Ch 5 - Duty Assignment

CHAPTER 5

DUTY ASSIGNMENT

At Ft. Hayes in Ohio I was assigned to the 59th, and Spence the 60th, and now we fully expected to be split up. Probably, we wouldn’t see much of each other after this, at least it appeared that way. After lunch we all gathered in front of the bulletin boards anxiously searching for our name. I found I was assigned to “D” Battery 60th. Spence finally discovered his name on a sheet that bore the heading “A” Battery 60th. He informed me that “A” Battery was a searchlight outfit. Corporal Wall told me that “D” Battery was his outfit and it was a 3” AA gun battery located on Topside. Spence would be quartered at Middleside Barracks, and I would live in Topside Barracks. We would have preferred to serve in the same battery, but there was nothing to be done about it. Tomorrow we would be leaving the tents and moving into our permanent barracks! Boy, were we ever ready!

I found “D” Battery was located at the south-eastern end of Topside Barracks. My bunk was situated in the squad room on the second floor. I learned yet another squad room was located on the third floor. After making my bunk, I was shown the rest of the Battery.

The first floor contained the mess hall, the kitchen, the recreation room and the supply room. Everything looked neat and comfortable and orderly after living in the tents during the training period. I wished Spence and I were together. We gave each other additional strength and it seemed rather strange to be here alone, although I knew some of the men also assigned to “D” Battery from recruit training.

All the new men were called out in front of the barracks and told to line up. An old sergeant with a large beer belly moved out in front of us. He has a campaign hat on, brim turned up slightly, front and back.

“Were gonna go out there and police up this place,” he says, “were gonna pick up all them cigarette butts’s!” We found it quite difficult to refrain from laughing. This man was an old time sergeant. He looked like one, and he talked like one.

We were issued one each broomstick with a nail sticking out of one end, and away we went, spearing bits of paper — if we could find one that is. The landscape proved to be quite free of any paper, or trash. I stood looking along the endless stretch of the barracks. Somehow it didn’t seem possible I was standing on this beautiful tropical island in the southwestern Pacific, standing with a broomstick in my hand, searching out errant bits of paper and cigarette ‘butts’s’.

Topside Barracks was an impressive sight, almost disappearing in the distance. A street ran along the front, beyond a wide, grassy area. Large palm trees bordered the road. Beyond the road a very large open space began. This was the Topside Parade Ground. Beyond the far side of the parade ground another road was visible, and on the far side of this road a long row of two story buildings were apparent. These buildings appeared to be identical. Tall palm trees partially obstructed my view, but I could see people walking about.

The road that ran along the front of Topside Barracks made a sharp, 90 degree right turn before reaching the end of the barracks, then ran south toward the row of two story buildings which I later learned were Senior Officer’s Quarters. To the right of the road lay the parade ground, and to the left of this south bound road stood several imposing buildings. The nearest to our barracks at first appeared to be a church, but my guess brought several chuckles. It proved to be the Topside Theater, or Topside Cine in the local vernacular. The architecture was attractive, but unlike any that I was familiar with.

Beyond the “Cine” was a long two story building, skirted by a wide veranda, both upstairs and down. In appearance, it was a very plain structure. This proved to be the Bachelor Officer’s Quarters. The end of the “BOQ” was adjacent to the road, or street, and stretched eastward with a wide walkway running along the front. Steps led up to the veranda. At each end of the veranda, concrete stairs, complete with railings led up to the second floor.

Just to the south of the BOQ stood a more massive, and somewhat impressive building. This was Ft. Mills Headquarters. The street running parallel to the Sr. Officer’s Quarters, and bordering the south perimeter of the parade ground, crossed the street fronting Headquarters, and ran eastward, past the southern extremity of the Headquarters building and up a slight rise to the lighthouse. As the sergeant led our group of ‘policer’s’ out to the street in front of Topside Barracks, it became obvious that Topside Barracks dominated the upper heights of Corregidor. The building was three stories high, and its length seemed endless. We were very young and the immensity of the barracks easily overwhelmed each of us. Our group covered the immediate area of “D” Battery with our pointed sticks, going through the motions of stabbing imaginary cigarette butts and scraps of paper and soon we were back in the barracks.

The next few days we learned the everyday routine of life on the island of Corregidor. The food was good, and we became accustomed to the location of all of the essentials in our barracks. During one of the line-ups in front of the barracks, we had our first encounter with 1st Sergeant Dewey Brady.

His reputation as a firm, straight-laced soldier already had filtered through the new additions to “D” Battery. He did not appear to be a very large man but seemed to command the attention of those around him. I had no personal encounters with Sgt. Brady.

