Bill Ausenbaum, Company B ~
I was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 2, 1920. I had two sisters, one passed away early this year and the other is in California and is 91 years old. My father was a detective on the Chicago Police force. He was a finger print expert and a photographer. Neither of my sisters were in the military. I worked as an usher in the theatres in downtown Chicago while in high school. I had two years of college before the war and I finished after I returned from service.
I joined the 202nd Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) because I had friends in the unit and the line was "be the first to go and be the first to come back." It was an all-Chicago regiment and I enlisted on September 10, 1940 and we were inducted into Federal service on September 16, 1940. I was 20 years old. The National Guard were federalized for a year active duty, but in 1941 the government extended the Guards service indefinitely. Pearl Harbor came and we were in service for the duration of the war. I was eager to go when I enlisted since I was anxious to get my military service behind me and return to school.
We went to Ft. Bliss, Texas, for our basic training. I have no particular rememberance of my first day of basic training. I was assigned as a truck driver (6 X 6) and I was proud of that vehicle. Basic training consisted of the usual manual of arms, marching, weapons training and firing water-cooled .50 caliber machine guns at targets towed by an airplane.
We moved out of Ft. Bliss about 10 days after Pearl harbor for Puget Sound, Washington, where the regiment set up anti-aircraft weapons at the navy yard, navy ammunition depot and at Key Port, the naval torpedo station. In mid-1942 I decided to apply for Officer Candidate School. I was accepted and was sent to the Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Georgia, for OCS. I graduated in January 1943 and was sent to the 11th Airborne Division that was being activated at Camp MacKall, North Carolina. I spent over a year with the 11th and in April 1944 we were at Camp Polk, Louisiana, getting ready to head for the Pacific Theatre. I came down with yellow jaundice and was in the hospital when the 11th pulled out for the P.O.E. and they were at sea headed for New Guinea when I was released. I was sent overseas with an excess officer group and was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry at Leicester, England in early June 1944.
I was first assigned as a first lieutenant to the 1st Battalion as the S-3 (plans and training officer). My time in the 11th Airborne was with the 188th Glider Infantry. When we were preparing to go overseas, the officers began jump training at Ft. Benning. I became parachute qualified but when I joined the 82nd and was placed in the 325 service I had about a year of glider training. I enjoyed the thrill of riding in gliders since it was so new to me. Training involved the proper loading of gliders with troopers, jeeps, and other ordnance. It also involved many rides throughout North Carolina.
My fellow officers were very pleasant and I thought the enlisted personnel were exceptional men. As an S-3 I developed training schedules, and attack and defense plans for the approval of the battalion commander.
We were billeted in pyramid tents. We had leaves to places like London, Leicester, etc. We did make friends with girls and their families in England. I really enjoyed the English people. I London I was there when the buzz-bombs were falling. Their engines sounded like a washing machine but when they stopped the missle fell to the ground and there was terrible damage. |
