The White Falcon - 14.11.1942, Blaðsíða 4

4
THE WHITE FALCON
OUR FORCES - ALWAYS ALERT
Published by and for the American Forces, under the super-
vision of G-2 Section. Managing Editor, T/3G. John G. Allee;
News Editor, T/4G. Gene Graff; Art Editor, T/5G. Harrison
Standley; and Circulation Manager, Pvt. Carl A. White. All photo-
graphs are by the U.S. Army Signal Corps unless otherwise
credited.
This paper has been passed by the Censor and may be mail-
ed home for one cent.
Counter-Blitzkrieg
America has staged her first counter-blitzkrieg! With
dramatic power only possible from a surprise move,
American soldiers achieved “Hitler’s impossible,” by
sweeping into territory vital to an offensive against the
Axis from their most unprotected side.
Just how distressing the Germans find this new proxi-
mity of Americans, can best be appraised by the sud-
den shift from their former taunting of America’s use-
fulness as only a poor supply center to their present
nervousness in trying to minimize the importance of
the new Allied bases, while trying to race across the
so-called unoccupied French soil and establish them-
selves at Tunisia before the Americans can counter-
blitzkrieg again.
But the United States finds this taking of territory
and strategic bases quite enjoyable. And the thing which
the Germans have failed to realize is thqt America,
since being thrown into the war less than a year ago,
has moved continuously in her pre-war policy — esta-
blishing sound bases, swiftly, unexpectedly, and democra-
tically. Bases such as Bermuda or Trinidad, Newfound-
land or Labrador, Iceland or Greenland, are all of the
same pattern, even though less dramatic.
We are at War now, and bases now gained require
force. Yet the President of the United States can an-
nounce joyfully during the taking of the strategic points,
“The United Nations’ Forces are being joined by large
numbers of fighting men of our traditional ally, France.
.... And it is heartening for us to know that the sol-
diers of France go forward with the United Nations.”
It is just such statements, expressing hope and plea-
sure over the freeing of subjugated peoples, which
make well-planned moves of ihe Americans incom-
prehensible td the Germans who have only expressed
joy and satisfaction over the enslaving, of races. It is
the difference between “Blitzkrieg, democratic style,”
and “Blitzkrieg, Hitler style.”
Nor is it mere coincidence that the American drive
hits at the moment when Rommel is embarrassingly
having to be apologized for.
While the Axis radio hysterically beams the useless-
ness of seapower, the inability of the Americans and
the British 8th Army to join, their own power in Russia,
the falseness of the French in giving in, and many
other wild tales in an effort to hide her terror; their
radio is strangely silent on how such a convoy can slip
past Gibraltar, how such precision of plans could be
carried out by any nation except Germany, how badly
fooled the Germans were by the Dieppe raid, or how
dispersed the manpower of the German Wehrmacht
must now become after the horrible bleeding on the
Russian battlefields. Instead of boasting that Suez was
but waiting for Germany and that the Nazis had but
a short time to wait until Japan’s road to the Reich
was a wide one, Germany stands desperately close to
seeing her chances for any African gains go tumbling,
her chances for increasing pressure on Russia become
an impossibilit3r, and virtually her desire for world vic-
tory suddenly turn to hope for self-survival. And all
because some democratic Americans landed in Africa
and found the land hospitable and readv to accept
their liberators! America has launched her first counter-
blitzkrieg against Gerniany! Where will she strike next?
The Yanks are coming!
The Yardbird’s Lament
74 Jnqubdng.
E.epa>ite>L
(The Inquiring Reporter de-
cided to give the officers a
break this week, so he corner-
ed four of them and asked them
how each met his girl-friend or
wife for the first time. Here arc
the answers.)
Major John W. Haines, Infant-
ry, who hails
from Washing-
ton, D.C., says
hq worked for a
fellow who had
a charming sist-
er. The kind
brother handled
the introduction,
and a year later
the Major married the gal and
“forgot all about the brother.”
Major Haines joined the Army in
1929, but remained inactive un-
til 1940, when he was called to
regular duty.
