 Proudly, we hail. 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 this station to bring you this story, as proudly we hail the United States Army. That's certain to make you hungry. It will conjure visions of juicy steaks, fluffy pastries and succulent vegetables. So if you're in a mood to raid the icebox some 30 minutes from now, blame it on today's story, which is titled, The Battle of Beef Stew Hill. The first course will be served in just a moment. But first, I suppose all of us, at one time or another, have seen the principle of strength through unity demonstrated by a handful of sticks. Singly, they can be broken very easily. But when bound together, it's practically impossible to break them. And so it is with our America. Working together as a team, we can be certain that our democratic way of life will never be broken. One of the most important members of democracy's team is our United States Army, an organization that offers unequaled opportunities to modern young men and women. Today, the Army has a new career program and operation that permits you to choose your own course of training in the skill that best suits your aptitudes and interests. After our first act, I'll give you some valuable information on the Reserved for You program of your United States Army. And now your Army presents the proudly we hail production, The Battle of Beef Stew Hill. My name is Ebenezer Kendall. I'm a master sergeant in the headquarters company of an engineer battalion. I am also a chow hound. I do not state this fact apologetically. I proudly proclaim it to the entire world and let the chips fall where they may. I insist that good food is one of the great gifts of a kindly creator. If we were not intended to eat, why were we given teeth? Yet there are times when I feel all alone in the world. Because these are days when all you hear about is diets. Seems to me that almost everyone I know is out to punish himself by starving the dead. We have become a nation of calorie counters. So let me tell you something right out in front. This is a story that concerns itself with food. You're on a diet. You're one of those lean, thin people that even the great Shakespeare had no use for. Or just take the next half hour off and go somewhere and eat a slice of Melba toast. My message is for men and women, hail and hearty, red-blooded Americans who know how to handle a knife and fork. Okay, enough of the appetizer. Let's get on with the main course. This meal, I mean this story, properly should begin in the early spring of 1945. The Nazi resistance was collapsing and we were pushing into Czechoslovakia. Forget the name of the town, there was so many of them, but the Germans had retreated across the river and blown up the bridge. My outfit had to rebuild that bridge under enemy fire. Let's go! Let's go! Jump those pontoons right over here. Sergeant Kendall. Right here. Send a man back to that infantry company command post. Tell him to give us some mortar fire up here. Okay, Marty, that's you. The infantry outfit ought to be right near that schoolhouse back in town. Get with it. Hey, hey, wait a minute, Marty. While you're back there, you might look around and see if Smitty and those guys have brought up our kitchen yet. Okay. I trust you to worry about the kitchen, Kendall. You know the old saying, Captain, an army moves on its stomach. We better do some moving on our stomachs, too. Hey, you men on the pontoons, keep your heads down. First squad with a planking. Let's go. Come on. Get it down right. The infantry has to drive vehicles across here. Hey, Kendall, let's check out those joints. Coming, Captain. Minnesota! Get every man in your squad to pick up a weapon and cover us. Kendall, you've done a tremendous job here. All of it under fire. You had all the equipment assembled before I even showed up. I'm putting you in for the silver star. Captain, I appreciate it, but between you and me, I'd sooner I got put in for a thick, juicy sirloin. What do you want for dessert? Dessert. After I eat my steak, I just got an appetite. Bring on a whole broiled lobster. I want butter sauce spiked with lemon and garlic. You're having any wine with that spread, Kendall? Yeah, claret or burgundy with the steak. I saw a turn, or maybe a shambli. No, I'll tell you what. Give me some grove with the lobster. Hey, there's the advanced patrol of the infantry company. Not a time we got some support up here. Hey, Lieutenant, you're gonna cross this bridge in 30 minutes. Let's go, