Chapter 1: A Call to Action
1932: " Alright Sandy, Now you make sure to keep your heels down and eyes straight ahead." Called my Pa as I trotted around the hot and dusty ring on our family's farm.
" Got it." I said, voice tight with concentration, eye's focused on the turn I was about to pull.
" And, GO!" Pa shouted as I whistled a tone and Bear flew into a gallop, tearing around the poles under my guidance.
It was a perfect dance we performed, not that I was much for dancing but that was beside the point, it was flawless and it was going to beat those know it all cowhands come Saturday's rodeo. It had to, those winnings were all that kept us with a roof over our heads.
Sandy was shaken from her thoughts by the sound of the announcer calling their number.
" #23 Sandy May Newell!" Called the man in the stand. " It's just Sandy!" The girl shouted as she got into position at the gate. The sand looked perfectly groomed and the air was oven hot, just perfect conditions for a ride which should be over within a few seconds.
" Ha,ha! Feisty dame ain't you?" Asked a tall man with a bushy mustache. Sandy ignored him with a roll of her eyes.
"Well, aren't cha going to be a lady and say somethin?" The man pressed.
" Aren't you going to be a gentleman and not cry when I race all'a you into the next county?" Sandy retorted and began her ride.
Bear galloped briskly up the the first pole, taking it in stride and proceeding to weave into the second one, change of leads, third. When suddenly the gleam from one the the cowhand's ridiculously large and shiny belt buckles hit Bear right in the eye, making him balk slightly as they took the fourth pole, causing him to bend wide. Sandy immediately took control and urged him forward and onto the finish.
" 23.6 seconds!" Called the announcer as they made their final turn. " 23.6 Bear, we might just bring home something tonight!" Sandy said proudly as they took their victory lap. Shh had a trick that she had been saving which was sure to put them in the running for first. As Bear cantered about the ring, Sandy counted the hoofbeats and carefully slipped under his belly, only to popped out the other side in a blur of sand and movement, standing in one stirrup and waving to the crowd with a flourish. Everybody stood up and cheered as they made their way out of the ring. " What'd I tell you." Sandy said as she trotted past the gobsmacked man, never looking back.
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Sandy decided to take a cool down with Bear, just walk him around in the shade of a willow oak and letting him graze away from the commotion of the arena. It was sweltering and they were not even into the heat of the day. Sandy was loosening her tightly pulled riding cravat to let some of the heat out when she heard a commotion.
She hated commotions, they usually ended with her chasing some buffoons away from a cat or stray dog they were tormenting. And sometimes putting them out of their misery if they could not be repaired. Sandy grabbed Bear with a huff of distaste, set on what needed to be done and trotted off following the sounds. Turning a corner, She saw the problem. Three cowhands were beating on a fourth, the downed fella's hands were thrown over his head to protect it as the other three punched and kicked him.
" Hey! You stop that!" Sandy shouted at them. She was thoroughly ignored. Sandy whistled a tone and Bear reared up, hopped forward and landed with a snort. " Stop that now." Sandy said firmly, finally catching their attention. The assailants laughed heartily. The fellow on the ground just wheezed and coughed. "Look fellas, Ben is so pathetic that a cryin dame had to come save him." The tallest of the three sneered. The others laughed.
" I don't see anybody cryin around here, cept maybe you if you don't turn tail and leave right now." Sandy replied, not taking any of their bait. Bear stepped forward menacingly. " You don't scare us, we could do a lot worse to you little miss." Said the leader crossing his arms. " I broke bout most everything in a stampede when I was five. Docs didn't think I would live. Do your worst, I dare you." Sandy challenged, just daring them to try anything funny.
" Don't you hurt her Jack." Wheezed the cowhand who looked to be having trouble catching his breath. " I don't wanna hurt her." Said Jack with a change of tone, " I just wanna teach er her place." Jack replied, reaching for Sandy's leg. Bear readed again, forelegs striking the boss under the jaw and putting him on the ground, scrambling away from Bear with an ear bleeding from the hoof strike. " Com'on fellas, Ben ain't worth all'a this." Jack said with fear, running past. " And don't you let me see you round here again!" Sandy yelled at their retreating forms. Figuring it was safe enough to get down, Sandy smoothly vaulted off of Bear and knelt on the ground. 'Not a beaten dog, but the closest thing to it.' Sandy thought with a shake of her head.