I was rather anxious to see Spence. I learned most afternoons were free, that I could go virtually anywhere I pleased. Practically everything was scheduled in the mornings. Generally the training classes and everyday activities were finished by 11:30am. I inquired about the location of Spence’s battery and decided to go to Middleside and find him. I learned “A” 60th was located at the southeast end of Middleside Barracks.

A corporal told me I could descend the nearby “Golden Stairs” and would be only a few yards from “A” Battery 60th. Armed with a few sketchy instructions I was off on my quest. I found the narrow sidewalk that led to the top of the Golden Stairs. The walk bent slightly to the right and soon I stood at the top of the stairs that led down to Middleside. The cement stairway seemed to stretch downward for an incredible distance, yet in a very short time I reached the bottom and there to my left stood Middleside Barracks! Crossing the narrow rail road tracks I walked across an open area to the barracks. I discovered that the front of the barracks was around to my right, on the east side of the building.

I proceeded around the corner and entered the Battery Office and asked for Spencer Bever. In a few minutes we were talking and relating our latest adventures. Spence told me he had been assigned to a searchlight crew and he had experienced some training already. He said he had managed some scouting about but still hadn’t been to Topside or Bottomside. He told me he had learned there was an enlisted man’s beach down at Bottomside, and we could go there and swim during the afternoons. He informed me the enlisted men’s club was nearby, and described the bowling alleys (duck pins), basketball courts, etc.

I, in turn, furnished a word picture of the landmarks at Topside, but admitted that I had seen little. I told Spence about the Golden Stairs, and how easy it was to get back and forth. He wondered if there were also stairs down to Bottomside. He asked one of the older men how to get to Bottomside and we were told that the easiest way was to ride the trolley. The man told us of the trolley system on the island and where it’s stations were located. Spence decided that he would go up to Topside with me and see where I lived, and maybe we could look around a bit. He checked with his Corporal and we headed out. We decided to walk back up the Golden Stairs to my barracks first. Walking over to the bottom of the stairs, Spence pointed out the Enlisted Men’s Club, and the Middleside Parade Ground. I quickly found climbing the Golden Stairs was considerably more difficult than coming down. The heat was oppressive, and I was huffing by the time we reached the top. I guided Spence up to my squad room first so he would know where to look for me. He asked if I had worked on an AA gun yet and I told him that I hadn’t even seen an AA gun, and so far I hadn’t received an assignment, and didn’t know what I would be doing. I wondered if we would get KP duty soon and he told me that we didn’t serve on KP here. He had learned that Filipinas did all of the kitchen work. He said that each battery must stand guard duty, and that guard duty was rotated. Both the 59th and 60th had to share this duty, and the assignment might occur at Topside, or Middleside.

We walked to the west side of my squad room, and out onto the veranda. From this vantage point, we could look out over the parade ground, past the long row of Officer’s Quarters, and over the South Channel. To our right was the China Sea, and to our left the Topside Theater, the BOQ and the Fort Mills Headquarters.

“This is some place” Spence said. We went back downstairs and I showed him the recreation room and the mess hall, then walked outside and we started to stroll to the right toward the PX. It was quickly apparent that there were officers everywhere! We were continually saluting and we beat a hasty retreat to my barracks. We talked of home, our parents and our relatives. We reminisced, and decided we were going to have a pleasant experience here on Corregidor. Spence left for his barracks, and dinner, and I went down to the rec room to see if any of the new guys were present.

Days passed rapidly, and “D” Battery was called for guard duty. I was assigned to stand guard at the guard section at the Middleside Guard House.

I had managed to study the list of “General Orders”, and the “Special Orders” on and off for several days, and I was hopeful that if challenged while walking my post, I would remember all the “orders” and just how to manage an encounter with the Sgt. of the Guard, or the Officer of the Day.

Those of us chosen for guard duty for the twenty four hour period were called out just before noon in proper dress, with our weapons, we stood inspection, then were marched down to Middleside by the Sergeant of the Guard. The sergeant explained that we each would be assigned to guard posts, and each of us would be marched to our posts. The routine would be, two hours on and four hours off. I was taken with three other men by a sergeant, who marched the four of us to our guard posts. He assigned each of the other three men to their posts, then the sergeant marched me to a squat building below the Middleside Barracks. Once again he reminded me that I must recite any of the Special Orders on ‘demand’ if requested by the “Officer of the Day”. He also repeated the manner that I should “challenge” anyone invading my “post”. A few more brief remarks and he was gone. At the end of the first two hours, the sergeant would return with the man that would relieve me. I shouldered my Springfield and began to pace off the prescribed route as I had been instructed.

