whatever happened to “Je Suis Prêt”? We have landed on Yellow Beach, and our job is to unload personnel carriers now being used as cargo boats. So we set up a chain of about fifty men, three feet apart, running back to the shore, some of whom were in chest-high water. Our gear has been stacked on shore in an area close at hand with a guard on duty to protect our Garand rifles, not from the Japanese, but from the marines who used boltaction .03 rifles that came out of WWI and fired a five-round clip. The Garand was automatic and fired an eight-round clip, also.03. The clip was factory loaded, so unless you had additional clips the gun was useless, consequently they were useless to the Marines after they fired the first clip. Our first cargo was pyramidal tents which we stacked about four feet high in a square twenty feet on a side. By seven A.M. we had our cargo unloading in operation. Our area was primarily where the food came in. 22
By Doug Burtell
You must realize that we had food and ammunition for 5,400 men for sixty days with the ammo on top of the food on board ship. We were told that if we wanted to eat, unload the ships! The first interruption to our landing party was about 10 AM when Tojo's flyboys came down from Rabaul. Our ships which had been warned were taking evasive action, our personnel carriers were too small to be a target. Our stack of pyramidal tents made a great bomb shelter, unless we received a direct hit. By 2 PM both of our ships were empty. We worked hard but we had the advantage of ships that were "combat loaded". Ironically, one of our ships was equipped with an area that could be used as a 'brig' on the fantail. Several Japanese prisoners of war were taken aboard as they prepared to sail. "Pistol Pete" was ready to give them a farewell volley; unfortunately, the volley found its mark on the stern where the Japanese POW's were quartered FOOD, Yes. On that first morning we were served, or rather, sandwiches were available to us and we had our evening meal about 2:30 in the afternoon. All that time on maneuvers paid handsome dividends, because our kitchen G.I.s were experts. As soon as our beach duties were accomplished we joined the line companies with whom we would serve as litter bearers. Peep, Doc, & I were assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion. Our Captain was "Ace" Dawson and 1st Sgt. “Kaak" Aarhus, former bartender at the Elks Club.
The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued)
Later in the afternoon our company was mobilized and we started moving towards our positions on the Tenaru River between the sea and Henderson Field. It has been determined that the Marine Corps maps were incorrect and we were actually on the ILO River. This was the site of one of the major offensive attempts by the Japanese which was soundly defeated by the Marines. A flat plain about 500 yards wide paralleled the beach from the ILU (Tenaru) to Koli Point Now we knew where we are going we will add a little action. It was a dark rainy night. The ground was muddy so that as you tried to follow a couple of wheel tracks (which were called a road) so that when you slipped - fell down - got up - repeat this operation 100 times and each time that full pack got heavier-the barracks bag with the change of clothes that some marine needed worse than I did. We were royally greeted by Marines along the road. Lots of sarcasm like "we waited for you until we got a fancy ship before we sent for you" or "Dogfaces". Army to Navy & Marines: "Dogmeat”. Along with this, they were really happy to see us because they had good reason to believe they had been abandoned. Proof of their desire to make us welcome was sharing their drinking waterfilling our canteens. Oct 13, 1942 Guadalcanal The road we were on parallels Henderson Field. About midnite, “Washing Machine Charlie” came Swooping in, without any power, dropping flares. Magnesium flares suspended on a parachute last about 10 minutes and give off a tremendous light. No sooner did he appear than KBOOM — whistle - K-BOOM---you could feel the earth shake when the shells hit the ground, then you would start counting---001-002003---delayed explosion shells from a battleship. They would pierce the ground ten feet and, after a delay, would explode. Whatta welcoming party. We had no defense against them so they paraded up and down the beach, shelling us for about two hours. We found out later that one of the largest battleships the Japs had was there, along with a 2nd smaller battlewagon, several cruisers and destroyers. The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