" Hey, you okay there?" Sandy asked shaking the teenager on the ground. " Urg, what do you think?" He asked roughly, mouth full of sand as he gingerly pushed himself upright. "Well, it looks like you were getting the stuffing beat out of you. Just an observation." Sandy said as she pulled him up off the ground and caught him as he swayed. " Easy now, looks like you've got a concussion, a swift kick to the head 'll do that." Sandy said as he leaned against Bear.
"I'm fine miss, but thank you anyway. You really shouldn't put yourself in danger like that." Ben said. " I know what I was doing. Name's Sandy by the way." She said, taking her cravat and wiping down his bloody face. " Ben. I hope this wasn't the only one you've got. Hate to ruin it." Ben said, pressing the neck scarf to his face. "Keep it, I hate those things anyway. Too constricting." Sandy explained quickly, checking him over for broken bones. She pressed over a spot and saw his consciousness start to drift. " Hey, hey! stay with me now. You really took a beating, who were they?" Sandy asked, wanting to keep him talking. " Biggest one's my older brother, other two are his friends, they're all Jerks and I would suggest you stay away from them if you know what's good for you." Ben coughed.
" Come on, let's get you out of here. You have a horse?" Sandy asked. " Yeah, he's over yonder. Don't think I'll be able to steer em too well though, Charlie stomped on my wrist." Ben said cradling his hand. " I'll get you home. Unless you want to go somewhere else?" Sandy questioned. " No, take me home. My Pa would kill me dead if he found out I was stayin somewhere else. E'd call me an ungrateful brat an I'd prolly have to live up in the huntin stand." Ben said with a hint of panic in his voice. " Alright. I'll take you home. Though it sounds like a terrible idea." Sandy said, walking over to the sorrel Quarter Horse that stood tied in the sun.
The horse's ears pricked, acknowledging her presence, his coat was slick with sweat and stuck to her hand when she patted him. " Hello friend, let's get your guy out of here." Sandy said untying him and clucking for him to follow. " Oh, hey Red. Looks like I was the entertainment again pal." Ben said, dropping his head tiredly against Red's sweaty withers. " Hey, no sleeping. We are moving out." Sandy said with a flick to his head. " Ow, you have terrible bedside manner." Ben complained, rubbing his head. " Com'on I need to get you to wherever you come from and get back here to claim any prize money." Sandy said as She gave him a leg up into the saddle. " 2384 Powder Barrel road." Ben Instructed, Sandy jumped up onto Bear and tied a lead rope to Red's reins so they could move out.
They rode along in silence for a while, tack jingling as they walked down the road. " So, where did you learn to be a nurse?" Ben asked. "My mother and books mostly. Also working on a farm, my Pa got hurt in the Great War, he was a medic, so now that I'm old enough, I'm in charge of most aspects of the farm. Taking care of the animals and people, It all adds up to a good bit of knowledge." Sandy said turning around. " Why aren't you telling me you hurt? I know you are, you're pale." Sandy stated, halting the horses. " I'm used to it.. just keep going. Really I'm fine." Ben insisted. Sandy jumped off.
" Sandy,what are you doing?" Ben asked as Sandy rummaged around in trees and underbrush. " Making you a splint, I can tell it's broken, you can tell it's broken, and it would be stupid to let it stay that way. You know it's near impossible to find work if you're a cripple." Sandy said coming back out with two sticks, some lambs ear for padding and some strong sweet potato vine, along with the potato. Rubbing the dirt off on her chaps she gave him the potato. " Bite on this and I'll have you back in place in a jiffy." She said.
" What?! No, No. Sandy I'm fine." Ben insisted. She gave him a pointed look. " Don't be a baby, I've done this to myself before." Sandy said, looking critically at his crooked and swelling wrist on the saddle horn. The numerous fading and fresh bruises on his arm were not lost to her. Ben relented with a sigh and stuffed the yam in his mouth, giving a thumbs up. " On three. One, two," Crack! Ben gasped around the potato. " Three!" Sandy finished, quickly tying the lambs ear and brace sticks tightly with the vine. Ben yanked his teeth out of the potato and glared at her. " That was not three." He protested. " I know, it never works right if you wait to three." Sandy explained simply, hopping back into the saddle. " I.." Ben shook his head. " Thank you Sandy. See you around?" Ben asked, turning his horse down his home road. " Maybe, if you ever need a place to stay, 4104 Cedarbrook road is as good as any and as far as I'm concerned we could always use another farmhand. If you know your way around cattle you've pretty much got the job. Have to go now, I have some prize money I need to collect." Sandy said, setting off at a canter for the rodeo grounds again.
