Dad's story ...I wish he was here to tell you himself.

[11echo]

After reading a number of stories here I'd like to submit another. This was told to me by my Dad PFC. Merle E. Layport. ...April 1945 Dad was in the 25th DIV with the 35th INF. REG. They were in the Phillipines at Balete pass. Dad's company was positioned on a hill top over looking a narrow valley. Below their position was a cave occupied by Japanese soliders. This was at a range of about 400+yd.s. Dad had said they did most of their fighting in the jungle, and had zeroed their M1s at 25yd.s on elephant ear plants. They could see the Japanese coming and going on occation, but taking pot shots at them seem to be proving fruitless, and the Japanese were aware of this. Dad was raised in Washington state and considered himself quite the hunter. So he went to the machine gun squad and got some tracers, and started to re-zero his rifle at what he thought was the correct range to do "something" about these Japanese. He was making so much noise the LT. came over to see what was happening. After Dad told him, his parting comment was "carry on". So next morning he was set, along with his buddies who had taken bets on if he could get anything or not. As the sun rose, a lone Japanese soldier walked out drinking a cup of tea or something. He walked out to the edge of some rocks and promptly dropped his paint and swatted down, putting his cup down in front of him. He was taking his "morning dump"! Dad drew down on him and squeezed off a shot. The cup in front of the Jap exploded, and he fell backwards (Dad couldn't tell if it was in his "morning dump"), then jumped up and ran back to the cave, as fast as his pant around his ankles would allow! Dad's buddies were rolling with laugther, and he took alot of ribbing the next few days. He was wounded 5 days later by a grenade, and spent the next few months in the field hospital.
I can't tell you how many times I heard this story. But I'm sure I didn't hear all the stories. I wish I could hear this one, one more time. ...Mark Layport