Overseas Memories of Service Company 124th Infantry Regiment 31st Infantry "Dixie" Division By (Aubrey) Paul Tillery Some came from the South, others from the North, East & West But we all got together in Virginia after passing the overseas test Now dear ole Camp Pickett in winter is not the ideal place However it beats going to Europe and freezing your------face Of course you recall our surprise, while amid all the heavy snow Talk of summer uniforms arose and off to Camp Patrick Henry we go Our overseas destination was a topic discussed almost every night Until the USS Cape Neddick came and moved us far out of sight Thirty-Seven days is an extremely long and boring ocean cruise Especially to those suffering with the seasick and other blues The Panama Canal was an interesting but much too brief respite As we were permitted an hour or so on land to our great delight We received our first overseas mail, and it was truly dear Then quite suddenly we realized that home was no longer near Galapagos, Pitcairn, Easter, Bora Bora just names from a book Yet some were close enough for us to take a quick look Watching the flying fish was interesting, at least to me As it helped to break up the long and boring days at sea On crossing the equator, we ran through belt lines, much like sheep Initiating us as Shellbacks in the Royal & Ancient Order of the Deep In spite of the flying fish, fun and games, the voyage seemed slow Thus, it was indeed a happy moment when we heard "Land Ho" Goodenough Island, Parrot Caper, River of Fire & other horseplay We were merely having fun while waiting for a ship to Oro Bay Our orders from there were to proceed to Aitape, ready to fight And we rushed to begin loading out on ships that very night The assigned task was clear, we knew exactly what had to be done Push the enemy back across the Driniumor River and make him run Mission accomplished, then to New Guinea we said "Good-bye" And loaded on more ships for the amphibious assault on Morotai I feel quite certain you recall "P.C. Charlie" and "Nightmare Hill" And remember the nights dodging the bombs and flak that fell Next landing was Mindanao, then on up the Sayre Highway With extremely heavy fighting from Cotobato to Malaybalay Word came about the dropping of the Hiroshima bomb And the very distinct possibility that peace might come It is quite easy for us to recall our happiness and glee When word came at last, that we have won our victory During the next few weeks on the ball fields we did roam Until the USS General Aultman came to take us home The Golden Gate Bridge was indeed a most welcome sight As we passed under it in the beautiful early morning light Camp Stoneman is the place where we boarded the trains Taking us separate ways, yet Service Co. memory remains Now Thirty-Seven long years have quickly passed us by And it's been great fun meeting in Orlando - eye to eye As we part again, recall words General MacArthur did say "Old soldiers never die ---------------- they just fade away" Written for our first Service Company reunion at Orlando, Florida May 12 - 14, 1983 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Transcribed by Paul M. Webber on 9 January 2002 Home Page: http://home.pcisys.net/~pwebber/31_id/rtw.htm