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1941:
The Depression bred em tough, made them frugal and willing to do about anything to survive and very little fazed them by the time it ended. Sandy could prep a deer, ride in rodeos and roundups, kept up the farm with her family and continued to educate herself medically, reading any book she could come across from the traveling library which would drive into town every two weeks. Sandy and the other members of her town believed they were prepared for and had experienced the worst life could throw at them. Until one Sunday morning in December. Sandy and her family were on their way back from church when they noticed something strange. Her neighbors, all of them, gathered on the wooden porch front of the Delancies. Listening to the radio and crying, or staring stone faced in disbelief. As they got closer, Sandy heard the voice of the president announcing sorrowfully that an active naval base in Hawaii had been bombed and destroyed in an unprovoked attack by the Japanese. Sandy could barely get her head around this fact when she heard the fateful words, " This is an act of war." and then she knew, their lives would never be the same.
Within the week the drafts begin, recruitment centers open in full force and everybody is rushing about trying to prepare for an up and coming war. Sandy was busy handing out recruiting flyers to anyone who passed by, when she saw one of interest, " Join the Civil Air Patrol, help protect our coastlines." Read the advertisement. Well, she did not know anything about planes, but maybe they could use someone with medical experience around, maybe she would even get a chance to learn more considering from the description it appeared they were actively engaging U-boats? She would have to check this out. "Recruiting at airbase 21 in Beaufort." Sandy whispered to herself, committing it to memory..
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1943:
Sandy came into the base 21 med bay on a warm Saturday morning to find Ben and medic first class Pine carefully poking at the leg of Lieutenant Thomas, who lay on the table wide eyed and trying to control his breathing. " Captain Newell, You might wanna take a look at this." Pine stated, keeping pressure on Thomas' bleeding leg. " What have we got?" Sandy asked marching over. " Shrapnel from a plane, and it's deep. Might be nicking an artery." Ben explained. " Femoral? He looks pretty shocky Sergeant. Get him some blood out of the back, B+." Sandy ordered.
" On it." Replied Pine releasing pressure and jogging out of the room. The blood continued to well up rapidly. " And bring a tourniquet." Sandy shouted out behind her as she pressed on the wound. " How are you doing today Sandy?" Ben asked as he checked the Lieutenants pulse. " Oh, just dandy Ben. You know how much I like to come into work and find one of our best mission pilots bleeding out on your watch." Sandy said sarcastically shaking her head in disbelief. Thomas thrashed suddenly and Sandy and Ben grabbed hold of him to make him settle. " Pine! Where is that blood!" Sandy exclaimed just as she heard boots pounding down the hallway.
" Got is Ma'am!" Pine said turning the corner and running over to the table. " Good. Did either of you administer Penicillin? Morphine?" Sandy asked, still trying to gather information on the case as she secured the tourniquet with a twist. " Yes Ma'am. Standard dosage." Pine replied professionally. " Good. Let's get this done. You're going to be just fine Lt." Sandy said loudly, wanting to make sure the pilot understood her before she started digging around in his leg. Ben and Sergeant Pine were already applying pressure, ensuring that the pilot would not move reflexively and drive the piece in further. She received a mumble and a weak thumbs up and began, taking her finger first to feel for the piece, than going in with her forceps to grab the errant bit of plane out with extreme care, not wanting to cause any more damage to the surrounding tissue. With a steady hand, she pulled and the finger length piece of yellow aluminum was successfully extracted. She released her breath as she put it into a jar, " Foreign body extracted." Sandy confirmed, tightening the lid of the jar. She figured Thomas would want to keep it after all the trouble it had caused, a real war wound. " Alright, get him patched up and in recovery." Sandy said walking over the the sink to wash up. " Yes Ma'am." The other medics replied as Sandy started to write down the case report.
