Combat Officer by Charles Walker

Author:Charles Walker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History
ISBN: 9780307414786
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2007-12-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Lieutenant Milton Shedd’s patrol had worked around the right flank of the enemy. Due to the rough terrain he had trouble with men who played out, having to leave five of the weakest on a ridge, a future rendezvous point. His native guide took Milt and his six remaining men close to a small village where they could hear Japanese chopping wood while shouting back and forth. His men had made a dry run of a similar situation previously, so positions were assigned and the men made their approach. One shack held three sleeping men; six were eating in front of the shack and two more were chopping wood. Other Japanese moving about brought the estimate to twenty-five total. Throwing a grenade, Milt followed it with six more. The enemy was bunched up, screaming amid the firing of Shedd’s guns. A heavy Japanese machine gun opened up, but was silenced by grenades. Shedd’s guide was the only man wounded, and from an American grenade. Milt moved out before losing men. By his estimate, they killed or wounded at least twenty enemy.

Here is Milt’s version:

I had a severe time restriction on my mission and was about an hour short of my objective when several of my men played out. I picked five of the weakest and left them at a rendezvous point in case of trouble. Our native guide took the remaining seven of us to our objective. At the time our weapons consisted of two Browning automatic rifles, one Thompson, one carbine, three M1 rifles and 33 grenades. I was glad I ordered three grenades carried per man, but there was much dissension about it.

We rested at our hidden perimeter point so as to reach the enemy when all would be in from their search for food, and might be congregated in preparing for their evening meal. It was close to 4:00 P.M. when we commenced our stalking of them. They had lived here for months unmolested; they had no security! We could hear them chopping wood and hollering when 200–300 yards away. We approached their position on the back side, away from the main trail. I cautioned the men to be extremely quiet. A BAR and M1 covered our crossing the deep, steep gully only 70 yards from the Japanese. When nearly at the bottom I slipped on a wet clay band and landed on my rear. I sat there for what seemed like hours, but was only seconds, with my carbine trained on the facing bank above, listening, but the enemy kept right on chopping and singing. I was not only scared, but embarrassed as well. We made it up the bank which oddly enough sat about ten feet higher than the Japanese shacks.

It was quite a sensation to find yourself in a field manual situation. When I saw those enemy going about their every-day business of getting ready for supper, I felt like I did when sighting down on my first deer. I appreciated all my hunting experience and participation in organized athletics.

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