As I paced along the routing of my post, I studied the building that I was supposed to guard. The structure was adorned with heavy steel doors, no windows, and no signs! I did spot a grouping of numbers and letters stenciled above the steel door. Each time I marched past the door, I scanned the group of characters above the door, and each time I continued onward walking my post, a monumental curiosity occupied my head as to what the building contained! It surely must be important to have a twenty four hour guard marching back and forth in front of the imposing steel door, I thought. “Maybe it’s ammunition!” I says to myself. “If the contents is ammunition, what am I doing this close?” I thought.

After the darkness descended, my post acquired a new appearance! When I relieved the duty guard, I discovered the only lights in evidence were one bare bulb situated at each corner of the building, and one bare bulb mounted just above the steel doors. I realized that anywhere other that a close proximity to one of the lights....was very dark. This place was black dark! As I began pacing my post, I detected...noises! All kinds of noises! I came to the conclusion that I was not alone! I envisioned monsters lurking in the blackness! Some of the big insects flying near the light bulbs were also monsters! Fortunately, these monsters were visible! Needless to say, these two hours did not fly by as quickly as those during the daytime! Matter of fact, these two hours did not fly by at all! Finally, my two hour stretch came to an end! I was not disturbed by anyone, including the Officer of the Guard. I was relieved and returned to the guard house where a bunk awaited me for a rest, or a snooze, if possible.

My two hour tours, even those during the black of night, were uneventful. I fully expected to be “tested” by either the Officer of the day, or the Sergeant of the Guard, but no one disturbed the quiet of my post. When the light began to glow in the east, I was tired, and a bit “ruffled”, but managing to remain alert. I was more than happy to see the twenty four hours drift by without incident! At twelve noon, “D” Battery was relieved by another battery, and we were marched back to Topside and released from duty. I returned to my bunk and since I had no assignments for the remainder of the day I sprawled onto my bunk, my eyes seemingly full of sand from the sleepless night.

I was awakened by the corporal of my platoon.

“Better come down and eat some supper,” he said, “you sleep any longer and you won’t snooze tonight.”

Somehow I managed to stagger to the shower, change clothes and make it to the chow hall. Several men were still there, some discussing their stint on guard duty the previous night. I drew a mug of coffee and joined them at the long table, where I listened to their tales describing the previous night’s guard duty.

“A” Battery, 60th, was located at the southeastern end of the Middleside Barracks. Directly in front and just below “A” Battery sat the photo shop and the tailor shop, two places lovingly calculated to part young soldiers from their hard-earned. I came under the spell of them both.

After witnessing Corporal Wall and the other drill instructors strutting about the 92nd Garage Area clad in their nattily cut, tailor-made fatigue uniforms during training, I was determined to have such an outfit for myself! Of course, most of the new men wore the tent sized ‘Issue’ fatigues, big enough for a pregnant woman!

Once I was moved to “H” Battery at Middleside, I proceeded to the tailor’s shop for a fitting. One week later and eight dollars lighter of pocket, I swaggered into the rec room wearing my new purchase, fully expecting some recognition of my elegant acquisition. It quickly registered, however, that no one paid the least attention to my attire. I was shocked when I drew no attention.

“The hell with them,” I mumbled to myself, “I'll go down and wow Spence with my new cords.” Yeah, sure.

Spence was sitting on his bed and he hardly paid me any mind when I walked up. There he sat in that cavernous blouse!

“Hy, Atch, what's up?”

“Uhh-nothing," I mumbled, "just wanted to see what you were doing.”

What a letdown. He hadn't noticed my fine uniform. I sat down on his footlocker, so he could not help but see my uniformed elegance.

“Anything on for this afternoon?” I asked.

“Thinking of going down to the enlisted men's beach,” he offered.

“I'll get my trunks and towel and trail along,” I said over my shoulder as I retreated to my barracks, my tail between my legs.

“I shoulda kept that stupid outfit and saved my money!” I muttered more to myself than to anyone in particular as I walked down the steps, resigning from my brief career as a Beau Brummel.

The photo shop gave me a far more satisfactory investment. Mail Call came during the afternoon, and one afternoon at about this time I received a letter from home. My mother was asking for pictures of Spence and I on Corregidor. Later on that day, when Spence showed up at my battery, I informed him of my mother's request.

“There’s a Photo Shop jus below my barracks. Some of the fellows have visited it and had photographs taken. I’ve seen ‘em.”

I suggested that we also visit the shop for the same purpose and send some pictures home.

He made a face. “I don't like my picture took.”

I mentioned to him he was using poor English when he said that.