Second Lt. James T. Thomas, 48. Brought in after a U-boat engaged his 1942 Piper Cub # CP4285 at 0800 hrs. Injuries sustained: aprox. two pints blood loss,
suspected Femoral.A damage was negated and a by measure, two and a half inch piece of yellow aircraft grade aluminum was extracted from the wound.
compiled at 0830 hrs August 18th, 1943.
Sandy typed with finality before sending it off to the administrative and radio room. She puts the newly typed file down with a sigh as she pulls a draft notice out of the stack of mail. It is for Sergeant Conroy, he surely is not going to like the news, he was only 21. They seem to be grabbing them up younger every day and she feared that there would not be enough members to keep the base going if they kept drawing from them like they were. Since so many of them have been drafted and taken overseas to fight in the war against the axis powers, Sandy wonders often if her skills could be of greater use out on the front. "If I enlisted I could help so many people and make a difference out there. Surely they can recruit an equally skilled medic for the squadron." Sandy thought to herself.
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After their relatively quiet shift Sandy and Ben sat reviewing the cases of the day. There had been Lt. Thomas with his leg, a green recruit who somehow got his foot run over by one of the planes and promptly wanted to quit the patrol, three people forgot to hydrate again and fainted flat out on the flightline, and one person got their first pilot diamond, a wound, later turned scar on the head received from not ducking under the wing of a high wing aircraft. It was a calm but quite hot day so they decided to go to the local soda fountain Yum Yum's, on their way home in order to pick up something to eat as they had been so preoccupied with their work as to forget to take a break. " I have been thinking about trying to enlist." Sandy admits while enjoying the cool wonder which is a chocolate milkshake.
Ben freezes, "Why Sandy? You know you will be safer stateside." Ben questions. " I just think that I would be of better service out there in Europe instead. I want to continue my training. You know I could do it." Sandy pressed crossing her arms. She had always hated to be told that she could not do something just because she was a woman, It was a completely ridiculous stance that she loved nothing more than the prove wrong. " We're safer if we stay in America, you know those U-boats can't get us on land." Ben joked. " And are you any safer Ben? I've seen those bruises on your arms and they ain't from a roping accident like you tell everyone. Why don't you join up, get away from all that madness at home?" Sandy suggested even though she knew it was a sensitive topic. Ben could not help but release a tight laugh. " Do you hear yourself Sandy? Get away from your crazy drunkard father by joining the war. Where people are shooting at you.. How does that make any sense?" He asked. " You would at least be in charge of your own life a little more. Not go home and be the family scapegoat and punching bag!" Sandy explained quietly.
Ben shook his head and stood up. " I'm done with this! I'm going home." Ben growled. "Ben Please, I didn't mean to press." Sandy said, wishing she could take back her words. "You can come by when you are able to for once get some sense into your little head!" Ben said harshly before marching out.
Not one to be disheartened, Sandy finished her milkshake and left the soda fountain to wander through the busy streets of Beaufort, after passing through the market where the rare fresh fish hung from the stands at exorbitant prices due to the hazards of the catch and every man shared the latest news of the war effort, she found a recruitment station which had been set up near the dance hall, the sound of Frank Sinatra's "It's Always You" drifted out into the warm evening air.
Sandy took a breath and slowly pushed her way into the center. Men lined the walls, shirtless and waiting for inspection to determine their readiness for service, some watched her curiously, others unfortunately voiced their opinions on the matter. " Who let a dame in here?" One asked. " You here for a show lady?" Asked another. " I'm good thank you, I have seen plenty of shirtless men before. It is not as scandalous as you would believe." Sandy said sitting down and calmly picking up a newspaper. Nazi U-boats spotted off Virginia coastline! Read the headline, four in a formation was a pretty unique spot, she would give them credit for that. Sandy thought as she flipped through the paper. Sandy glanced over at another paper, which was turned to a full page advertisement for the 1943 World Exposition, only in New York City. This year featuring a flying car prototype by none other than Mr. Howard Stark, it would change the future of driving forever! The advertisement declared.
