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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

I was drafted in September 1941, pre Pearl Harbor. Inducted into the Army at Ft. Snelling, Minnesota, sent to Ft. Francis E. Warren, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Basic Training completed and worked in regimental headquarters as Typist-Clerk. The Captain reviewed my 201 file, and said I would serve our country better as an officer and not infantry fodder. He told me to go to Officer Candidate School. I did and graduated 1 July 1942, as a 2nd Lieutenant. I was assigned to 430th Quarter Master Platoon, part of the 30th Air Depot Re-supply Squadron. We were sent to Stinson Field, Texas and then overseas to Stanstead, Essex, England.

Our Quarter Master Platoon was two officers and twenty-two men. We were to take care of food, clothing, garbage, laundry and shoe repair for: Headquarter Squadron, Repair Sq., Supply Sq., Truck Company, and our Quarter Master. The total personnel count was around 1,000. We had contracts in London for laundry and shoe repair. The food was shipped to us from Burtonwood, based on our roster. The garbage was picked up by a farmer, Mr. Norman, who raised pigs. One day the English farmer came to our base slapping his jodhpurs with his swagger stick and then shaking it at my nose saying "You made my pigs sick. Come with me." I went to his farm where he had large vats 3 feet wide by 30 feet long, where he cooked the garbage before feeding it to the pigs. He said, "Taste it." I did and replied, "it's salty." So I suggested he take 3 buckets out of the vat and put in another vat, and add 3 buckets of water to mix.

Do this until it is diluted and tolerable. Supposedly a kitchen had dropped a sack of salt and dumped it into the garbage. Evidently he forgave me, because he later invited my officer, Wayne A. Smiley and me for an evening meal. We were served fresh eggs, the first we had in England. After the meal we were treated to a thimble jigger of peach or apricot liqueur. It was to be sipped. It was very tasty and good.

Everywhere was blacked out at night. Driving the Jeep home in the fog, one person would have to walk on the side of the road with one foot in the ditch to guide the way. The Jeep lights were only 2 inches high and about 3 inches long, and a mesh shield over that, so there wasn't much light! One tap on the fender meant a little to the right, 2 taps meant go left.

Later I was assigned to command the 3rd Air Cargo Re-supply Squadron, 350 men and 8 officers on three different Air Bases (Rumsbery, Mumsbery, Welford Park). We were to prepare for airborne invasions. We dropped gasoline to Patton for his armored Division in Southern France, the next drop was Normandy, Ardennes (Bastogne, Battle of the Bulge), gliders into Grosebeck, Holland, with six infantry men, a 37-mm cannon and all their gear and supplies. The 4th we dropped supplies over the Rhine into Germany to whomever needed them.

For doing our job I was given 4 battle stars, and 2 bronze stars. The only thing higher is a Silver Star and then the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Margie's friend Sidonia Chott had a pen pal in Newcastle-on-Tyne on the Scottish border. She introduced me to her and her husband, Nancy Banks and Grenville Banks. As a Quarter Master Officer, I could take them powdered eggs and the oval can of Danish Bacon. One morning when I was on pass visiting them, Gren was sitting at the kitchen table licking his chops, and he said "Mac have you ever had fried green tomatoes?" 1942! And I said "no." He said, "The reason is we never have enough sunshine to have ripe tomatoes."

I went over in 1992 for the 50th anniversary, and visited Nan and Gren. The following year Gren passed away. Behind his desk were plaques, one said 40 years Teaching, the other 40 years Methodist Lay Minister.

In 1997 Nan's son David and wife Sandra, and her mother Pern were coming to the USA. Nan's cousin had married a Signal Officer and came to the USA as a War Bride.

The country of France was giving a medal and ribbon to USA military persons who served in France. I applied for the medal, but received a Certificate (Diploma) instead. I would certainly prefer the ribbon so I could wear it on my uniform with the other ribbons.

In 2002 Cheryl, our daughter, and I went to the American Air Museum at Duxford Air Base. George Bush, Sr. was speaker, and Charles, Prince of Wales was in attendance.

Editor's note: The National Air and Space Society files have the complete version of the above oral history transcription.