 proudly we hail from New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with a cast of outstanding players public service time has been made available by the station for your army and your Air Force to bring you this story as proudly we hail the United States Army our story is entitled a night on the Ridge the true story of Sergeant Augustine Virial and three combat infantrymen of the 45th Infantry Division our first act curtain will rise in a moment but first today you young men of America have an excellent opportunity to learn a tray that will assure your future the many fine technical schools of the United States Army are training men in such interesting fields as radio radar meteorology mechanics electronics and many others you can become a qualified technician trained to do an important job and do it right for full details about an exciting career visit your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station there's no obligation so plan ahead face your tomorrow today and now your army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production a night on the Ridge in the roar of a modern city in the clash of steel and battle a small sound is lost it goes unheard yet now if you please listen to a certain small sound listen carefully can you identify it listen again a simple thing a cartridge for a US Army infantry rifle model m1 falling on hard cold ground once more now one night in Korea the lives of four men hung up on that small sound they're hearing their instinctive fighting urge to survive reached into black night for it strove to separate it from the other small noises of wilderness for no place even a battlefield at night when every man holds his brain no place is ever entirely still this is the story of a sergeant three combat infantrymen and that small significant sound 45th infantry division US Army on combat assignment in Korea at a command post three men huddled in the darkness outside a combat shelter Corporal yes a night patrol for you men oh yes hill 14 on the map Wesley that ridge up on the left lieutenant yes a Kaminsky isn't it what do we got to do up yarn lieutenant look around for that commie machine gun post that's been keeping us off the ridge planes can't spot it sir they conceal it very well in the daytime you mean we go up there and leave them shoot at us lieutenant just locate it if you can't stick me a clay pigeon deals yeah and it's barbed wire there to landmines to be very careful lieutenant this advice we need like we need a hole in the head all right all right Ed don't be right cold up here on it seems like it is cold but not real cold but you're just for Mississippi ain't got no blood check arms Wesley we're all set sir machine guns knives grenades and the walkie talkie we get in trouble good luck hold it like in the polar grounds after the giant slows yeah I mind the time we get caught out in Mississippi well it gets dark even right at the bottom of the ridge just see the top against the sky yeah where's that Bob Wyatt we'll find it the commies got a sign on it shut up you guys let's go okay after you stick close together so we don't get lost on each other dark why can't hardly see it gotta go through it don't we Wesley amongst it anyhow on the belly landmines remember now Ed you got too big a gap for selling peanuts hot dogs never peanuts you flathead on the belly stick close behind me don't catch your pants on the wire everybody's loaded with advice we don't need okay on the belly hey Wesley yeah Bart this way we could crawl right into that machine gun post you know don't worry Ed what happened landmine you all right yeah I guess so wow Bart is a machine guns on the ridge heard to mine they're looking for us Bart must have been him here to trip on here and set it off lousy commies got to find him get him back hey wait a minute shut up a second I hear breathing like a pot dark can't see you Bart you all right I'm checking up yeah I ring them all right closer that time sure you're all right Bart well I don't feel nothing wrong I ring I be barred hurt I reckon when I set off that mine I got thrown clear over here couple of yards of soap from you fella sounds like furthermore and besides I'm laying right across the trip while I have another mind don't move Bart don't move this is some army for vice a guy don't need I'm not moving Wesley I ain't even gonna have any sudden ideas we got to do something but I'm coming over and cut the trip wire figure you can't add no don't oh why oh come yummy you blow us all up he can cut the wire Bart get you out of there listen I can't even tell which way the wire runs maybe the mines on the first side of me maybe between me and you fellas let's not holler at each other they locate us I got a message for you Wesley yeah that machine gun post ain't over the brow like a lieutenant thought it's on top of the rage the fire end they can cover this whole slope and leave them spray it long enough to find us hit the mine maybe set it off or another one oh you think of everything I'm getting cold I'm sweating like a fat umpire I've never seen no fat umpire you're a noise to shock up a Maryland where would you see any let's get an idea will you one of us goes back to get help help what help ever comes in after us runs into the same wire the same mines besides it takes too long hey the walkie-talkie must be here someplace now you're talking Wesley yeah I found it try to raise up the command post patrol CP patrol to CP CP to patrol hear me Wesley the trouble sir we heard a landmine go off up there was that you Barton another one almost nobody heard but we didn't move great