INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE

The following cases of individual initiative and heroism during the Salerno landing were reported by the —th Infantry:

“Sergeant Manuel Gonzales, upon landing, discovered the position of a German ‘88’ in the sand dunes near the beach. This gun was firing on the assault boats as they landed. The Sergeant crept around the position under machine-gun fire which set his pack on fire, and despite the hand grenades being thrown at him. He then calmly tossed several hand grenades into the gun emplacement, killing the crew and blowing up their ammunition.

“Near Paestum Sergeant John Y. McGill jumped on an enemy tank and dropped a hand grenade into the open turret, killing all the crew.

“Private Clayton I. Tallman, on Hill 424, observed that the enemy was attempting an envelopment of the left flank of his company. Taking up a better position, he killed an enemy machine-gun crew with three carefully aimed shots. In a few minutes he repeated the same action when another enemy machine-gun crew appeared. He alone protected the left flank of the company until the rest of the platoon arrived.

“Private Burrell B. Reitch discovered that he and a group of five men had been cut off from his company. He immediately organized them in a defensive position on a small knoll. They repulsed three rushes by the enemy, who were attempting to establish machine-gun positions on the flank. Private Reitch was completely in command of the situation, giving fire orders and shouting encouragement.

“Staff Sergeant Quillian H. McMitchen was shot in the chest and shoulder before his assault boat reached the shore. When the boat beached, the landing ramp stuck and would not drop. The Sergeant, despite his wounds, kicked the ramp loose and then led his section ashore, continuing to direct their operations until he received a fatal shot from enemy gun fire.

“Our men steadily moved ahead in the face of the intense fire and cleared the beach as soon as possible. Lieutenant Carey, soon after reaching the shore, was fired upon by three Germans armed with machine pistols. He returned the fire, but his carbine jammed after killing one of his adversaries. He then grasped his weapon as a club and advancing in the face of their fire clubbed the second. He then physically tackled, subdued, and disarmed the third German, taking him prisoner.”

COMMENT: The ability of the individual soldier to grasp the implications of the situation and take the necessary action should be fully exploited. The results of combat are the fruits of the combined efforts of individuals. Every soldier should be indoctrinated with the idea that his individual action may be the decisive factor in the final result.

About

This 1942 Army manual, published during the course of World War II, consists of quotations from soldiers in the field concerning their experiences. Its format is subject, soldier’s name, place, quote. “The purpose of ‘Combat Lessons’ is to give to our officers and enlisted men the benefit of the battle experiences of others. To be of maximum benefit these lessons must be disseminated without delay. They do not necessarily represent the carefully considered views of the War Department; they do, however, reflect the actual experiences of combat and, therefore, merit careful reading.” (from the Introduction by General George C. Marshall). Note: The text contains racist and other emotion-laden language common in wartime, i.e., ‘Jap’ ‘Heinie” etc. - Summary by david wales and book introduction