The White Falcon - 12.05.1945, Side 3
s
<S\MME TWO
EXTi?A ONES
gUDDY IM
CELEgEATIN'J
1939 -1945
1939
Sept. 1—Germany invades Poland.
Sept. 3—Great Britain declares war on Germany. France
declares war on Germany.
1940
April 8-9—Germany invades Norway and Denmark.
May 10—Germany invades Lowlands.
May 29—Dunkerque.
June 10—Italy enters war against France and Britain.
June 14—Germans enter Paris.
June 22—France surrenders.
Sept. 16—President Roosevelt signs Selective Service Act.
Oct. 16—President draws “158.”
1941
April 6—Germany invades Greece and Yugoslavia.
June 22—Germany invades Russia.
July 7—U. S. troops land in Iceland.
Aug. 14—Atlantic Charter.
Dec. 7—Japan attacks U. S.
Dec. 8—U. S. declares war on Japan.
Dec. 11—Germany and Italy declare war on U. S. U. S.
declares war on Germany and Italy.
1942
Jan. 26—U. S. armed forces land in Northern Ireland.
Nov. 7—U. S. Army, Navy and AAF land in North Africa.
1943
Jan. 24—Big Three meet at Casablanca.
.Jan. 27—First USAAF air attack on Germany.
May 9—African campaign ends.
July 11—U. S. Army invades Sicily.
Sept. 3—Allies invade Italy. Badoglio administration
signs secret military armistice which became
effective Sept. 8.
1944
June 4—Rome falls.
June 6—D-Day.
Sept. 12—Yanks enter Germany in Aachen sector.
Dec. 16—Battle of Bulge begins.
1945
Mar. 8—U.S. First Army crosses Rhine.
May 8—Y-E Day.
—Local V-E Reaction
(Continued from Page 1)
important job of morale-
building until troops are
removed to the Pacific.
Other remarks typical
of local reaction to the V-E
pronouncement:
Sgt. Elbert Overacre,
Troutville, Va: “Glad it’s
over!”
Edith Holgate, ARC, Col-
lingswood, N. J: “Thank-
ful.”
Tec 5 Lester Gregory,
Bryson City, N. C: “Glad
suffering is over in Europe!”
Pfc. Royce Baker, Huston,
Texas: “I celebrated the
wonderful event.— and now
I’m paying for it!”
LOOK, FELLOWS, A TREE!
After so many months in treeless Iceland, the furlough
men took great delight in closely observing Nature’s
handiwork. The amateur horticulturists above can be seen
intently scrutinizing a likely looking specimen—noting
well the trunk and limb structure.
—V-E In Iceland
(Continued front Page 1)
rendered to the United Na-
tions. The flags of freedom
fly all over Europe.”
With those few words,
President Harry S. Truman
began the V-E proclama-
tion which announced to the
people of the United States
the official end of the Eur-
opean war after almost six
years of Nazi tyranny and
barbaric effort for world
domination.
Thus did V-E come to Ice-
land. Officers and men
broke away from the radi-
os and returned to their
duties.
The KPs resumed their
details, wondering if the day
would ever end. The truck
driver swore again as he
careened out of another
hole, wondering why it was
never fixed. The guard
walked his lonely outpost,
just wondering. The MP
wondered about what the
four ex-supermen were
wondering.
It was a rare day for Ice-
land. The sun was shining.
It was five minutes past one
on V-E Day!
TANK Features
Stories On Late
Chief Of Nation
The May 11th issue of
YANK, The Army Weekly,
is a Memorial Edition con-
taining stories and pictures
of the late President Roose-
velt and the life story of his
successor, President Tru-
man, himself a veteran of
the last war.
With most of the 24 pag-
es of the issue taken up with
pictures and stories of the
death and burial of the late
President hv YANK’s own
soldier-photographers and
writers, it is an issue most
members of the armed forc-
es will want to get and keep.
Included is a full report
from YANK correspondents
overseas of the reactions of
GIs everywhere to the news
of the death of their Com-
mander-in-Chief.
Wears Patch On Right Arm
M/Sgt. Francis X. Falvey,
veteran of 28 years’ service
in the Army, has so many
stripes and service chevrons
that the Transportation
Corps has allowed him to
wear the corps patch on his
right shoulder.
Now based at Norfolk,
Va., Falvey sports from top
to bottom on his left arm:
M/Sgt. stripes, six overseas
chevrons for World War
II, six for World War I,
nine enlistment hash marks.
—Nazi Aviators
(Continued from Page 1)
when motor trouble forced
their landing.
Three of the prisoners
were German-born and the
fourth a native of Austria.
They range in age from 23
to 29; one was the plane’s
pilot, the second its radio
operator, the third, a weath-
er observer, and the fourth
a gunner. All were noncom-
missioned officers in rank.
Though none of the pris-
oners questioned were fully
informed as to details con-
cerning the war’s recent
progress, all knew that Ger-
many had for some time
been fighting a losing fight.
There were disagreements
in answers they gave to ques-
tions concerning German
troop relationships with the
Norwegian people, one clai-
ming considerable friend-
ship with the Norwegians
and another declaring that it
was necessary to keep a
double guard over planes at
their base in order to prev-1
ent sabotage activities oh
them by the Norwegians. j
The following comments
and views by the German
fliers are presented in sum-
mary from the military’s
records:
The average age of troops
stationed in Norway now is
about 30 years. Some moun-
tain troops which moved
from Finland into northern
Norway remain, while oth-
ers have been moved down
to Denmark from Norway
during the past six months.
One declared relations with
the Norwegians satisfactory;
another said their base was
so remote that they had
very little contact with the
Norwegians; while a third
declared that heavy guards
had to be maintained over
planes to prevent Norwegian
saboteurs from damaging
them. Sabotage activity by
the Norwegian underground
was described as quite gen-
eral in southern Norway.
Food supplies have been
steadily dwindling, both for
the military and the civilians
in Norway. Letters from re-
latives in Germany indicat-
ed that the food situation
there was becoming critical,
prisoners said. Soup, mutton
and dried peas are the prin-
cipal items on the menu at
their base now, it was re-
ported.
One prisoner declared that
he had become convinced
that Germany had lost the
war on learning that Hitler
had died at his command
post in Berlin. The Fuehrer
had made the pledge that
neither Berlin nor Vienna
would ever be taken, and
now it was evident that pro-
mise could not be kept. It
was apparant that Germans
believe that Hitler died a
hero’s death. One prisoner
admitted having been stati-
oned with a fighter squadr-
on in southern France, part
of which was moved to Nor-
way at the time the contin-
ent was invaded.
All said that their regular
assignment was weather
reconnaissance. They were
to get detailed reports on
wind strength, velocity, sea
condition and cloud forma-
tions.
Political instruction am-
ong German troops began
late in July last year, one of
the prisoners declared, with
very little attention having
been paid before then to the
political views of soldiers.
That the war could not
last much longer due to the
growing shortage of equip-
ment and supplies was a
view shared by all the pris-
oners.
Didn’t Wait For Discharge
A GI who recently arrived
at the Ft Meade, Md., Se-
paration Center went AWOL
while awaiting his discharge
from the Army.