that machine gun post is after a look Wesley don't worry you're safe as long as you don't move and as long as that machine gun post doesn't find you I'll send help now keep an ear open I'll let you know remember and train it what we thought it was tough the infiltration course crawling barbed wire that's right we did little that we know had a soft did we griped if we didn't get a weekend pass into that little town nice little town now think about it we shut our face off if we got wet or something yeah tough guy we thought he was he was a crane puff compared you guys are beating your gums you thought training this tough cause your cream puffs hose cream puffs Ed Kaminsky selling peanuts in the polo grounds tough like hot dogs I told you a million times hot dogs barred hunting raccoon in Mississippi you know what's tough going out in oyster boats off the eastern shore Maryland when it's cold and black in the morning man that's tough I don't like oysters him fellas went home come he's never sleep Bart how you doing sleepy getting awful sleep hey no stay awake Bart don't you go to sleep my whole over on that other mind I'm in it sleep no no don't don't what's the lieutenant doing I wonder what can he do King Company calling Battalion CP somebody there right here King Company be battalion listen I need help for a patrol I need an engineer demolition team somebody you can handle Bob wire landmines and get free of my man out what can you do for us let's meet Sergeant Augustine Villareal 45th Infantry Division 27 years old of Saginaw, Michigan his trade demolition engineer trained to deal with barbed wire that rips the flesh with booby traps laid for the unwary and unfortunate with dynamite and with scientific destruction of men and machines he's a big calm man with black hair a man in whom others see a self-confidence so deep that perhaps he himself isn't aware of it hello Sergeant sir Battalion higher got Colonel's orders for you Villareal well let's hear him son get a jeep from the pool go to King Company CP two miles along the east-west road know it is I'll find it you have to get three men out of a barbed wire setup and landmines and hill 14 acknowledge Villareal sure it's a long son up out of that sack Chuck come on a job let's get going son feet from us hey but you okay no hurt you hurt bullocks as close to the meaning was to you hey maybe they hear us talking about mine went off you know we're here someplace keeping awake part what do you know I'm still sleeping keep away quiet CP to patrol CP to patrol hey yeah lieutenant still okay Wesley yes sir helps on the way demolition team to get you out give them an hour an hour yes sir you are listening to the proudly we hail production of a night on the ridge we'll return to our story in just a moment we all share freedom help share its defense the motto is new but the call it sounds is as old as the history of our country today as we stand strong and alert against communism the United States Army is calling for qualified young men and women to join the freedom team and become army technical specialists you will be trained in the latest techniques using the finest equipment and you'll be building a rewarding career for yourself for full information visit your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station the time is now you are listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of a night on the ridge what do you figure check no more cheap serge maybe here then we hike yep it's dark up an Adam's son up the slope serge must be up here someplace we'll be way let's have the radio a patrol hear me fellas patrol us yeah you I'm sergeant Villarreal I got a guy with me I'm not so fast where are you exactly halfway along the ridge halfway up fine only that don't help me any sense a big ridge here is and find us how are you that's a good question son can't show a light of course the love of Mike no wait a check rifle cartridge give me cartridge yeah here corporal hey corporal right here got an idea probably lousy got a rifle cartridge I'm gonna drop it on the ground yeah if you hear it drop you can tell me if we're close to you I'll cut our radio off so you can't hear it that way and I'll get you again I'll close the radio count three and drop it set yeah corporal cheers son heard nothing sergeant listen we'll move forward till we hit the barbed wire every so often I'll check with you okay son swell let's go Chuck the big calm sergeant and his teammate move cautiously up the slope at an angle slowing their pace as they edge toward where they suppose the danger area to be from time to time they stopped another cartridge Chuck hear it son you're still cold okay any way you guys can hurt we are hurrying son more cautious black yards up the slope a hundred a hundred and fifty another cartridge we're getting warm still ice cold warm yet nope a man can walk a mile in some 15 minutes on the flat in daylight he can run a hundred yards in relatively seconds of the length of a football field and only a few more seconds even through opposing tacklers but to cross 250 yards of torn and broken ground in pitch darkness burdened with weapons uncertain of direction with a stake not a touchdown but the lives of three men this is not done so easily or quickly dropping another one corporal ready close the radio check yeah we heard it we heard it good we're getting warm check you wait here outside the barbed wire I'm going alone side I only got me to worry about see you later son a walkie talkie strapped to him wire clippers in hand sergeant Villareal moves with desperate caution into the barbed wire stepping