I am alone it is November 8th 10 P.M. 1978

I got home Christmas Eve 1945. Christmas Day Edmund Byrd, Melvin Crosby, and some more boys went hunting. When the guns went to popping it brought back to my mind my friends that was gone on during the war. I gave my gun to Crosby and brought his 22 rifle home. We was at the Fox Shack.

November 14, 1942 was the date that I went into the Army. It was Christmas Eve 1945 when I got out and came home.

Today, November 14, 1978

I went to my ole stomping grounds, up in Sweetwater Community and Crackers Neck but there wasn't anything that looked the same anymore. Everet Boleware and I went.

I am alone it is November 25, 1978

I went into the Masonite Woods near Clide and Sumrall on the 23rd where the boys were deer hunting. It was Thanksgiving Day. I went over near Moselle, where we used to Fox hunt but it ain't the same place any more.

Lonely tonight Wednesday November 29th , 1978

I am by myself and just thinking of my ole combat days. It is raining and cold tonight. On July 15, 1944 that night William S. White from Florida was killed in the hole with me and William B. Carter from Collins Mississippi. I got my helmet shot off my head but wasn't hurt all that much. I remember the moon was bright as day. I had never been so scared in all my life. The next day John Billington and I took over as Head Scouts. John and I had some rough days ahead of us. We were now in the lead of our Company.

On the morning of July 22 they hit us early and my buddy (John) was crippled. John was held back. I'm by myself to lead in the jungles. Robinson from Laurel Mississippi, Carl Brewer from Richton Mississippi, and Carl Allen from North Mississippi was all wounded. I was lucky I wasn't killed myself. But I worked my way through but with John out it's just like my right arm is missing.

I found out John Billington was killed June 2, 1945. John Billington was my right hand man and best friend during the war and combat. He was killed just before the war was over. I was crippled and in the hospital. He was killed the last time they went out on the front lines. We made a pledge that me or him would die before we left the other one wounded in the jungles but if one of us was killed the other one would get out if possible. John B. was killed June 2, 1945 just before the war was over.

Raining and cold December 2, 1978 Saturday night 10 PM

I went into the hospital seven weeks. Then I went back to my old outfit Company I. I got out of the hospital the day John was killed. The next day I started back on the front lines. We got about 4 miles up in the jungle to a Field Hospital and met Lt. Black. He told me, “We lost your Buddy.” So the next morning they sent me back to the Co. I got out to ACO in the jungles at 4 P.M. The boys said they had pork chops for supper. I dried my clothes and ate supper. At 8 P.M. I still had 2 miles to go to my Co. So I judged my way through the jungles. At 11 P.M. I reached my Co. The next morning I went back in the hospital. When I got out the war was about over.

November 30th. 1978

Me and Edward Bullock went to the Byrd Cemetery.

December 2, 1978

We went to Columbia Mississippi and bought a tombstone for my brother Sim Bullock. It reminded of my dad. February 1944 when dad died, I was at the POE at Camp Patrick Henry Virginia ready to go overseas. They let me go home for the funeral. Thursday Night, February 10, 1944 at 10 P.M. I caught the train at Southern Depot. When I got back to Virginia, where I left my Company, I could see the boys footprints in the snow. They had departed the day I left home. I was transferred to M Company. I was supposed to be with them three weeks and go overseas with M Company. I got to Camp at 4 P.M. Saturday. I found out that K Company was leaving at 4 A.M. the next morning. I took the place of a sick man. He stayed with M Company and I left with K Company. We left Newport News Virginia Sunday the 13th. of February. We got in New Guinea around April 15th. When we got there that night, I ate supper with the boys and started finding my way to my Company. I came upon a bunch of Filipino Shacks, there were 4 oxen in a lot. One was yellow and one

Actual picture of his daddy, him and his brother with
those oxen pulling a cart loaded with bales of cotton.
Image enlarges with a click.

was red just like my dad had when I was a kid boy. I looked at them and you'll never know how I felt and where my mind was. I was shaking and set off in a different way and moved on to my company.

Raining and Cold tonight Monday December 4, 1978

We made a beach head at Mindanao in the Philippines. The boat failed to get us to the beach. Me and my pal hit the water before we got to the beach it got over our heads and he couldn't swim. I dragged him out. We were going to take Malbla a small town. Before we got there me and John was crossing a river bridge. When we got over the water the Japs blew up the bridge on their side. You talk about moving on, we got back. When we got into town they had all moved out. And we sure was lucky they were all gone.

If these notes are kept and handed down some day it'll be good to read, for it is a true story wrote by a man who has been there and been in it.

Me and my pal (John Billington), had been led in the very worst of places lots of times not knowing who???? us or them? It really is bad either way. John, me or the Japs but as a general rule some one would lose his life and gone for good. When we overtook the Japs we was out there and we stayed until it was over. We were like a strike dog in a Fox Race when we got the battle going. We would be under fire from both sides until the battle was over.

I was just remembering about the river bridge blowing up with us. When we all got across the river, before we got to the little town, they told me and John, “Try not to hurt any Filipino and don't let any Jap women or kids get near you for they will hug you up and blow you and them up.” Before me and John got into town upon on the hill off the road there was a large group of Filipino coming running to us. We didn't know for sure whether they are Japs or Filipino, but one old man was saying, Glory, Glory. He was old and gray but he could still run. So they got to where John and I were and I've never been hugged so in my life before. They was glad to see the GI's come to take over and move the Japs out. I can't see how any man came out of there alive.

December 8th 10 P.M. Turning Cold 1978

Me and my pal, John was going through the New Guinea Jungle. When we came to a branch (creek) with steep banks. I was to keep John covered until he got on the other side. So when he got in the branch the Japs got to shooting him and I couldn't see them. He crawled down the branch (creek) and got out on my side off from me. He threw mud balls at them and they shot at John but he was in a low place and I saw them. There was a machine gun and a bunch of riffles right in our face on the other side of the branch. It was a sad time but we got through and moved on our way. Before we got out there was one rifle shooting at us from a tree on the trail. The shooter was up on a slant from us. We got the other boys to put a helmet on a stick and put it across the trail so he shot the helmet thinking it was a man. They kept the shooters mind on them. I went one way, John the other way. So the first thing the little man knew we had our guns in his back. He'd put a hole in the root of a large tree, and was shooting at us through the hole. Before I got to him I saw 2 more asleep in a hole. We got the one from behind the tree. We got the others too. They was funny looking little boys.

Me and John Billington put our lives up lots of times. How any of us got out of combat alive I'll never know. We went July 12, 1944. They killed John June 2nd 1945.

John was a good man. I think he was as good of a soldier that's ever been.

Editor's note: This is not an easy read! Emphasis mine