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Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued) The big shells were 16” in diameter and about 5 feet long weighing approximately 2000 pounds. Once again we were lucky. The airport and the area between us and the airport took a beating, but we didn’t lose anybody. Needless the stories of where “I” spent the night were great-everything from digging a foxhole with a spoon to a Jap slit trench—it’s impossible to describe how wonderful snuggling with “Mother Earth” can be--especially when someone is trying to separate you. When daylight finally arrived, we had to get information about our 40 or so buddies who were spread all over the regiment. We did this every day we were in combat and usually From LTC Baglien’s Diary: by eight o’clock we would have all the news. On October 20, 1942, enemy We arrived at our positions finally, early in the morning. So bombers bombed the area in response to “Dig in, we’re going to be here awhile”, Doc Nix, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Peep Ford, and yours truly started building palm log dugouts also No casualties. Enemy artillery known as log cabins about 4’ high with a double layer of logs on now officially known as “Pistol top. We built one for the company officers and one for ourselves. Pete” began usual Our positions overlooked (we were about two feet higher) than the bombardment at 6:30 p.m. Tenaru (Ilu) River, our kitchen was back towards Henderson Evidently emplaced rd Field. Our 3 Platoon was the end of the 164 Infantry line, with somewhere west of Point the offense expected to come from the beach, we hoped. Peep Cruz, and has his range set for Ford was with the 3rd battalion medics. the airfield. Doc and I finished building our dugout and I was all for A wave of enemy bombers trying it out. We had our litters on top of it with mosquito netting in bombed the area at 8:05 p.m. lace. Doc says “Let’s have a cigarette-so we lit up, we were and then returned at 9:05 p.m. under a heavy canopy of trees. We lit our “Lucky Strike Greens” and dropped 17 bombs in when ---BOOM--- Washing Machine Charlie had silently come “B” Company area. back, only this time he had 500 lb. bombs instead of flares. His First Lt. Frank G. Welch, first drop hit our kitchen tent--2 men sleeping in it--KIA. #2 drop O-363158, Company “B”, landed about 30 feet from us and 15 feet from the officers’ dugout. Technician Fourth Grade John Lt. Welch was hit in the head, while in the dugout with his helmet T. Flowers, Company “B”, and on, by a chunk of shrapnel. #3 landed in our 3rd platoon CP, Pfc Marvin P. Quamme, three direct hits in one company, incredible. Company “B”, were killed Lt Welch was a big tackle fresh from college ROTC. We instantly. One officer and really struggled to get him out of the angle passage of the three enlisted men were dugout—all I could do was hold him, pray for his soul, and cry as I wounded. Our patrols are am a crying man. working in fine shape. It just wasn’t possible that he could have been hit where he was sitting, but………… Third platoon medics sent word that Lt. Lynch has been hit in the head with a piece of shrapnel that pierced his helmet. What should he do? “Don’t know, we’ll call Doc Flannery at 1st Battalion Aid Station”. Doc Flannery says we need to remove the helmet and the shrapnel from Lt. Lynch’s head because we will kill him, moving him. Since Peep & the Medic, Berg were all the medics at 3rd platoon, Doc and I told them to do nothing and that we would be out promptly. Doc and I carefully made our way along the line to 3rd Platoon. Night time orders were to shoot anything or anybody that moved – no questions asked. Consequently, when you started any night meander you passed the word that you were coming thru, of course, with the shock we had taken, all the troops expected us to be moving. Anyway, we arrived at 3rd Platoon. Lt Lynch is talking to the Medics, he’s sitting up with his helmet pinned to the back of his head with a piece of shrapnel We told him what Doc Flannery had to say, that we had to get the helmet off his head and the shrapnel out of his head. We cut all the webbing spacers loose that we could get to with our scissors. We told Lt. Lynch to keep talking to us. Lo and behold we were able to slip the whole work off his head and he never missed word. Our first litter patient –middle of the night—black as the ace of spades—scared stiff and the “hue and cry” goes up “GAS ATTACK”! We didn’t have our gas masks with us –It can’t be GAS- but it sure smells different, we have to be safe- so by now we have Lt Lynch on a litter, covered with a blanket, and we are walking in the shallows of the Tenaru (ILO) River because we couldn’t get thru the jungle undergrowth. 24