Soon Sandy's name was called and she went to the exam room. " Just sit down son, we will have this done in a jiffy." The doctor said not looking up from his clipboard. " Um.." Sandy doctor looked up and gasped. Eyes getting big, he sputtered, " I will get a nurse." And ran out of the room. After a very thorough examination and some explanation that she had medical certification and training at both the local hospital and the Civil Air Patrol, Sandy was proven to be fit for duty and was rewarded with a big ink 1A classification. Upon receiving orders, Sandy noted that she had to pack that very night as her train was headed for camp Butner in the morning.
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Sandy got home to the farm near nightfall and hurried to gather up her hens from the many places they had chosen to roost. She left the giant and often testy rooster Chanticleer where he had placed himself,no need to crawl around in the barn rafters to get a rooster who is inclined to kick. Sandy wagered as she caught and carried a pair of hens back to their modified barn stall.
She wondered just how she was going to break the news to her family, not that she needed permission, she was a full grown woman and was allowed to want to go follow her profession and not sit around looking pretty to wait for a man to grab her up. With that thought, she firmly latched the door, left the barn and headed for the house. She was going to miss this place, but she knew she had a greater calling. She pushed open the rickety screen door and the set of cheery wind chimes made out of old bent spoons clattered at the change of air pressure.
" Sandy? That you?" Sandy's mother called around the wall. " Yes Ma, I'm home!" Sandy called back as she turned the corner. Her mother turned from her labors in the kitchen and wiped her brow with a sigh. " There you are hon, can you take over potatoes for me? Your brother's run off again." "Ma, you wouldn't believe what I did today." Sandy said sitting down at the table. "I can wager a guess, you took your shift at the health center and went up the the patrol? They didn't send you and Ben out again did they?" Sandy's mother asked handing her an apron full of potatoes to peel with a spare crafting knife. " Did Ben ask you to go steady?" Sandy's brother teased, appearing around the corner with a baseball glove in hand. " No, We are not." Sandy said cooly, thinking back to Ben storming out of the soda fountain to run right back to his crazy family. " I'm going out to practice with the guys, see you around!" Roger said running swiftly out the door. " Roger! Don't you go abandoning us!" Sandy shrieked out the door. " Woman's work, Woman's work, You are ladies!" The mischievous boy sing songed as he dashed away to the barn. Sandy shook her head. Why were all the men in her life so incorrigible? She came back inside and sat down at the table, ready to continue her task. ' Boy's lucky I'm too excited with the enlistment to put a mayet lax in his potatoes for that woman's work nonsense.' Sandy thought as she peeled. Sandy looked at the latticework cupboard in the corner of the room as she thought of ways to break the news to her mother. No easy way came so she just came out with it.
"Anyway. I got admitted today, I am going overseas to help our troops, they need medics and I think I could help them. My train leaves in the morning for basic." Sandy said into the now silent room, the boiling of the pot became unbearably loud as she waited for a reply. " Why? Why do you want to go when so many people are being conscripted? It is so bad over in Europe and worse in Japan from what I've read." Sandy's mother spoke seriously and slowly. " I want to continue my profession, I can do more good out on the front. Send you all the field pay as well, It'll help everyone. And make my nursing job more competitive when I get back stateside. You know I will come back with stories." Sandy said, trying to convince her family that it is the best option for her. She was going anyway, this was simply a way of letting them know she had not just ran off for a few years.
" You are safe here, you want to hear war stories, ask your father when he comes back, or Mr. Smitthy down the road, he can tell you all about how he spent a week knee deep in a muddy trench, had his best friend shot beside him.. You don't want to go." Sandy's mother argued. " I do though, and I am. Maybe, if a medic had been there with them it could have made the difference, Ronald might be home and I wouldn't find Mr. Smitthy drinking himself to death on turpentine because nothing else works for him anymore!" Sandy exclaimed, then quieted. " Girl's become mannish, and at the worst time to. But I know I can't stop you, ya already signed up." Sandy's ma said shaking her head. " I'm doing this for them, I know I can do this Ma. You always said I could do whatever I put my mind to doing and I have to try." Sandy said softly, hugging her mother who pulled her close, " Please stay safe, don't you go getting yourself killed out there or I will never forgive myself for letting you go." She said releasing Sandy from the embrace. " I will ma, I promise I will stay safe. I'll make you and Pa proud." Sandy said seriously. Heading up the stairs to pack. " I'm sure you would always find a way.. But don't go making promises you might not be able to keep Sandy. I'll talk to your father in the morning, you better be on that train fore he gets a chance to stop you. You know how he feels about the war." Her Ma replied, shaking the rag full of bean tops out the door for the hens to find. " Will do ma, I love you." Sandy said as she headed up the stairs.
