- THE MAKING OF A SOLDIER
(Written by Paul Hiser - August, 2005)
Paul Kohler Hiser graduated from Petersburg High School in June, 1942.
- The graduating class was the largest they'd ever had at 32 students.
- Petersburg, MI was a farming town of approximately 750 people, located about
- 15 miles from Toledo, OH a
nd 15 miles from Monroe, MI. The war was on and I
- got a job with Monroe Autoequipment Co., inspecting 20 MM shell casings. I saved
- all my money so that I could go to Toledo University.
- I stayed in a dorm since I couldn't afford a car.
I had my physical exam in Monroe Mercy Hospital on Dec. 23, 1942
- after which I was classified 1-A. I successfully completed one semester at
- Toledo University and decided that my time to be called up was close,
- so I got a job at Tecumseh products in Adrian, MI. I had to rent a room since
- I still couldn't afford a car.
I reported for duty at Monroe, MI on March 2, 1943 and was shipped to
- Palatius, TX which was on the Gulf of Mexico. We had little 4 man huts and could
- watch the dolphins play. This was a real experience for a guy that had never
- been on a train.
The unit I was in was a Coast guard Anti-Aircraft Artillery group. We were issued
- Army uniforms and given all the required shots and issued our personal M1. I was made
- acting staff-sgt. in charge of one single barrel 40 MM anti-aircraft gun which was
- computer controlled. We never took the grease from our personal M1 weapons, but
- started training immediately on the big guns. We mounted 50 cal. guns on the 40 MM
- and trained with the computer on the firing range with an airplane towing a target a long
- way behind. The trick was to track the target and shoot the 50 cal. Gun.
- We were very accurate! We trained on the gun for the first 8 weeks. As I recall, we did
- very little marching or drill or any of that Army stuff. Finally we were sent out in the field
- and proceeded to dig holes about the size of a basement for the emplacement of the gun.
- This went on for several days and finally an officer came around and asked if anybody
- wanted to join ASTP. He said that if we did, we would have to give up our stripes. This
- was no burden since about the only guy with stripes was the 1st Sergeant. Those
- who were chosen went to Texas A&M for testing. I reported to the ASTP program at
- Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State Univ.) at Stillwater on June 4th, 1943.
We had 300 buck privates, one Captain and one 1st Lieutenant whose military
- experience consisted of ROTC training. We marched to school and everyplace else. We
- were very good in parades. We completed three semesters of Engineering. (I later
- transferred enough credits to the University of Michigan to qualify as a sophomore.) We
- were all promoted to the rank of PFC when we completed the course. I felt very good as I
- was really moving up in the military and was taking home $55/Mo. However, as luck would
- have it, the ASTP program was canceled and I reported to the 103d Infantry Division at
- Camp Howze, TX on March 4th, 1944. This was to be a real experience for me. I think
- that I developed an attitude and when a Corporal would tell me what to do, I would tell
- him where he could go. I was used to dealing only with the Captain and the 1st
- Lieutenant. Consequently, I got much unwanted duty and not much training. Finally,
- somebody realized that I had been in the Army for more than a year and had never
- fired a rifle, pistol or carbine. I never missed a 10 mile hike with full field pack or my
- opportunity for guard duty. This conversion from student to Army life lasted about 6
- weeks and I finally got a pass. I was assigned to 409th, D-Company, heavy machine gun
- squad, 2nd Platoon. We spent a lot of time learning about the gun and the ammo. I was
- actually pretty good with the machine gun. Our platoon T/Sgt, Max Irwin, showed us how
- to use the gun and how to place it for maximum effect. I had a terrible time with the M1
- since I shot it left handed and the handle scared me as I thought it was going to hit my
- nose. The Carbine wasn't so bad, but I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with the 45 cal.
- pistol. It didn't take too long before they decided I needed some special attention. I spent
- several days on the firing range and finally became proficient with the M1 and the Carbine.
- I passed the pistol range requirement by having the buddies on either side of me shooting
- my target. I figured that I was in the real Army from March 4th until we left for the trip to
- France on October 6th, 1944. This gave me 6 months of Army life with very little basic
- training. I don't recall going on any field maneuvers, but there may have been some.
The division left for Camp Shanks, NY on September 14th, arriving on the 28th. We
- boarded the USS Monticello on October 5th and left for Marseilles, France on October 6th.
- After enduring a hurricane on the way over, we arrived in Marseilles on October 20th. We
- were committed to action in mid November, but my platoon was held back in reserve. We
- had mail call and my mother had sent an angel food cake. We sat on the hill eating the
- cake with the artillery going over our heads - both ways.
We experienced nearly constant contact with the Germans from Nov. 18, 1944 (vicinity
- of St. Die, France) until May 2nd, 1945 in Innsbruck, Austria. Approx. 197 days with a
- few days off to take showers [maybe 3] and one pass. I received the coveted
- Combat Infantryman Badge for this effort.
I was also awarded the Purple Heart medal due to being wounded on Dec. 23rd, 1944
- while attacking a German pill box in the Siegfried Line. Only grazed, I immediately wrote
- home to tell Mom that I was OK. She had already received the "I regret to inform you"
- letter from the War Department and they were assuming the worst. Since I wasn't
- mortally wounded, I got to participate in the Battle of the Bulge when the 103d replaced
- the 3d Army, near Sarreguemines, so Patton could move into Bastogne.
We remained in this area for a couple of months until it was time, once again to assault
- the Siegfried Line at Reisdorf, Germany on March 19th, 1945. I was promoted to
- Squad Leader (Sgt). We celebrated VE-Day in Innsbruck, Austria.
Shortly after VE Day, many of us in the 103d were transferred to the 45th division and
- went home prior to leaving for the Pacific Theatre. Fortunately, VJ-Day interrupted
- our travel plans.