The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
Charles Bell -- 164th Infantry Band (continued) I volunteer to stay with Lt. Lynch and the other guys go round up gas masks. I put the blanket over Lt Lynch’s head and stomp the edges down into the water which was only a couple of inches deep but I thought it would make a seal. After 5 minutes of fighting to breathe, the Lt would toss off the blanket wanting to know what was happening. I didn’t know so I would give him a couple of sulfa pills and a sip of water and cover him up again. We went thru this routine 4-5 times until the other guys got back with the GAS MASKS. Then we decided it wasn’t gas at all just the tremendous amount of explosives that were in a relatively small area. So we slowly made our way back to our company headquarters where buddies from Battalion Medics took over. Lt Lynch was fortunate—the Docs told him another 1/16 of an inch and it would have been all over. Worst night of my life. A couple of months later, Guadalcanal was rather well secured. Lt Lynch was returned to the regiment for duty. The Major George Schatz, band was together in a bivouac area. Someone clapped me on regimental surgeon (center, the back. I turn around and there is Lt Lynch, telling me “Here’s facing) is presented with the a sulfa pill, wash it down with this”—in his other hand he had a Silver Star Medal. He drove a bottle of whiskey—it worked. jeep into the face of enemy fire When we landed on Guadalcanal on the 13th the Japs also to rescue three seriously landed about 7000 men at Cape Esperanza. Their ships were not wounded soldiers during the as fortunate as ours; they had been damaged by our Navy fight for Guadalcanal. surface ships so that they had to be beached. Bandmembers serving as litter Our reconnaissance indicated that we could expect a major bearer/medics: T/4 Lynn attack on Henderson Field around 20-21 Oct. All logic indicated Kloster received the Silver Star that the attack would be from the beach plain which was 1st during the Last Battle of Battalion sector. Then 2nd Battalion next to the Marines. 3rd Matanikau; T/4 LeRoy Battalion was in general reserve. Busching and T/4 Paul Holvik The Japs did not follow our battle plan–instead they came received Regimental in thru the inland jungle trail which was a hot, vine entwined man Commendations for heroism killer. This tortuous route took them about 10 days from Cape and extraordinary service Esperance to the hills above Henderson field. They were in Virgin during the Battle of Koli Point; Jungle the entire way, cutting their way with a Machete. They had T/4 Foster Mace, T/5 Hugh no protection from Anopheles Mosquitoes; hence they all had Massee, and T/5 Melvin Malaria, Torrential rains, mud, tropical temperatures and humidity Carlen were wounded at and exhaustion. Because of the difficulty of the trail, they threw Matanikau. their heavy weapons and ammunition by the trail. Ironically the trail they fought so hard to carve thru the jungle was completely overgrown a couple of days after they passed. The above epistle was drafted in response to a request by my Grandson, Ryan Foullon, age 10 in 1994. He has now graduated from the Univ of NM with a doctorate in statistics and works for the Dept of Defense in California I drafted him a one page outline for his school project and continued with 45 hand-written pages from memory, which I have just converted to the above dissertation. Thanks go to Shirley Olgeirson, Editor; Ernie Cashion, Fellow Bandsman; My son Matt and Daughter Anita. Chuck “Hooky” Bell & wife Phyllis on Mother’s Day 2014. 113 E. Bay Ave, Newport Beach, CA 92661 pcbell@roadrunner.com The 164th Infantry News, July 2014
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164th Infantry Band, Camp Claiborne, LA 1941 From the Charles Boatman collection
164th Infantry Band, Camp Grafton, ND 1925 From the Lester Kerbaugh (Co E) collection, courtesy of Blake Kerbaugh
A future issue of the News will have a story from Association member Ernest Cashion who joined the band later in the war. He and Charles Bell have been assisting two researchers who are writing stories related to the band: One is looking at the impact that special events, including parades and band concerts, had on island native populations. The other is writing a profile of band director Chester E. Whiting, who directed the Americal Band and went on to direct the Army Ground Forces Band, and the US Army Field Band. 26
The 164th Infantry News, July 2014