Leyte 1944 | Another Eye Witness Account

John Holland, 11th Airborne Division

For another insight into the landing at Bito Beach, Leyte, John Holland, of the 675th Glider Field Artillery/11th Airborne Division speaks here…

“February 18, 1943, I was assigned and shipped by train to Camp MacKall, Hoffman, North Carolina, and I arrived on the 22th.  The Army had started their 1st Airborne Division, which included glider and paratroops together.  A division of about 8,000 included artillery, infantry, engineering, anti-aircraft artillery, tanks and support units.

“I was assigned to  675th Field Artillery, Battery A unit.  This was a unit of 105 howitzers, short barrel with split rails to fit in the gliders for transport to battle areas.  I was in the Communication Section which had to set up telephones and switchboards to all positions and also radio.

After landing on Leyte… ” Further enemy action did not occur until just before dark when 3 Japanese planes came in from the east, over the high area inland and dropped 2 bombs; one was a dud and the other exploded just east of our area. The planes circled and started back to us, then turned away as 7 of our planes intercepted and shot down a Zeke.

Spotters | 11th Airborne

“Then about dark, we heard incoming shells and we all hit the fox holes.  All shells hit either on the beach or short of our position.  At about 2000 hours, a groups of Japanese soldiers started hollering and running to our position.  We killed all but one and he fell into a large hole before he got to us.  The next day, just north of our position, several LSTs landed cameramen and reporters.”

John’s unit stayed on the beach for 2 more days and nights under fire from enemy planes an ground troops.  On the 4th day, they began to move inland.  It took the 2 weeks to push through the center of Leyte’s rough terrain to the coast.  When they got there, they helped the people of the villages put their houses back together.

“Many of our soldiers were stricken by yellow jaundice and malaria.   We received replacements and started moving to several small islands, securing them and cleaning pockets of Japanese soldiers from them..”

This excerpt is from an article that first ran in “The Voice of the Angels” newspaper for the 11th Airborne Div. Assoc.

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Military Humor – 

“Them wuz his exack words – ‘I envy th’ way you dogfaces git first pick o’ wimmen an’ likker in towns”‘

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Farewell Salutes – 

W. Emmett “Bud” Barnes (103) – Coeur d’Alene, ID; US Army, WWII / US Army Reserves (Ret.30 y.)

Guerrino “Reno” Belmessieri – San Francisco, CA; US Army, WWII, PTO, Pfc.

Farewell

Larry Goergen  (100) – Osage, IA; US Army Air Corps, WWII

Patrick J. Hernandez – Harlingen, TX; US Army,108th MP Co./503/16th MP Brigade

Octavious Mabine – Portsmouth, VA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Mess Attendant 1st Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor, HI)

Carl Madsen – Weldon Spring, MO; US Air Force  /  NFL re-play official

Melva Phillips – Sal Lake City, UT; US Army WAC, WWII, nurse

Thaddeus Piekos (101) – White Plains, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII

Armand C. Sedgeley – SD; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, bombardier

Lloyd C. Wade – Westminster, CO; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Co. C/127th Engineers/11th Airborne Division

Abraham Woods – Marion, AL; US Army, Vietnam, Pfc. # 63004267, Co. C/4/9/25th Infantry Division, KIA

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