1.   ACROSS THE ATLANTIC TO ENGLAND

After eighteen months of intensive training in Louisiana at Camp Polk, which included routine maneuvers in the mud of the Pelican State and famed "D" Series in eastern Texas, the 8th Armored Division was finally alerted to move to a port of embarkation. Its days of "dry running" over now, the 36th "invincibles" prepared to move out. At long last, this was "it."

On the morning of 25 October 1944, the battalion mounted troop cars and Pullmans on the siding at Polk. Shortly thereafter, at 0900, with a band playing, we began the first lap of our journey. The train had left the camp twenty minutes ahead of schedule but made up for that quick departure by being delayed by a bent axle just outside of Leesville. So, from 0900 to 1200 we sat outside of "the Garden City of the Louisiana Highlands" while a detail under Lt. Robert W. Shaw shifted duffle bags to another car. By mid-afternoon, we were rolling steadily along again, passing through Shreveport and then going through Alexandria on the way to New Orleans.

We all knew that we were heading for the New York Port of Embarkation because the taxi drivers in Leesville had told us so, but for a moment we doubted their prophecies and envisioned ourselves as sailing from New Orleans, through the Panama Canal and heading for the Pacific. Any ideas such as that were quickly dispelled though as we continued through New Orleans on our way to the north.

By now we had become seasoned travelers, writing letters, playing poker, reading or "just plain sleeping." To the click of steel wheels against steel rails, we passed rapidly through time and space in luxurious idleness. On the 26th we poked along through Mobile, Montgomery and Atlanta and the next day proceeded through Washington and Philadelphia. On the morning of 28 October 1944, we arrived at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. We dismounted into the crisp bright air and marched to the camouflaged barracks which were to be our home for a week.

Life at Kilmer was a series of inspections, last minute POM training and visits to New York City. We had usual physical inspection (if you could say "Ah" and didn't have leprosy you were fit for duty) and practiced abandoning ship on the good ship "Rock 'n Rye." Taking advantage of the passes, the men of the 36th, with characteristic gusto, invaded Times Square, appraised it, enjoyed it and --- too soon --- left it.

On the evening of 6 November, thoroughly laden with equipment, we marched (we'd marched so much that we thought we were in the ~foot infantry") to the train. With a blanket roll around our necks, duffle bags on our backs, weapons on our shoulders, entrenching tQols, wire. cutters and other equipment dangling from our belts, we boarded the train for the short ride to the ferry slip. Crossing the harbor, we disembarked at Staten Island where we had a ::;ip of coffee and a couple of doughnuts. Next, calling off our names to the Transportation Corps clerk who was checking the passenger list, we trudged up the gangplank of the Marine Devil and were jammed into berths deep in the hold of the converted "Banana Boat."

The next twelve days were a seemingly endless procession of meals (for those who could eat), sleep, poker, craps, seasickness, and water. Things we'll never forget about that ocean trip were the long steel alleyways to the mess hall which appropriately enough gained the name of "Puke Alley," the voice coming over the loudspeaker system "All fust saarjunts will repawt to the ship's aw-fice," and the waking up at night and hearing depth charges exploding. We never did learn whether submarines were around or if it was merely routine practice.

Eventually though, the blue waters of the Atlantic turned to the green of the Channel and on the 18th of November, we dropped anchor just outside Southampton harbor. The next day we pulled into the harbor, disembarked and boarded trains that were to take us further north. After a fleeting glimpse of some of the destruction wrought in the city by German bombing, we began our ride through the orderly, well-groomed countryside. Night fell and in inky darkness we left the train and climbed into trucks, bouncing along to Tidworth 8arracks on the Salisbury Plain.

Dismounting in the dank, dismal dark, we found we were in a sea of mud that almost made us homesick for the swamps of Louisiana. These barracks,. designed for Queen Victoria by. KaIser Wilhelm n of Germany, were to be .our homes for six weeks.

Despite the mud of Tidworth, our stay in Southern England was quite pleasant. The working day was devoted to drawing and processing equipment, training and guessing when we would cross the Channel. The surrounding towns, Andover, Salisbury, Amesbury and a host of others, received us nightly. Although English girls were different from our American girls, few of them were overlooked. The companies held dances and guests included not only civilian girls but also A TS girls from nearby Bulford Barracks.

Almost every man in the battalion received, a two-day pass to London where we had our first glimpse of systematic bombing and saw Londoners still going about their business nonchalantly as if a bombing were just a nuisance to be tolerated but not noticed. The most lasting impression of London was the persistent soliciting of the 'Commandos' in Piccadilly Circus.

In England, most of us were surprised at the lack of conveniences which are commonplace to Americans, such as central heating, showers, comfortable automobiles and well-lighted trains. English beer, we found was nothing like the American variety and their coffee was even worse. We admired the British though for the inconveniences and strict ration regulations they were forced to employ in order to devote every iota of national energy to winning the war. It was our first realization of the vast wealth of the United States as compared to the rest of the world.

Christmas rolled around and though we were far from American soil, we did have our "Turkey and Trimmings" and shared our feast with orphans from nearby Salisbury. Our stay in England was drawing to a close rapidly and we began last-minute preparations for moving to the continent.