There’s a gallant American lass
in these parts who turned down
,an invitation she didn’t receive
.... Her job is to entertain en-
listed GI’s when they’re on pass
.... So when an officer asked the
Washington, D.C., sophisticate
for a “date” she revealed she
“had other plans for the evening;
how about some other time?”....
Alas, our heroine didn’t under-
stand the officer merely was in-
viting her to attend an enlisted
men’s party .... He asserts, in-
cidentally, it’s the first time “he’s
ever been turned down for a
date.”
And then there’s the Captain
who deserves a pat on his back
from the doggies .... He planned
a special celebration downtown
with a couple of his men ....
Entering THE entertainment spot,
they were informed EM were un-
welcome .... Did the Captain
ignore his friends? .... No, sir,
he left in a huff and spent the
evening as planned — with the
hoys in another nitery.
Imagine the chagrin of the jeep
driver who piled into his wagon,
started the engine and couldn’t
understand why he didn’t move
forward when he tossed out the
clutch .... He was rescued, how-
ever, when a buddy informed him
the. wheels had been placed on
wooden blocks the night before
while the grease monkeys did
their work.... But, he’s no worse
than the soldier who manufact-
ured his own “Zoot suit.” .... His
w^s composed of an OD blouse,
woolen,longies and a pair of fat-
igue gloves .... They say he cuts
quite a fancy figure these days.
"Water, water everywhere ....
but not enough for a private who
told a Dental Officer he couldn’t
find enough to keep pearly white
molars pearly .... Now he re-
ports to his Corporal every hour
on the hour and the two-striper
supervises the teeth-cleaning op-
eration .... Two more weeks of
this and the Corporal might even
start cleaning his own choppers.
It isn’t often that a GI slum
burner will admit his shortcom-
ings .... But a contributor un-
covers a member of his unit who
located a silver coin in his mess
kit after waltzing through the
chow line .... He agrees that the
idea was novel, but wondered
why the token was baked
through and through while the
beans covering the coin were raw
... Now other fellows in the
unit pester the cook for some-
thing to compensate for his man-
handling of their food.
A self-styled scholar has been
unearthed here .... Whenever
he reads a novel he keeps a huge
dictionary within reach to fath-
om out “wordsaslongasthis” ....
Last reports indicate that he got
his signals crossed the other eve-
ning and began reading the dicti-
onary, while using the novel for
reference .... Tsk, tsk.
Col. Hubert L. McCullough, 44-
? year-old F.A. of-
ficer, also met
| his future spouse
through a mutu-
| al friend. A road
•.onstruction en-
| gineer before
(Jncle Sam beck-
oned, Col. Mc-
Cullough has
been married 14 years and is the
proud father of four healthy
youngsters.
A swimming party “blind date”
started 1st Lieut.
William P. Gat-1
es down the
road of matri-
mony. Hailing
from Columbus,
Ga., he tells the
tale in his own
words: _ “We
were strolling
down a romantic lane when I
CHAPLAIN’S CHALLENGE.
“Think it not strange
concerning the fierce
trial which is to try
you...” I Peter 4:12.
There is infinite truth in
the old adage, “A gem is not
polished without rubbing,
neither is a man perfected
without trials.” This precept
points out better than any ar-
gument just how the soldier
may profit from the rugged-
ness of his army career. Dis-
cipline in itself is an educa- I
tion in courtesy. From the
spiritual point of view, ex-
perience brings with it a wi-
dening of the intellect, a quick-
ening of the sympathies, and
an expansion of the soul.
started to ‘pop the question.’ I
stuttered, but she coyly whisp-
ered ‘Yes’!” Lt. Gates was em-
ployed by the U.S. Railway Mail
Service in civilian life.
\
When the dean of a girls’ school
invited Major-
Robert E. Bar-
ron, Infantry, to
a reception she
said, “I want to
introduce you to
the girl you’re
going to marry.”
So he did. Maj.
Barron has been
married 15 years and has three
children. He was in the hard-
ware and milling business before
entering tho Service