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The train for Butner was leaving at 0600 according to Sandy's enlistment forms and she did not want to be late to the station so she hurried to town and called out the southbound trolley car to take her there. She still almost missed the train due to traffic in the main town,but she made it onboard without a hitch, scrambling up the plank as the conductor hollered, "All Aboard!"
"Wow that was close!" Sandy said breathlessly to herself as she settled into her booth and started to read the training manuals she had received from the recruitment center. After she read the entire first manual, and still had two hours to go, she looked out the window at the passing scenery, Sandy had never really traveled very far before, never had the need or means. It hit her then, as the train passed through another small town she may never see again to pick up more recruits, and others tried to sneakily crawl out the windows and ditch. Europe was a whole world away and Sandy had barely an idea of the next county over. As they passed Raleigh, Sandy knew their lives were changing forever. Men just out of boyhood who had been laughing and ribbing each other the whole way now sat murmuring their uncertainties, they were heading to war and there was no out for them short of doing something desperate or illegal. The entire atmosphere seemed to crawl with their apprehension, in such a way as hogs being taken to slaughter.
When the train arrived at Camp Butner, there was the typical hustle bustle and yelling of different orders as Sandy and over three hundred other soldiers to be piled off the train and got into two large formations, Sandy was led over to a group of about thirty-five women distinguished as WAAC members and destined to become nurses or secretaries in the Army to free up more men for the fight. They exchanged quiet greeting and got acquainted as they waited.
" Platoon! Atten-Hut!" Exclaimed a loud voice as a pair of officers marched onto the field. They all snapped to attention then got introduced to their platoon leaders Staff Sergeant. Murphy and Captain. Albright who would be in charge of them for the duration of their training. Their typical day was this, wake up at 0500 followed by PT, time down at the mess, inspection and drill before they got down to the day's lessons about care of the troops or managing paper files.
As one of a few WACCs who had been selected for an experimental go at field medic training do to exceptional out testing scores Sandy and another female from her group, Sara Campbell, would receive additional mentoring and lessons in the evening with the male medics. As Sandy and Sara walked through the camp on their way to the lesson they spoke about their lives at home, Sara had come from a little town called Creedmoor, had walked to Butner and demanded to be allowed in. She had an abusive family who had figured she would be more useful to them if practically sold off to a rich but still abusive husband. She took a different path, choosing instead to help as a medic in the Army. " I'd rather die by my own destiny than live anymore years of being someone's supposed brainless little wife." She had said bitterly one night as they sat reading before lights out. Sandy nodded in understanding, proud that Sara had done what her best friend wouldn't do. " I have a friend back home, same situation as you were in, he's probably still mad at me for trying to talk him into joining and getting away from em." Sandy said with a shrug.
Both women were hopeful for their futures in the Army, they would be graduating with technician 2nd class at the rate they were progressing with studies and training. The platoons were allowed mail call every other day to write home to friends and family. The training was extremely rigorous and involved a lot of medical drills,exams, lessons on both complex and basic human anatomy and it's functions,diseases, injuries and finally practicals, stitching up pig carcasses in varying states of togetherness. All of this Sandy did not even flinch from and when they graduated 10 weeks later, the entirety of the medical detail were certified Army combat medics and ready to receive orders to go overseas. Sandy bid farewell to the companions she had made, ten weeks ago they were perfect strangers but the rigors of boot camp had forged an iron bond between all members of the platoon. Soon everybody went back to their hometowns to await their orders.
Sandy received them during one of the daily squadron briefings discussing avoidance maneuvers for the aircrew and search and rescue techniques for the ground teams. She held her breath as she opened the telegram which would decide her fate.
By Orders of The United States Army and the President: Technician 2nd class Sandra May Newell, is to report for immediate service count and is to be stationed in Azzano, Italy with the: 1-0-7th Combat Infantry division. By: October 11, 1943. Or face monetary and criminal charges.
