gault.page

Joe Gault, Company F ~

I came to the Army through college ROTC at Texas A&M. I took advanced Bull for the $25.00 per month, I got $25.00 as a janitor in the library, so I was rich with $50.00. In June 1941 I went to Camp Wolters as an Infantry training officer and asked for combat duty, so I was assigned to the 82nd in February 1942.

"F" Company was destined for great things upon the arrival of Captain Bennie A. Zinn. Captain Zinn, a school teacher from Temple, Texas, was a reserve officer out of Texas A&M College who, except for his reserve, would have sat out the war in Central Texas.

On March 25, 1942, a great number of these reserve officers, regular army officers, and regular army cadre of non-commission officers assembled according to their orders at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, to form the famous 82nd Division upon its reactivation for World War II duty. The 82nd was a great Division in World War I, whose biggest claim to fame was Sergeant Alvin York and General Jonathan Wainwright.

In due time, the All American Division (whose men came from everywhere in 1917) received its recruits who came mostly from the coal region of the United States; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. They were hard working men who came to fight. Approximately 200 were assigned to "F" Company.

The Company was a standard infantry company with a set T.O.E. Company Commander, Captain Bennie A. Zinn; Company Executive Officer, 1st Lt. Choice R. Rucher; 2nd Lt. George Greene, 3rd Platoon; and 1st Lt. Jack Gray, 4th Platoon. All were reserve officers and had very little active duty experience. As time went on, some of these officers left on cadre, and some new reserve officers, who had been out of school for some time, had beguin their families, and were fairly established in their jobs, came in (for duty called). "F" Company received 1st Lt. H. C. "Tom" Slaughter (no duty and a 1st Lt.). I had nine months of Basic Training Instructions at Camp Wolters, Texas, and as a 2nd Lt. stayed with the 1st Platoon. 2nd Lt. Greene stayed with "F" Company as the 2nd Platoon leader.

The leadership of Captain Zinn began, and let me tell you, never has there been a greater instructor to both officers and men. I watched him set 200 men down in the midday heat of Louisiana and hold them spellbound. I remember the period on latrine. He used Lt. Greene and Gault to demonstrate. The men went wild and needed no further instruction on the use of a latrine.

The non-commissioned officers also began to come in from the ranks as the regular cadre moved on to other cadres. 1st Sgt. Arno Welch, Platoon Sgts. Regan, Heyduck and Milton Kosen, who later won a battle field promotion to 2nd Lt. Sgt. Regan had previous peace time duty. Sgt. Heyduck was a born leader, and Sgt. Kosen was one of a kind, who used various methods to achieve the end. An example - firing the light machine gun from the hip. John Wayne, eat your heart out! The squad leaders also began to develop... Sgts. Colmer, Schultz, Bojack, Dichuccio, Bennett, Kost, Misorowski, Nipple, Mason, and others.

"F" Company was also developing into a good, solid infantry company. When we became airborne, most of us had no idea what an airborne infantry division was. But nevertheless, we became on on August 15, 1942.

The 82nd was to become a great division. Look at these: Division Commander, Major General Omar Bradley; Assistant Division Commander, Brigadier General Matthew Ridgeway; Artillery Commander, Brig. General Jonathan Swift; 505th PIR Commander, Col. James A. Gavin, and others.

The new division called for a change in the Table of Organization. Five officers and approximately 150 men - more shuffle. On a blanket order as of February 1, 1942, I became a 1st Lt. and now I ranked Tom Slaughter. October 1, 1942, we moved to Ft. Bragg, N.C., for Airborne Training. Tom Slaughter was transferred to Battalion Headquarters Company as the Heavy Mortar Platoon Leader. And lo and behold, sometime later I was transferred to the same company as Heavy Machine Gun Platoon Leader. Capt. Bennie Zinn went to Division Headquarters, and Capt. Irvin Porter, from Raleigh, N.C., became "F" Company Commander. "F" Company was again blessed. Irvin Porter was liked by his fellow officers, and more important, was liked by all the enlisted men. He knew his job and performed it with total efficiency until his untimely death.

General Bradley was transferred to a new division, and General Ridgeway whipped us into a fighting airborne unit, and we glidermen went along. Most of the training was Old Army Infantry Tactics, and ever so often we marked off an 8 X 12 area and designated a door. We glidermen loaded through this "door" and squatted opposite each other, then unloaded and fanned out into simulated combat. But no worry, we had stick bayonets and wooden machine guns. The men took it with a wry grin and went on training. We did see a glider flight at Pope Field and later did get a glider ride. An ocean away from hostile forces, it's a nice experience.

I want to squeeze in my personal involvement with General Ridgeway. I had my car at Camp Claiborne and needed to get it home before the transfer to Ft. Bragg. I went to Captain Zinn, who said I needed to get higher permission; to Battalion, same answer; to regiment, same; and they told me that only Division could help me and I, being an ignorant 1st Lieutenant, got permission to speak to Division. It turned out to be General Ridgeway, and I think that it surprised him so that I got my leave. From then on General Ridgeway called me by name when we met. In Normandy, we were pinned down by small arms fire. I looked down to my left and here came General Ridgeway and his aide - standing tall. His words were, "Captain Gault, this is not a voluntary proposition. Move your men out." And to our amazement, we could and made no contact the rest of the day.

Tom Slaughter took command of Battalion Headquarters Company and was promoted to Captain. He ranked me again! I never caught up with him again. I was transferred to "F" Company - No better gift! I was Company Executive Officer to Captain Porter. No better job in the Division. The men were ready - top physical and mental shape. About this time, due to transfers and officers reporting in, we became our combat organization. Captain Porter was transferred to Battalion. Lt. Greene was also transferred to Battalion. I took command of "F" Company. 1st Lt. Bloom came in as Executive Officer; 2nd Lt. Junior R. Woodruff as 1st Platoon Leader; Lt. City, 2nd Platoon; and 2nd Lt. Harold Hahn, Weapons Platoon.