'Dommel' -- I bet if old Hans Gelhauser, out there in his cold grave could talk he would tell you that the battle for Louvigny was one of the toughest battles in the whole war. And from the looks of the town I don't know but what he might not be right.
    'Pappy' -- Yes - the people of France have really felt all the crushing power of both sides in this war and it will take her years to recover as a nation.
    'Al' -- I was back to Rear Echelon today and you should see the civilians fighting for the leftovers in the 'chow-line'. It's hard to believe that civilized people can reach such a state.
(Enter Mr. Whipple)
    'Mr. Whipple' -- O. K. everybody ready to go? We cross the IP in 25 minutes. We follow the Fuel & Lube section on this move, Sgt. Lockwood will have his last vehicle just around the corner from the CP. We'll move into the column from this side of the bridge. Each driver will have a strip-map showing the main towns on our route so if by chance you break down keep her rolling and follow the map.
    (Scene closes with showing members each in turn giving his own equipment a last minute check, paying particular attention to his weapon: be it Carbine or Tommy-gun. An air of tenseness pervades the atmosphere, each individual seemingly pre-possesed. Will this be our day? Why didn't I take time to write home? I wonder why I didn't get any mail today.)

ACT THREE
SCENE ONE
PLACE:
A lonely stretch of road between Lintfort, Germany and Rhineberg, Germany.
TIME:
ACTION:
    Scene shows a column of halted vehicles

along a lonely and sparsely settled stretch of road. The steady drizzle of rain has made the road a sea of mud. In the East the dawn of another day is slowly materializing. The stillness is broken by the distant rumbling of artillery and the staccato chatter of machine guns.
DIALOGUE:
    Mr. Whipple -- (Sleepily) Has Lt. Dzicjma showed up yet?
    'Pappy' -- No, but I sure wish I knew what had happened to him and Pipes.
    'Mike' -- Don't you figure they waited for daylight before they came back after us?
    'Jimmy' -- If you ask me I'd say that they probably ran into some kind of trouble. From all the shootin' that went on during the night it must have been pretty hot up there.
    'Al' -- Hot or not hot that's the longest night I ever spent, bar none. How long have we been sitting here?
    'Pappy' -- Let's see, from nine o'clock last night 'til now would make it just about eight or nine hours. I sure could use some sleep.
    Mr. Whipple -- If I thought we could get through we would go on up. But it's possible that the Engineers haven't got the bridge in yet, so we better wait here for some kind of orders.
    'Mike' -- What gets me is the fact that 'Smitty', from 'B' Co. has tried to keep the chow hot all night for the men on the line, and here we sit. 'Pappy' -- Well that's one of those things that can't be counted for in advance, but you can bet that they will be getting hot chow before the day is many hours older.
    'Mike' - Here comes Lt. Dziejma.
(Members in chorus. What's the 'dope' Lt.?
    Lt. Dziejma - The Battalion has pulled back for reorganization and is to move out on the attack shortly. There's not much in way of explanation for what happened last night except that the powers that be, decided that it would be better for you all to stay here rather than to come forward cross country last night. I know it was rough but there's no us crying over spilt milk.

Mr. Whipple -- Were there many casualties?
    Lt. Dziejma -- Yes the battalion was pretty hard hit but the 'Krauts' have pulled out and are definitely on the run.
    'Jimmy' -- From the number of P\V's they have taken the last couple of days I don't see how there could be many of the left to fight.
    'Pappy' -- Yeah! That's what I have been telling myself for the past two months but they keep coming from someplace.
    Mr. Whipple -- Let's don't stand here beating our chops all day - mount up. Lt., you lead the way and we'll follow.
(Scene closes with the members slowly climbing into their places in the trucks, bent once more on their mission of service to the battalion.
PLACE:
    Venlo, Holland. It is here that the Battalion first was to know the relief of beds and showers and all that the combatant comes to miss after weeks of pursuing his everyday tasks on the field of battle.
TIME:
    Late evening on our last day in Venlo.
ACTION:
    Scene shows the whole Ammo Section busily engaged in loading their trucks from the Ammo Dump in front of the war-torn school house in the Company area. It is only natural that while doing the job they are talking over their stay in Venlo and wondering what the future has in store.
DIALOGUE:
    'Mahoney' -- I wonder how many times we have loaded and unloaded these trucks?
    Mr. Whipple -- I bet if you actually knew hoW much Ammo you had handled you wouldn't believe it.
    'Pappy' -- Come on you guys, let's get the job done and then talk.
    'Al' -- What's the hurry ''Pappy', is Mia waiting for you?
    'Jimmy' -- Yeah! 'Casanova' Cole, that's what they call him back in the hills of Virginia.
    'Pappy' -- Won't you ever learn - it's West By God Virginia.
    'Mauldin' -- Youse guys watch out where you're 'trowin' them bundles of Mortar, you almost hit me toe.
    'Vern' -- I'm sure glad this rest is over, so we can get back to the front and take it easy for a spell.

