The Lobo Tank Busters; Cabin 21 at Valley Forge
Roland Gibson and Hell For Certain, Kentucky
Roland Gibson is a man whose honesty is beyond question. He tells me about growing up in Leslie County Kentucky. There was six kids in the family and a cow named Bessie.
Now, Bessie had grown up with the kids and almost one of the family and she furnished milk for everyone and enough to make butter also. She was virtually a milk factory. Now Bessie had grazed on that hillside so long that both legs on one side were shorter than on the other side. Therefore, she couldn’t back up or turn around, she’d fall down the hillside if she did. When she wanted to go back to the barn she had to walk clean around the hill top. Now, this is in the area of Dryhill, Kentucky, latter known as Hell For Certain, which is a few miles uphill from Hyden, Kentucky or Cut Shin or Why Not, Kentucky.
When Bessie was in the stall in the barn to be milked the boys had to put a three pound coffee can under each short leg, otherwise they couldn’t get all the milk out of the udders. She had been milked so many times, that when the boys came in to put the coffee cans in place, she would lean over and balance on the two long legs until the coffee cans were in place.
See Ya!
The Lobo Tank Busters
By: Stan Jordan
We had on extra fuel tanks this morning and we went North into Germany, East of Aachen. We were looking for trouble and we found it.
We got a radio call from one of Patton’s outfits, they had ran into either a road block, 88 mm cannons or some well hid tiger tanks. They gave us the co-ordinates and it wasn’t too far away.
We were soon there and we could see 32 American tanks burning and one tank with the track blown off. The boys had gotten out and were laying in a ditch besides the road. Maybe not all had escaped.
We flew on by and ended up about 500 feet altitude and discussed what we had seen. It looked like a German 88 was inside the barn that sat there. It would close the doors when it was not firing and then it would look like an innocent barn, but we could see the tracks leading up to the barn doors.
We couldn’t see that cannon, but we put a rocket into both ends of the barn and it was on fire at once. The Germans came out running into an old ditch a short distance away.
Lt. Barnes came on the radio and said, “I think there is some action in that grove of trees. It’s either a tank or a cannon hid in that woods.” We put a rocket in there but it exploded into the tree tops. We had the same luck with some more rockets… tree burst. Then one of the boys came in right down on the ground almost and fired. That rocket hit the cannon and some shrapnel from the cannon or the rocket flew out and hit the extra fuel tank on the air plane. The fuel tank was empty, but here lately we don’t throw the extra fuel tanks away, we use them over. We all ended up at about 1000 feet altitude and we looked his plane over pretty good and it looks like it just put a whole in his extra tank. It didn’t seem to be loosened or anything, just a hole in it. We looked around for targets of opportunity and didn’t find anything big or worth wastiing a rocket on, so we headed back to our air base.
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Cabin 21 At Valley Forge
By: Stan Jordan
At the end of the second day, Sgt. Baker had a pretty good schedule laid out for the troops. At the present time, they are having two meals a day. Breakfast is at 8:00 a.m. or daylight the evening meal is at 5:00 p.m. or before dark, any and everybody will help the two cooks when they ask for it.
The boys with no boots will sweep and do the house keeping after the bed clothes are rolled up and placed against the wall and the labor details have left for the woods.
The water boys will see that there is plenty of water at each of the cabins, plus water in the warming container and will get water whenever the cooks ask for it.
We have been here a week now and things are moving along pretty good. The post bakery will soon be operating.
We are building 21, an odd number. The odd numbers will call at the bakery for bread on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The even numbers will call Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, after the bakery gets into operation. Bring your own bags to carry the loaves in. All buildings north of Dosier Ave. will call in the mornings from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and south of Dosier Ave. will call from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
We generally have corn bread and muffins and Mrs. Woodruff has sent bread to us twice.
Trooper #3 went down to the Woodruff’s to do the milking. Mrs. Woodruff met him at the door and told him about her husband’s bad back. I guess he hurt it some time ago and it is the lower back and down both of his legs. He said the pain is almost unbearable. #3 trooper said, “I might be able to help him, if it is okay with him. Do you have any neighbors that have a little girl about 3 years old?” “Well,” she replied, “the Morgan’s do.” #3 said, “If you can, have her to come over, and I will get Sgt. Baker to help me.” The two men put the gentleman on the floor on his stomach, and #3 had the little girl take off her boots and walk up and down on the man’s back. She did this a few times and the session was over. The two soldiers put the man back in bed carefully and told him to lay still awhile and the boys will see him in the morning.
Trooper #3 went down early the next morning to do the milking and Mr. Woodruff met him at the door. He was all smiles and he said, “I haven’t felt this good in weeks. I guess that little girl put my back back in shape. Anyhow I am very grateful! Nellie has two loaves of hot bread for you to take back to the cabin along with a basket of potatoes.”
See Ya!
