Post by floydragsdale on Sept 7, 2010 11:46:48 GMT -5
Daylight hours, on the front lines were much more friendly, than at dusk and afterward. So many objects, in the darkness of the night, were strange to the eyes. Therefore, passwords were a necessity twenty four hours a day. If a soldier was unable to respond to a challenge at the words "Halt; who goes there", he could be in serious trouble.
I recall the password on the first day were were facing the "enemy" on the front lines. It was "Blue - Danube. Example! A silhouetted figure, UN-recognizable, advances toward me. The figure halts on my command, identifies himself and I ask for the password. The unknown figure responds with the word BLUE.To reassure the "silhouetted figure" that he is meeting a friendly G.I., I answer with Danube. The password was new and different each day.
One evening, a team of G Company members, on a foggy, misty, night were assigned the task of guarding a bridge over a rail-road track. Our orders were to blow the bridge up if the Germans approached it. At this stage of the B.O.B., the Germans were still very aggressive. We were acutely uneasy and alert in that situation.
It was difficult to see very far because of the fog. It became necessary to rely on my ears more than my eyes because of the weather conditions. I could hear a noise which sounded like someone creeping forward, ever so slow and deliberate. Believe me, that was a very tense watch for me.
Finally, when the "enemy'" became visible to the eyes they immediately became neutral. It was a herd of sheep, grazing their way along the rail road tracks. My hand relaxed its' grip from the trigger housing of my rifle.
Not being familiar with sheep talk, I didn't challenge them for the password and, we made it through the night without blowing up the bridge.
Floyd,
424th Regiment
I recall the password on the first day were were facing the "enemy" on the front lines. It was "Blue - Danube. Example! A silhouetted figure, UN-recognizable, advances toward me. The figure halts on my command, identifies himself and I ask for the password. The unknown figure responds with the word BLUE.To reassure the "silhouetted figure" that he is meeting a friendly G.I., I answer with Danube. The password was new and different each day.
One evening, a team of G Company members, on a foggy, misty, night were assigned the task of guarding a bridge over a rail-road track. Our orders were to blow the bridge up if the Germans approached it. At this stage of the B.O.B., the Germans were still very aggressive. We were acutely uneasy and alert in that situation.
It was difficult to see very far because of the fog. It became necessary to rely on my ears more than my eyes because of the weather conditions. I could hear a noise which sounded like someone creeping forward, ever so slow and deliberate. Believe me, that was a very tense watch for me.
Finally, when the "enemy'" became visible to the eyes they immediately became neutral. It was a herd of sheep, grazing their way along the rail road tracks. My hand relaxed its' grip from the trigger housing of my rifle.
Not being familiar with sheep talk, I didn't challenge them for the password and, we made it through the night without blowing up the bridge.
Floyd,
424th Regiment