Bangor Public Library Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl World War Regimental Histories World War Collections 1947 History, 643rd Port Company William B. Black United States Army Follow this and additional works at: http://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his Recommended Citation Black, William B. and United States Army, "History, 643rd Port Company" (1947). World War Regimental Histories. 44. http://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his/44 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the World War Collections at Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl. It has been accepted for inclusion in World War Regimental Histories by an authorized administrator of Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BANGOR PUBLIC LIBRARY STODDER fUND SHELF NUMBER VOL. q '-\ o. 5 4 " . 6 5 ~ ' ~ ACCESSION NUMBER COPY ..3 Jf96oS' ACCESSION DATE SEP 9 bOES NOT CIRCULATI , History 643rd Port Company 1'.1 ....... ........ , ....... .. .. ... UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, UNITED KI NG,QQ.M· -QF. \ : ••• ::; .) · · ···~ GREAT BRITAIN •• •• • • ••• • · • .. • : •. J·: !!···~: :: . AND · ·..... : .....· : ....... : .. ~ "' COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPlNES::.:.· ''": :--. : ..... • . ~~ . : ....... .......... ~ } ··.· -. ....... ~.... ... ""' ~ : 1944 1943 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF . WILLIAM B. BLACK ASSOCIATE EDITOR ....· . LAWRENCE JOHNSON * * * SPECIAL ASSIST ANTS AND COOPERATING AGENCIES Miss Sylvia E. Henlin ................... .. Adm. Aide, US Delegation to UN, New York, N. Y. Lieut, Obelia Soott, ANC ................ ...... .... ... New York, New York Mr. Charles Howard .................................. Chicago, Illinois Sergeant Edward G. Potter ............................ 642nd Port Company Mr. Lawrence Howard ............. ..... ........... .·. Des Moines, Iowa Miss Melvynne Sand-ers, ARC .......................... Tokyo, Japan Mrs. Dorothy W. Chance, ARC ...... .. ................ Tokyo, Japan· Chaplain (Capt.) · Elmer A. Mclaughlin .................. Oakland, California Master Sergeant William C. Witherspoon .............. 317th Engineer Combat Batallion First Sergeant Reuben L. Saunders . : . ................... 770th Engineer D. T. Company Bureau of Public · Relations ........................... War Department Headquarters, United States Forces, ETO ................. Frankfort, Germany Lieutenant Morris Spiwak ...... ....................... Jacksonville, Rorida PHOTOGRAPHS Army Pictorial Service, UK Base ..... .... : ............. London, England Public Relations Section, UK Base ...................... London, England Public Relations Section, COM Z ....................... Paris, France Signal Section, Navy Department ....... ...... ... ...... .. Washington, D. C. US Army Signal Corps ..... ..................... ...... Washington, D. C. Office of War Information .................. .... .... New York, New York British Information Services ............................ New York, New York Individual Photograph~ by Bayview Studios ................ San Fernando, Luzon, P. I. Cartoons and Caricatures ............ .. .. ......... .... 1/Sgt. Leon B. Taylor, Jr. Cpl. Charles Taylor Documentary Research on the United Kingdom ............ Cpl. Willie Hemphill Sgt. Wilford C. Sutton .... .. ·~ . .... .. ..... .. .... .. .... ... .. ~ ....... ~ • .. ol ~ • • •••••• Cpl. Sam McMurray "'• , ~.·"' .. .. • ......e I> e .. • ....... I • • • .. "'"" ) ..... ~- ....... Sgt. Dan H. Gatewood .• ~· ::"' u:: •••••..... ;: :•._• .......... .. : Sgt. Leon E. Henderson, Jr• •: ...... :·.w •.f:· .... · <I •• Qocum;ent~ ~esear~:PS'I th ~ Philippines .. .. ........ Sgt Wallace Reid • · ·." ·: : ..... : · : • : : : Cpl. Lawrence Johnson : .. ~ . ........... .... : ~·.·: •"; ..~· .... ·••• ·! ••. ::: - . • • k9ge.,ds JoT • ll'ldt}'~c£"al;~~tographs ... .. .. ............ ~/St. Am•ty Allen Outline of Log for Sea Bass .. ..... ... ........ .... ... Sgt. Henry N. Jefferson Miscellaneous Documentary Research .. ...... .... ...... S/Sgt. Thomas L. McKinney Cpl. Henry Wilson Cpl. Cleather Hathcock Cpl. Albert M. Sheppard PHOTOGRAPHS ON LOAN FROM: Cpl. Henry Wilson Pfc. Otis Pickett Pfc. Ezell H. Jackson Cpl. Foster Smith Sgt. Alonzo Payne Pfc. Lewis J. Bryant Dedication '~TO THOSE WHOSE LOT WAS NOT TO REASON WHY-THEY DID THEIR BIDDING BUT ALSO DIED". World War II American Military Cemetery "St. Mere Eglise No. 2" in Normandy, France. " ••• from these honored dead we take incr·eased devo+ion to the cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion." In · Flanders Fields the poppies grow Take up our quarrel with the foe Between the crosses, row on row. To you from falling hands we throw _They mark our places aod in the sky The torch, 'btt yours to hold it high The