Bringing in John Scott

Joe lVl. Gordon 5:’ K

It was already dark, the First and Second Companies had already advanced quite a distance, the firing was still heavy. One of our tanks had been hit, it was burning like all hell; it lit up a big area. Every- thing and everybody moved out of that area; the Fascists had expert snipers and besides we expected an artillery bombardment. The groupyin which I was was a machine—gun group, but our gun had broken down. It was impossible to fix it. We Were then told to move up with the Infantry because there were no machine-guns available.

No sooner had we reached the rear of the Second Company than a cry for volunteers came through, to bring shovels to the First Company. Four in our group volunteered; we were given two shovels apiece, told to find the First Company. No specific direction was given because nobody knew where they were exactly. They had advanced so far that they had lost all contact with everybody. Rumors were flying thick and heavy that the First Company was wiped out, that so—an«d—so was killed, etc. It was our first attack. Sweat was dripping from everyone even though it was cold.

The four of us started out together. We had to spread out, take all possible shelter we could find, and so in about three minutes we lost each other. I called their names, low as I could, but got no answer. Walking running, flopping, the fire was hard. At last I saw somebody digging Running up to him I flopped: “Say, where’stthe First Com- pany?” “Don’t know”, he answered and kept ondigging feverishly with his hands. I got up, kept on running, calling out, passing other comra- des on my way. Some answered, some =didn’t. The bullets were coming very close, and besides I didn’t know where the Fascist lines were. At last I bumped into somebody. I knew he was in the First Company. He told me where the main body of men were. Advancing further, I finally bumped into Bill Wheeler wliom I gave the shovels to. He in turn gave the shovels to two Cuban comrades and told them to start digging a trench.

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