    'Dommel' -- You said it. We bust our hump during combat then come off the line for a rest and what do we do? Spend our time driving all over the ETO taking men on pass or a million and one other things.
    'Jimmy' -- Even so I'll hate to leave Venlo, the people here have really gone all out to show us a good time.
    'Mahoney' -- Ask 'Pappy' he ought to know.
    'Pappy' -- It sure is going to be rough going back into Germany and non-fraternization.
    'Vern' -- Just the same, I would rather be on the move, it's getting so I get fed up with a place if we stay there more than one or two days.
    'Al' -- Boy! You can tell what that St. Louis 'bum' did for a living before the Army got him.
    'Vern' -- Why you big-nosed 'hoosier' - you sure found a home when you came in the Army.
    'Mauldin' -- Cheez! Listen who's talkin' about somebody else's nose.
    'Pappy' -- Well we are just about through I'm always glad to see that last bundle go on the truck.
    'Dommell' -- I wonder where we are headed for this time? I hear we are going to cross the Rhine and go straight for Berlin.
    'Mahoney' -- That's what I heard, right off the bat too. It looks to me like the Krauts would wise up and call it quits.
    'Vern' - I'm for knocking the living h--l out of 'em as long as they want to fight, they asked for it.
    'Mike' -- Here comes the 'General', he ought to have the latest 'dope'.
    'Dispatcher' - We move out with CCB at eleven thirty tonight. I sure hope Battalion don't call up for a truck, I would sure hate to see you guys have to unload a truck now.

'Pappy' -- You even look like you were thinking such a thing and the war will come to a sudden end-for you.
    'Al' -- Well that just about winds up our stay in Venlo, it's been enjoyable to say the least, even though they did keep us pretty busy. I hope we have another volleyball tournament some day. The stuff Mr. Laird has is plenty good.
    Mr. Whipple -- All good things must come to an end but I must say that I will miss the hospitality of the Hollanders.
    'Pappy' -- I'll never forget the day I hauled Mrs. Whozit to the hospital in the back of Iman's truck. And I thought we had hauled everything.
I'll bet there isn't another truck in the ETO that's hauled expectant mothers to the hospital.
(Scene closes as the various members leave the group to return to their 'home' in Venlo, knowing for certain that no matter where the Gods of War send him - Venlo will always be remembered as the Friendly City.)

ACT THREE
SCENE: FINALE.
PLACE:
    Uslar, Germany, depicting the period of readjustment coming with the actual end of the war.
TIME:
    Late evening on the day that the Ammo Section paid their last official visit to ASP 451 where they have turned over to Army their 'basic reserve load' of Ammo.
ACTION:     Members shown seated around a long table eating 'late' chow.
DIALOGUE:
    'Pappy' -- Well I'm sure glad that's over, and to think that that's possibly the last ASP we'll see for a long time.
    'Vern' -- I wonder how many ASP's we drew from while in the ETO?
    'Jimmy' -- I don't know but the one that I'll remember was at Distroff. What a ride!
    'Vern' -- You should have been along the night we went to Loberich. Black-out all the way. We must have been on the road for 14 hours at least.
    'Shadow' -- I sure wish I could have been with you guy's in those days, but I suppose I was just as well off back with ordnance.
    'Mike' -- With Hitler, Musso and the rest all 'kaput', the war in the ETO all over it's hard to look back and figure out just where and what happened that was really outstanding. I'll never forget the time

Martin and I were up with the battalion at Halberstadt. Talk about excitement.
    'Jimmy' -- How about Rhineberg? That was something, ask 'Mauldin'.
    'Mauldin' -- Yeah! 'Dem 88's ain't got no respect for a guys noives.
    'Pappy' -- For my money the night I got captured by the British in St. Odlienborg was the pay-off. I won't forget that night if I live to be a hundred.
    'Al' -- That's nothing, remember when we were first pulling into Lintfort? There was a half-track knocked out of the column about two hundred yards ahead of us by one of those 88's.
    'Dommel' -- What gave me the 'willies' was driving through some of those little towns and not being sure they had been taken yet. No white flags out or nothing.
    'Pappy' -- All I have to say is that I'm glad it's all over and we came through with a clean slate. We covered several thousand mile in the last few months and never once was the battalion hurting for anything in the line of ammunition that it was possible to get. We delivered the goods over all kind of roads, under all kinds of adverse conditions: to the everlasting credit of the drivers, without a breakdown.
    'Shadow' -- I don't want to change the subject but I wonder if we'll be in the Army of Occupation?
    'Mike' -- I don't think so, I hear that we are going straight to the CBI.
    'Vern' -- Nuts! Stars and Stripes says that all combat troops will get a furlough in the States before going to the Pacific. St. Louis here I come.
    'Smets' -- Come on you guys, I'm not going to stay here all night listening to you spread it. Go ahead 'Polky' run 'em out.
(Scene and story ends with members as usual in a heated argument over what the future has in store for them.)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    The veteran troupers of the Ammo Section at this point wish to acknowledge the splendid cooperation and support of all other members of the Company involved in this our first 'top-billing' in any theater. To those of you cast in similar roles of service our thanks, you were there for every 'cue'. If by chance we are 'booked' into the Pacific Theater we can think of no supporting cast with whom we would rather share the 'spot-light'.