A Young Life Wasted - PFC Warren McManus (DOI)

Of all the deaths suffered by my platoon and company, the one that distressed me most was that of PFC Warren McManus, known to his buddies as Mac. Because his death was so unnecessary, so wasteful and so untimely.

Mac was one of four jeep drivers in the reconnaissance platoon when I arrived as a replacement officer on the Anzio Beachhead in Italy and was in the same job when he died in Germany on April 22, 1945, only 16 days before the War ended. He couldn’t have been more than 18 or 19 years old and he looked even younger. He was of slight build, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an innocent baby face.

One might think that driving a jeep is not a particularly dangerous job and in many cases they would be right. But driving a recon platoon jeep is another story. On the Anzio Beachhead, to drive in daylight was to court disaster. The enemy had perfect observation from the Alban Hills surrounding us and any activity, on the dusty unpaved roads, brought immediate accurate shellfire. At night, Mac drove anti-parachute patrols on roads that were constantly shelled by enemy interdictory fire to disrupt supplies being brought forward after dark. In France and Germany, he drove on roads that no friendly forces had traveled. The enemy made extensive use of antitank mines and to run over one in a jeep meant instant death. In the hope of some protection, the floor and fire walls were lined with sand bags. I suspect that gave us more peace of mind, little though it was, than any real protection. And recon patrols drew enemy fire: from small arms, mortars, antitank guns and artillery.

Mac’s nerves were shot when I arrived and only got worse over the next fourteen months. I tried periodically to persuade the medical officer to have him evacuated. But to do so would invite others to try the same escape and so it just wasn’t done. Mac was of limited usefulness as a result and I tried to assign him the least dangerous jobs The other three drivers, knowing his condition, did not seem to resent this preferential treatment. Although one of my four drivers who was able to mask the effects of stress, later deserted , was court-martialed and sent to prison.

The driver’s weapon was the 30 caliber M1 carbine. The safe and proper way to carry it was with a full fifteen cartridge magazine, but uncocked and with no round in the chamber. To fire it, you had only to pull back the slide, release it and press the trigger. There was also a mechanical trigger lock as a further precaution. Mac was carrying his carbine with a round in the chamber, cocked and the safety in the firing position. In apparent preparation for possible enemy attack, he had placed it between the two front seats where he could reach and fire it instantly.

He delivered the package to the Division CP in the rear and apparently stopped on the way back to take off his field jacket which he folded neatly and put between the two front seats with the carbine lying on top, butt forward, muzzle pointing to the rear. When he got back, he turned off the ignition, reached for his field jacket and pulled it toward him. The carbine on top slid forward, the heavy butt sliding down the right side of the transmission hump swinging the muzzle toward his chest. As the carbine fell, one of the short (4 wheel drive) transmission stalks (with the knob missing) entered the trigger guard causing the weapon to pivot even more. The stalk then hit the trigger, the carbine fired and the bullet hit Mac in the chest. He screamed, leaped out of the jeep and started to run! It took three men to stop him and carry him into the Aid Station, screaming and fighting with blood pouring from his chest. A medic gave him a shot of morphine, he was loaded into an ambulance, taken to the nearest field hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

After 14 months in combat, he died with only sixteen days to go. It was a stupid and unnecessary accident caused in large part by his agitated mental state. No one in his right mind carried a loaded weapon, safety off, that needs only ounces of pressure on the trigger to kill, in such circumstances. He was reported as “Died of Injuries†not “Killed in Actionâ€. Because of the timing, his parents may well have been notified of his death after the War was over. Mac was only one of more than 8,000 men who died in the 3rd Division in WWII, Of all these deaths, I know of no other that was so wasteful, unnecessary, and untimely.

Russ Cloer - 3_7_I_Recon

This "Letter of Apology" was written by Lieutenant General Chuck Pitman, US

Marine Corps, Retired:

"For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue. On the one hand, right thinking Americans will abhor the stupidity of the actions while on the other hand, political glee will take control and fashion this minor event into some modern day massacre.

I humbly offer my opinion here:

I am sorry that the last seven times we Americans took up arms and sacrificed the blood of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims (Bosnia, Kosovo, Gulf War 1, Kuwait, etc.).