He then described just where I could insert the camera.

“But, I don’t have a camera. If I had one, we wouldn’t need a photo shop.”

Quiet reigned for about twenty seconds.

“Ok, let's check it out.”

The shop was between Middleside Barracks and the road which came past Herring Field. We walked up the steps to the photo shop and entered. We learned the shop was closing in half an hour, but we could come back the next afternoon.

That we did.

The next afternoon we invaded the photo shop once again and accepted the man's offer to photograph each of us individually, and shoot a neg of the two of us together.

The proofs were ready several days later and we each ordered two prints of ourselves and one each of the two of us.

Fortunately, I sent the prints to my mother, and she put them in her album. The prints were my only possession which survived the war, and when my mother was laid to rest, they became my fondest memento of those bitter-sweet days.

I cannot recall what I had paid for the prints, proving the adage that quality is indeed remembered long after price is forgotten.

I saw Spence frequently, and we often caught the trolley down to the enlisted men’s beach and swam. While there we devoted much of our time on the wide catwalk that supported the shark net that surrounded the beach. We found anyone sighting one or more of the large predator sharks that frequented the area would give the alarm and anyone nearby could hit the water and watch the shark pass by on the other side of the net, or watch the sharks from the catwalk.

We also scouted around some, but found quite a number of areas were classified “Off Limits”. On one such day, we returned to my barracks from the beach, riding up on the trolley. While at the beach, we had hatched up a plan to attempt a bit of “exploration”. We had encountered Bill McCann, a fellow from Columbus, and one of our shipmates on the Republic. Each of us described our duties on the “Rock”, as Corregidor was referred to by the old ‘regulars’.

Bill had found himself assigned to the 59th Coast Artillery, and after our training, his assignment was to Battery Geary. Using his hands, Bill described Battery Geary. “Twelve inch mortars,” he exclaimed, “Big!” Real Big! Bill tried to explain to the two of us the twelve inch mortars are huge! He said there were two ‘pits’ of four mortars each, and his ‘job’ was on the ‘shot cart’, a metal cart, wheeled, and equipped with a cradle that one of the big twelve inch ‘bullets’ was dropped in, then the cart was wheeled from the magazine out to one of the mortars.

“When it is time to fire, we push the cart up close to the back of the gun and some other crewmen with a long ‘stick’ with a pad on the end push the ‘bullet’ into the back of the mortar."

“Now,” he says, “we have to get our cart out of the way quick because another cart, pushed by some other guys, is moved right up to back of the gun and another bunch with another of the sticks pushes big “powder bags” into the hole behind the “bullet”.

By this time Spence and I are in stitches! We are pounding our knees from listening to McCann’s hilarious ‘description’ of the duties of the gun crew! I have tears running down my cheeks as I try to mentally depict the gun crew of one of these mortars perform the task of loading the big gun.

By now, Bill is beginning to lose control of his emotions as Spence and I are breaking up. Then, Bill begins to chuckle, then lapses into a paroxysm of gasping and choking, which triggers Spence and I into screams of laughter! After we had regained control of our emotions, the two of us declared that we would indeed visit Bill at Battery Geary and see the “big bullets” fired by the twelve inch mortars, that is, if there were such things nesting there!

We found, of course, there were indeed “big” twelve inch mortars at Battery Geary! Matter of fact, there were eight of the large mortars squatting in the two ‘pits’, separated by a concrete powder magazine. Bill McCann met us as we jumped from the trolley near Battery Geary. He admitted surprise that we showed up, and cheerfully led us down a flight of concrete steps into his gun position. Four huge mortars sat before us! Bill had obtained permission to show us around his battery area, and for the next hour, we followed him into the gun pits and the magazines, and through the generator room where large generators, able to supply electrical power to the mortar battery, sat on concrete pads, waiting for action. During our tour, Bill asked if I could show him my battery’s AA guns, and I snorted and informed him that I have yet to even see our AA guns, and was anything but sure that any existed! He was positive I was putting him on, but I finally convinced him the only AA guns I ever saw were those on the foredeck of the Republic! Spence quickly informed Bill he could show him one of “A” Battery’s 60” searchlights! I suggested that Bill would hardly be interest in searchlights, but I was wrong again! Bill would certainly be interested in viewing one of the large AA searchlights, and yes, Spence could show him one very soon.

“How come you haven't shown me one of yer 60” flashlights?” I said.

“Uh- these are technical marvels are much too intricate for your pea brain!” he says.

“Well that’s the reason I ain’t showed you our AA guns!” I roared. Much later, I would realize this was the last time I would see Bill McCann until after the surrender.

CHAPTER 6

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