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Bennett Palmer - 143rd Reg, 1st Bn, Co B
(1924-2005)
My parents purchased a small farm in rural Holland, NY in the 1920’s. I would be the third of seven kids. We walked to the one room school at the end of Warner Gulf Rd. In 1932 we moved to the new Holland Central School. Now we would ride to school in buses.
I would be just old enough to understand
that we were right in the midst of a great depression, but the small farm gave
the family the ability to grow most of our food. With everyone working together
we got through some bad times.
The years went by and in 1941 the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor and President
Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and within a few days we were at war against
Germany in Europe. I had been hired at the Curtiss Wright Plant in Buffalo. What
a great job for this young kid. I was working inside this large hangar working
on the C 46 cargo plane.
I was now 18 years old and registered for the draft. Plus going to school and
working at Curtis Wright. I was soon behind in school and quit in late November.
So by 2/5/43 I was at Fort McClellan, AL for thirteen weeks of Basic Infantry
training. Basic training was over by 6/20/43, so we shipped by rail to Shanango,
PA. So with no furlough in site we hitchhiked home to Holland, for this would be
the only time home in a total of 36 months in the army.
So having returned to Europe in April
1998, and retraced some of the many combat areas that I had served in Italy,
France and Germany. What an emotional return trip for this old veteran. My book
will explain the entire trip by dates and cities.
Many books by noted authors became best sellers, but they were based on letters
and documents sent to these authors from veterans who had served in many
different branches of the military. Many of these well known authors had never
served in the military. Of course their books were well received, and some were
best sellers.
The thing that pressed me to write my combat history is that I had my proven
records right in my old trunk of war memorabilia. Letters that my mother had
saved; a five foot piece of an Army Signal Corps film that was shown in local
theatres in the USA, plus a complete copy of after action reports of my 143 rd
Regiment, for our total combat in WWII. So my return trip to old battlegrounds
in Europe has convinced me that I had one more thing to accomplish in my near
eighty years. That was my book, The Hunter and the Hunted.
So I will read a couple highlights of my book as time permits, which will again
pertain to my five campaigns in Europe. Can you picture yourself being 19 years
old and a squad leader, and a survivor? Attrition was the main reason for the
advancement of soldiers during the war, but maybe it was because I was still
alive. Have any of you people ever wondered what the combat soldier was asked to
do, what life was like? The never ending artillery, mortars, patrols, cold,
snow, rain, flooded rivers to cross, no rations, cold C rations, no showers for
week, wet feet, trench foot, cold feet. I am sure I forgot something. Oh yes,
lost mail, no mail, lost packages from home.
The only connection to home was a short V-Mail that was two weeks late in being
delivered. Stars and Stripes rag paper, three weeks old, read and re-read. Have
you folks wondered why I was so inspired to write about the infantry soldiers of
WWII?
Again if you really wondered what life was like to be an infantry soldier, my
book will be a great read. I have many great reviews, which make me very proud.
Several notables are Andy Rooney, Bob Dole, a three star general and over a
hundred great reviews, that are kept in my scrapbook at home.
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