Baker Battery, 455th AAA, 1 Sept. 1945

At long last, it begins to look like the Old "Fighting Rabbs'" foot is starting to bring a 'passel' of luck to the members of the team who are lucky enough to remain with the unit and begin the process or returning to the land of chewing gum, jitterbugs and hot dogs. For these lucky members, plus the largwe number of friends who have recently come into the unit, the ensuing several weeks should prove interesting, perhaps a little exciting at times, and of course someone busy in the bargain. Many of the Team's members have come a long way since the hectic days of training of training and shifting around what seems to have been so necessary during the period between the activationof the Organization and its entry into the battle zone.

We have all learned many important details of life, and the differences between civilian and military duties and customs. Few of us can fail to remember with some degree of pride, the first time we became Number One in a chow line, or the first week the duties of a KP were Forgotten by an absent-minded "First Sergeant", or, possibly, even the time the pay day game with the African dominios went in out favor.

Many are the tales and anecdotes concerning various members of Baker Battery which will be remembered thru-out a lifetime. Who can fail to remembeer the classic example of the case of two of the heroes of Baker Battery, Pvts. Mitchell and North, whose rise to fame came at "Swamp Stewart", Georgia, during a visit of the Post Commander to a security post being manned by Pvt. Mitchell and comrades. Wanting to know whether the men knew their directions, the General asked Pvt. Mitchell where North was. Mitchell, knwoing that Pvt. North was AWOL at the time, snapped right back ath the General, "North is over the hill, Sir."
Or, the man who insisted on greeting his first dergeant each morning with a snappy GI hand salute and also who consistently failed to render that courtesy to the Battery Commander will not soon be forgotten, along with the hundreds of other little happeningfs peculiar to each individual.

To the many who are no longer with us, we extend a wish for a happy assignment and a quick journey home as soon as possible. Our sympathies, which we extended to those who were destined to mingle with the little yellow men with the heavy caliber buck teeth, are, fortunately, no longer needed, but we continue to hope for successful completion of their duties for them.

Many of this battery have been eligible for various awards and many of those who did not receive any concrete evidence of the appreciation for their services can glean some satisfaction from the knowledge that their job was appreciated in no less fashion. The men of 'B' Battery accounted for a total of 37 Cat. I's and II's - ample proof that they did their part in elevating the 'Team' to top place among all 40 mm units in the ETo. For all of the honors and awards that may have been received however, none can serve to help replace such sterling men as those lost by this battery who must remain on this side as heroes in death. Men killed in action were: Sgt. Hubert B Burgins, Pfc. Alvin P Hudson, Pfc. Joseph N True, and Pfc. Lloyd E Hayes.

It is to be hoped that during our projected journey into the great unknown country across the sea, many more of us will go by boat, then seemed to do so coming over to this part of the globe. Any casual observer would surely have noticed that the majority came by "rail" on the first trip. But whether by boat or plane or any other means available, we surely intend to make one determined effort to cross once more the old pond known as the gentle, motherly Atlantic. For all of her moods, it is very doubtful whether they can exercise much restraint upon our enthusiasm for return to baseball, white lights, baked beans, and Four Roses. The general plan of attack is not known, but it is assumed that instructions will be issued each man prior to his actual entrance into the country so that the customs and habits of the people will not seem so queer and unreal to our Continental eyes.

Personally, we don't believe The Story about the 'Old Lady' in New York harbour sitting down in a rocking chair now, and will bet those Krauts were all wrong about New York being flatter than a pancake - We'll See!