Show men S IN e floyd E medley writes from salt lake city that he was closer to god gjoa old sanjuan san juan this morning than ive been in three years I 1 passed through grand junction thompson and price the following account of outstanding service will be interesting to friends of roque garcia a member of the ath infantry division it was brought to us by his sister who received it last week the ath Ini In lantry antry division ui vision has set a record for continuous combat against the japanese on luzon and probably for the entire southwest pacific theatre of operations according to a press release passed by gen douglas macarthurs Mac Arthurs headquarters tuesday the ath commanded by brig ge gen n C E hurdis tuesday completed its straight day in the line against the enemy and is iscon continuing its relentless assault on the vaunted chimbu line east of manila the ath was one of four divisions landing at lingayen gulf on S day january 9 and is the only one which at one time or another has not been pulled out of the line for a rest officers at general macarthurs Mac Arthurs headquarters said that smaller elements of combat troops have been in m contact with the japs for more than 78 days in past campaigns but expressed the belief that the ath has set a record for a division the ath called the sightsee sight see ing division because it traveled all over france in the first world war has killed more than japs on luzon and destroyed or I 1 I 1 j captured vast quantities of enemy equipment including 62 medium and 8 light tanks 19 armored cars 73 76 ammunition dumps and caves housing enemy troops and supplies the division has played a prominent role in smashing the southern flank of the heavily fortified chimbu line in the sierra madre mountains east of manila since beginning its offensive against the line last feb 21 the ath has accounted for than cod counted jap dead and left hun deeds of others buried in caves in the wake of its advance I 1 I 1 i pat R preston walker son of walter walker publisher of the j daily sentinel of grand junction spent a few hours in monticello last week he is well known here being a close friend of mr and mrs norman D who were als alaf in town on the same day preston walker went into the I 1 army in august of 1942 and went overseas from camp butner N C in january of 1943 he served in the african theatre of war for more than a year and was later transferred to the air corps with headquarters in the italian war zone he held the rank of sergeant I 1 for about a year and a half but I 1 in order to accept an assignment to army public relations with headquarters in another italian post he returned to the rank of private he is home on furlough but expects to report soon for active service again |