over its coils tangled by previous gunfire and slithering under its deadly strand fellas that machine gun was close that time Sarge listen another cartridge we heard it again Sarge warmer this time stand by son you bet hey Wesley's getting here you heard all right but boy I nearly went to sleep that time fellas right here cold again Sarge ice cold I'll tell you fellas something I figured out it ain't the coolest bother me I'm just different not moving good then you can't move that's fine just hang on Bart more dumb advice you don't need I'm hungry got some them peanuts head not dogs always told you Wesley corporal yeah Sarge Sarge you're warm lots warmer stand by yeah some guy you don't even sound like he's in a sweat this is like Sal Magley Sally who Sally you Magley Bart Magley pitcher for the New York Giants ice water in his veins no matter who's up against them yeah I own halves in the oyster boat in Maryland last year partners fella named Charlie Blaine same thing never got excited what are you talking corporal who gets excited over oysters storms you get into storms I've seen Charlie bring us in I'd be scared blue and he wouldn't even worry I don't mind telling you fellas I'm scared stiff right now I mean scared and I mean stiff he ain't far away Bart keep awake must be close to the minds I just cut three trip wires three dumb luck that we missed them on the way up listen now another cartridge yeah yeah warm hot you're getting hot boy don't lose us now advice advice jikes almost wish they'd come down to fight shut up and listen fellas yeah Sarge listen you're real close 15 20 feet maybe hot as blazes you dreaming Bart maybe what's a joke Ed I just remember the game I used to know a dame I took a dancer one time I took her out there to see she's all dressed up shut your trap it was funny it was funny I going off your nut tell me tomorrow fellas hey fellas yeah right here you practically heard your voice at your heart Sarge wait a second he's coming it could be 80 commies around us waiting to jump on us yeah yeah I heard him go off here to my right I got you spotted can't be more in a few feet from you let's get out of here don't move I got in here it's me you the guy laying on a trip wire yeah it's me I could almost reach out and touch don't move not yet wire clippers in hand Sergeant Villareal feels his way forward train fingers lightly scanning the ground for the tell-tale presence of landmine trip wires okay now you can move I can't hardly move we'll help you Bart don't you two guys move either gotta circle each of you for the other miles lead an arm at a time Sergeant Villareal slithers around each man looking for other minds right close to them right I guess let's get this guy up yeah I'll lift you Bart give me a hand in yeah right here sit up first oh I don't feel hardly nothing rub them up and down pound them son good idea yeah close closest yet they must hear us keep working on them yeah you fellas tag right behind me those to tail like elephants got it I can feel arms and legs now little Bart you get between me in case you fold up let's go son four hours in stony darkness helpless to move helpless to fight back now came a long crawl down the ridge and now to came a new danger in those moments of relief and escape from the obvious peril other minds a communist patrol outnumbering them a gashing contact with the barbed wire a chance probing burst from the irritated machine guns behind them on the ridge but at last you made it back that's a relief for us too lieutenant never expected to put an eye on you again sir you all right Kamitsky yeah sure I lost my uh cigarette someplace sir here you are thank you sir that's nice one thing we did sir we located that machine gun post good you men go back and turn in comes daylight I'll send you further back for arrest thanks sir sergeant yes sir good job thank you sir I'll be going sir oh sergeant thanks oh sure lucky you got us out for us I mean that's not so tough you know how this is the same sorry you knew how that's the thing hey uh sergeant yeah you've done all right you've done okay anybody ever tells you you're a bum I'll tell them what's what you know what I mean I'll break their facing you know what I mean sure so don't forget it outside sergeant Villareal and his teammate get into their jeep got a match Chuck sure time for the sack come on let's go to all Americans every other American is a sacred life not likely to be lost dearly and desperately to be protected proudly we hail sergeant Augustine Villareal of Saginaw Michigan demolition engineer of the 45th infantry division and rescuer of the men on the ridge proudly we hail their courage and his no nation so served can ever fail to win those who enjoy freedom must help support it and in these uncertain times we must remain strong and alert to the dangers that surround us if you are qualified you can join freedom's team by becoming a member of your united states army there is an urgent need for technical specialists in every field you will receive the world's finest training and at the same time build an interesting and rewarding career visit your nearest united states army and united states air force recruiting station for full information this has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with the station proudly we hail is produced by the recruiting publicity center for the united states army and united states air force recruiting service this is kenneth banghardt speaking and inviting you to tune in the same station next week for another interesting story on proudly 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