Show 1 With Ernie Pyle in Italy taly f U. U S. S Division Gains Distinction After Two Years Overseas IN ITALY ITALY For For several days Ive I've been living with an Infantry company of the tho Thirty-fourth Thirty division The Thc Thirty-fourth Thirty is the oldest division on this side of oC the Atlantic It has been away from home two full years Two vo years is a long time overseas overseas overseas over over- seas even if you do nothing but travel around and work hard But when in addition you fill two years with campaign after bitter campaign a division of men becomes eventually wise and worn and old like a a much- much read book or a cottage that wears wearn its aging stone stoutly Ignoring the patchwork of at new concrete that holds it together Today out of any line front rifle rille company of around men in the Thirty fourth you find usually fewer than a dozen men who came overseas with the division originally In one battalion not a a. single one of ot the original officers is left lett That doesn't mean they've all been killed but it does mean that through casualties of all sorts plus sickness and transfer transfer trans trans- fer and some small rotation back to the States a division has almost a complete turnover in two years of fighting Only its number remains the same But even a number can come to have character and life Ufe to those who are intimate with its heritage I was with the ThirtY fourth as long ago as June of r 1912 in Ireland and I have a feeling about it itI I came to the regimental command command command com com- mand post in a jeep after dark one ono night Regimental handed me down downto to battalion and battalion on down to the company I Iwas was to stay with They were bivouacked bivouacked bivouacked for the moment in an olive grove with their company command post in a stone Italian farmhouse the use the the first time their C P h hi had d been inside walls since they hit Italy five months ago I The company compan commander Is Lieutenant John J J. J New NewYork NewYork NewYork York City The division was originally all Iowa and Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota Minne Minne- sota men but now you'll find men from everywhere The Iowans lowans are the veterans however however however how how- ever and they still stand out Jack is tall and thin and quite young and of course hes he's Irish In the regiment he heIs heis heis is considered pretty remarkable Any time you mention him among higher officers they nod and say Yes is a case I dont don't know exactly what causes this but I gather fro innuendo that he is addicted t to using his noggin In spectacular u ways in the pinches and that h hi he fears neither German 1 r nor American brass hats He U h. H Han an extremely likable and re t rt i company commander J Lieutenant used toa to bea be- be bat a clerk for tor American in New v York He says that after the war hes he's going Into salesmanship of ot some kind b be bM cause he figures his gift of ot gay gab will carry him through through which which b surprised me because during aU all till the time I was with him he wu was waif far tar from garrulous but actually actual very kind and reserved V VIve Ive I've never seen a man prou proud er of his company compan than Lie Lieu tenant and the men it are arc proud too Ive I've been around war long enough to know that tenths nine-tenths of morale h 11 pride in your outfit and cone I dence in your leaders and fellow fell fighters A lot of ot people have mOral confused with the desire to fl fight t. t I dont don't know of ot one soldier out l of ten thousand who I wants t to fight They certainly dont don't la lu lumy my company The old old limen are arc sick to death of battle and aid the new replacements are trel scared to death of it And yet the company goes on Into bath batUt and it is a proud company |