I am sorry that no such call for an apology upon the extremists came after 9/11.

I am sorry that all of the murderers on 9/11 were Islamic Arabs.

I am sorry that most Arabs and Muslims have to live in squalor under savage dictatorships.

I am sorry that their leaders squander their wealth.

I am sorry that their governments breed hate for the US in their religious schools, mosques, and government-controlled media.

I am sorry that Yassar Arafat was kicked out of every Arab country and high-jacked the Palestinian "cause."

I am sorry that no other Arab country will take in or offer more than a token amount of financial help to those same Palestinians.

I am sorry that the USA has to step in and be the biggest financial supporter of poverty stricken Arabs while the insanely wealthy Arabs blame the USA for all their problems.

I am sorry that our own left wing, our media, and our own brainwashed masses do not understand any of this (from the misleading vocal elements of our society like radical professors, CNN and the NY TIMES).

I am sorry the United Nations scammed the poor people of Iraq out of the "food for oil" money so they could get rich while the common folk suffered.

I am sorry that some Arab governments pay the families of homicide bombers

upon their death.

I am sorry that those same bombers are brainwashed thinking they will receive 72 virgins in "paradise."

I am sorry that the homicide bombers think pregnant women, babies, children, the elderly and other noncombatant civilians are legitimate targets.

I am sorry that our troops die to free more Arabs from the gang rape rooms and the filling of mass graves of dissidents of their own making.

I am sorry that Muslim extremists have killed more Arabs than any other group.

I am sorry that foreign trained terrorists are trying to seize control of Iraq and return it to a terrorist state.

I am sorry we don't drop a few dozen Daisy cutters on Fallujah.

I am sorry every time terrorists hide they find a convenient "Holy Site."

I am sorry they didn't apologize for driving a jet into the World Trade Center that collapsed and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - one of our Holy Sites.

I am sorry they didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS Cole, the embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl, etc....etc!

I am sorry Michael Moore is American; he could feed a medium sized village in Africa.

America will get past this latest absurdity. We will punish those responsible because that is what we do.

We hang out our dirty laundry for the entire world to see. We move on. That's one of the reasons we are hated so much. We don't hide this stuff like all those Arab countries that are now demanding an apology.

Deep down inside, when most Americans saw this reported in the news, we were like - so what? We lost hundreds and made fun of a few prisoners. Sure, it was wrong, sure, it dramatically hurts our cause, but until captured we were trying to kill these same prisoners. Now we're supposed to wring our hands because a few were humiliated?

Our compassion is tempered with the vivid memories of our own people killed, mutilated and burnt amongst a joyous crowd of celebrating Fallujahans.

If you want an apology from this American, you're going to have a long wait!

You have a better chance of finding those seventy-two virgins.

Chuck Pitman Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret)

John sends me photos from time to time and I thought they would be nice to include here. EMail below sent to me by him with this photo.

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Pictured is John McAuliffe, Pres. of the Cent. Mass. Chapt Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, WW-II and Mitt Romney, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.The event on Wed. Aug. 17, 2005 at the Worcester National Guard Museum celebrated the "GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM',

32 soldiers of the Mass. Nat. Guard received special ribbons from Gov. Romney.The ribbons were the Mass. Defense Expeditionary Ribbon and the Mass. Defense Ribbon. Remarks were made by the Governor and by Brig.Gen.Michael D.Akey, Mass.Air Nat. Guard and the Awards presented by: Col. Manuel J. Constantine, Assis. Adj. Gen. Mass. Nat. Guard. and by the Governor.

Gov. Romney stopped to shake the hands of some 20 Battle of the Bulge Veterans and thanked each one personnaly for his/her service.in WW-II. They were special guests for the occasion.

Attached Files

  John_M_with_Govenor.JPG (Size: 144.4 KB / Downloads: 0)

Given to me by Al Kincer. Our condolences on yet another loss of an engineer. Sigh!

H. Sinclair Johnson of Spartanburg South Carolina passed away 19 May, 2005. WE of Co B & The 48 Engineer © Battalion will miss him and wish His Family well.

At Recons request posting a pic for him.