larks still sweetly singing, fly If you br.eak faith in us who die, scarce heard amid the guns below. We shall not sleep though poppies grow, In Flanders Field. -John McCrea. Dear Friends: This is your book! You and you alone have made it possible. I do not feel that too much emphasis can be . placed on the fact that we have accomplished many great things together. It is altogether fitting that this pub­ lication, a result of cooperative effort, shall be our last act together. To the best of my knowledge and belief this is the first time that a history of this type has been published by any organization of company level. As a rule only battalions, regiments and divisions atfempt to publish histotries and they do not usually carry indivi­ dual photographs. As long as we are together I do not believe that th-ere are many things that we cannot do. We have come a long way together. We are now assembled together for the last tim-e. All of us shall never be together again as a group. Some of us are destined never to see the others in this life aqain. With this book we shall be able to have our own formations and roll calls. It will bring back pleasant memories and those not too enjoyable. Perhaps some of the distasteful things of the past will, in the future, strike us as being funny or amusing. Anyway I hope so. · I regret that I possessed neither the skill nor the gifts of a capable historian to make this book what it ought to be. My two assets were simply a burning desire and your cooperation. I feel that my life has been enrichened by having known and lived with such fine people as you. In my heart we shall always be together. BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS T. C. N. T. "The Transportation, Corps Will Furnish the Missing Transportation" In this volume the editors attempts to present circling the Great Cathedral have been devas­ in a comprehensive manner, the history of the tated by the enemy, the building still stands prac­ 643rd Port Company. The book has been written tically unharmed. The men of the 643rd will note primarily for the benefit of it's former members. that "the good that men do live after them".· It's intent has been to present a true picture, and Indeed it would not be a facile task to attempt to not to influence to any degree, the minds of those record a true picture of the many things--both outsiders who might have cause to peruse through great and small-accomplished by the sweat of the these pages. The 643rd-fortunately and/or un­ brows of the men who live in these pages. Limi­ fortunately-did not see combat, through no fault t.ations of time prohibit such an undertaking. It of it's own. Casualties sustained have been through is very improbable that a single mind could per· operations and not as a direct result of enemy ceive the amount of suffering through arduous action. The reason the unit did not enter a com­ labor, the invisible tears, and occasional blood bat .area in the European Theater may best be shed that had to be or were in order that the given as the high degree of efficiency of the interminable stream of supflies could · be kept on company both from a standpoint of operational their way from our ports o operation to the vast performance and military deportment. It is a mat­ expanding fronts. Numbed fingers have deftly ter of record that at a time when other TC units placed the cartridges in the holds of a ship a·na were being transferred to the continent we were sent it on to the infantryman awaiting in the fox reserved in the UK to perform, as a single unit, holes with numbed fingers on an MI. the oper.ations of two or more units so transferred. During the Battle of the Bulge some of us, Had we been less capable, we would most .as­ heeding the urgent call of the Commanding Gen­ suredly have joined them in the cross-channel eral of the Communications Zone, volunteered as movement. The record has spoken for itself. oombat infantry reinforcements, The rest of us This book has been written in a "lighter" vein. stayed on to finish the job and to assure those who It's '"primary mission" will be to. entertain you had gone that supplies . would . be . there . when now .and in future years. Hence the unpleasant needed. There were times, to say the least, whes incidents, though comparatively few, have been all of us felt . that although we were doing more purposely omitted. We b-ope that you will prefer th.an was expected-exceeding our daily tonnage it that way. Observe, if you will, the lack of requirements--we wanted to do more. The not journalistic "Local color" . .That is to say you will to infrequent times whe.n the civilian wharfmen .find no accounts of how we unloaded ships on went on strike, putting operations at a stand­ the Channel on "D" day, under an incessant artil­ still, we were called upon to do the very nigh im­ lery barrage