September and October 1944 is when Hip spent 28 days in a foxhole eating K-Rations.

By Sgt. George Dorsey

(Stars and Stripes Staff Writer)

With the 5th Army, May 28 1944 --- They plunged into their first bloodiest battle in the Minturno hills. Their route was through the mountains which rose abruptly from the narrow coastlands and they contributed to the fall of Scauri, Formia, Gaeta, Itri, Fonett.

They were of the American Division which smashed into Terractna, thus paving the way for the junction with the beachhead forces.

For 13 days they had driven ahead. Time and again they had reached the point where they knew that their bodies could go no farther, then they had staggered to their feet and taken another of the interminable hills.

They had slept sitting upright or while walking. Now all their objectives of their first great sweep were in hand and a few hours lay on Tyrrhenian beeches, bathed under leafy oaks seated.

Each day in itself had gone fast yet, looking back it seemed months, years, lifetimes since the night of the jump-off, when, one hour before midnight they had left the long-occupied holes and attacked the enemy in irresistible waves.

The life of continual hardship had immensely heightened the appreciation of simple pleasures. The cool touch the sea water against dirty, aching bodies seemed a fabulous luxury.

"It was delicious" said 1st Lt. John M. Davies, a young company commander with close cropped hair.

He had been "one of the Army brats" and he said that he had no such thing as a home town.

Pfc. Clarence Woods, Tarentum, Pa., spoke for everyone when he said simply, "It was my first bath since the drive started."

Some found another way of relaxing. T-Sgt. Donald O'Donnell, a ruined Italian home with a friend and found 50 gallons of wine. The two passed the word around and there was a party.

There were a lot of men who had been in the line for 43 days, counting the time of patrolling, shelling and waiting before the offensive began. They were from the plains and rolling hills of the Midwest --- Pvt. Orville Knochlmen, Dayton, Ohio; Pfc.Theodore Tabor, Hammond, Indiana.

From New England --- Pfc. Bernard Stubbs, Pittsfield, Ma.; Pvt. John Saundestrom, Springfield, Massachusetts. From the South Pfc. Charles Proctor, Madisonville, Ky..

There were replacements who had come in the middle of the drive--- Cpl. Charles Richardson, Chicago and Sgt. Bill Hansen, Los Angeles.

Too soon, before the sea or the soft grain fields had absorbed all the tiredness, orders came to move on. The men prepared their packs and rifles under the trees which lined a country road. It didn't take long. They were soon ready to go but the command to march was not to be issued for a couple of hours yet. Again, it was the old "hurry up and wait" system which nobody in the Army apparently can do anything about.