 Soldiers of the press Reports again on Merrill's Raiders the story of the town by United Press Correspondent Frank Hewlett Launches waiting, sir. Thanks, son. Are the others ready at the dock, sir This is the first time I've ever walked out on my men. You're not walking out, sir The rock will still be here and so will we waiting for you to come back. I pray you'll hold out We will, sir. Meanwhile, you'll be wherever you're going Building a powerful expeditionary force of Americans to come back and pay off those filthy jabs I won't let you down. I won't let our country down. And the men here on Corregidor won't let you down, sir Frank Hewlett was on Corregidor. His eye-witness accounts of the battle were dramatically told to readers and listeners of United Press His stories of the evacuation of the essential military staff of the hopeless fight of the men left behind Are journalistic tributes to the valor of those Americans Hewlett has followed the war in the Pacific from the town to Corregidor to Australia to New Georgia and New Guinea Now into Burma Frank Hewlett the only civilian correspondent among a hand-picked force of jungle fighters Fighters who night their way 200 miles through savage jungle and beat the Japs at their own game This is Frank Hewlett with Merrill's Raiders in northern Burma Who are these Merrill's Raiders? They're hand-picked men veterans of the early fighting in the Pacific from Guadalcanal, New Georgia, New Britain, the Solomon's You probably know these boys Know them from your hometowns you folks from the south. You're sure to know this fella Shucks these jungle rains ain't nothing. You all got to come on down home or the spring sometime and watch it fall Yeah, I'm watch the Mississippi spillover. Man, that's rain and you folks in the west in the dust bowl Here's a chap you'll recognize my poor friend is live trying to draw water on our land so as we could grow something Poor and I used to stand out in the field drives my tongue is right now pray for the miracle that had turned that part Stealth need our feet into mud Doggum here. I am thousands of miles from home knee-deep in mud, but it ain't no good at all And there's the lieutenant from New Hampshire Robert is his name. He taught in a little country school house Many's the time I had to wear snowshoes to get the school Amers to Williger used to hitch up a big barn sled Poised his and all the neighbors children aboard and with bells jingling in the crisp wintry air Taxiom back and forth through snow too deep to walk on Hey, Sarge answer. What's the temperature 100 and cents cool and off isn't it? And I was brought up with earmuffs sewed onto my hats and warm bricks in my bed These are Merrill's Raiders You haven't heard from them till now because they've been mighty busy training General Merrill really knows the Japs. He was a military attache in Tokyo for two years before Pearl Harbor Some time ago. He sent to the South Pacific for volunteers for men to train for this Burma campaign He taught them all the tricks he had learned in Japan and he added a few of his own Ideas that would to carry his brave Raiders out of battle victorious I can climb a tree and swing through the jungle sky like Tarzan I never used a knife or anything else for cutting food and carving my initials where I shouldn't But now brother I can just use a knife only I can move through the jungle quieter than the spirit of Hero he does ancestors I can pitch a grenade like a big leaguer and show any jab if you point as when it comes to Jiu Jitsu I can fight and maintain the normal strength at a hundred and twenty degrees Merrill's Raiders can do everything they say they can and much more and So after weeks of arduous training Merrill's Raiders are ready to meet the enemy Ready to plow 200 miles through the jungles of northern Burma to stage their first raid on the Jap outpost of Wallabong Joe drop back See how far behind those mule packs are we need motors sure hate to go in here without some heavier gun cover When do you expect in mules to be here? Oh hours ago. It's six o'clock. That's when we should have gone in. I know But we've been so many days getting here another few hours won't make much difference. Take no mule sir But at least an hour off. Okay, Joe Get to the top of that tree and tell me what's going on in the Jap Garrison. I don't think they know we're here yet Yes, sir, and I think I want to run this lineup and sort of establish a permanent observation post. Yeah, good idea, Joe This is as good as spot as any Get going Clem Tell the men to get as much rest as they can. Yes, sir. Here's your lead. It was about ready to report. Thanks Joe, can you hear me? Where would you say headquarters is located It's a square native Centuries all around about six of just a couple of offices go in roads. What about roads? How about communications Branch in the three direction southwest Sure about that southwest line They must have just hung there it doesn't show up on my air shots the wire party must still be out there Yes Perfectly except for that southwestern wire But I'm going out to stop that wire party Joe yes Get through the Colonel tell him I'm taking a patrol after the wire party if our shots carry you fellas toss the garrison everything you have By the time we engage the Jap's the mule packs will be here Pick two men with Tommy's funny a grenade and come with me we're going after a Jap wire party. Yes, sir Anderson Let's go boys we're going out of them a patrol with a lieutenant. They all set. Yes The fellows here's the idea the Japs are stringing a new wire to the Southwest We've got to knock it out and get those engineers to wire sir See it. Yeah Keep low now When we're right under Anderson will go up and put it and we'll follow the line till we meet the party Anderson Get up there and cut that wire sure enough here. I go right make it snappy Anderson Look out below Get down here quick. They spotted us sir. Nothing. Just do but keep moving following the line. No talk Just shoot the first thing that moves. It's yanks or something. Let's do all Chinese or a Jap trick We'll soon find out straight ahead See them there and like I said that Chinese Chinese nothing their Japs and one of them set to throw a grenade Holy smoke you shot the grenade right out of the guy's hand and knocked off the forum I shot looking a grenade out of a guy's hand I never saw a shot like that in my life And you never will again if we don't get out of here the place will be lousy with Japs in two minutes Yes, the first engagement for Merrill's Raiders had started the mule packs with mortars and light artillery arrived Just as the Japs started shelling our installations They heard the lieutenant skirmish with the four Jap engineers and opened up with everything they had Lieutenant and his party got back to join our company as the shooting was just beginning to warm up Okay, men take direction from Joe and as the first Japs are halfway across the bridge drop it on them mortars one two Five and seven get your direction from Joe then dump it on Japs as their feet touched the water Japs are a crazy enemy a determined enemy No sooner would one face fall into the water than another Jap would appear from nowhere Until a little river ran crimson with their blood When Merrill's Raiders stormed the Jap garrison on the other side They had to hurdle 600 dead Japs piled high on the banks Merrill's Raiders are moving on through Burma Cutting into Jap garrisons communications Ambushing the enemy kidnapping their officers supplying partisan guerrillas with guns and ammunition Sleeping briefly wrapped in the orange blue and white parachutes that flutter to ground with food and supplies dropped by friendly aircraft Merrill's Raiders are fighting now At this very moment while you are hearing their story the guns of Merrill's Raiders are blazing You have just heard Hewlett reports again the story of that brave band of American volunteers fighting in Asia Merrill's Raiders Other United Press correspondents are on the world's battle fronts and in world's capitals Ready to flash you the news whenever and wherever it happens We will present another in this thrilling series soldiers of the press soon be sure to listen You