26 August 1943

 

Bn hike today.  Eight miles over hill and dale.  Fell out: L-F-T* Co F.    Reaction: Very negative. Some of the men are beginning to fear that they will be worn out when the combat jump finally comes off.

 

Capt. Robert Lamar, M.D., and Bn medical officer went on these marches with his crew of medical aid men.  This includes T-5 Mangles, who was later awarded the Rascobian Degree of Philosophy.  Mangles managed this, on one of these hellish marches, by observing a man fall out cold. Mangles ran toward the head of the column, full speed, shouting “A man is out!  Get a medic!”  Then Mangles suddenly turns, “I am a medic!”, and he runs to the fallen soldier. 

* Name omitted. L-F-T was a very rugged individual, a member of the Regimental boxing team. This is only one instance—for some reason some of the members of that boxing team were either more fragile or less dedicated than their non-boxing team fellow soldiers.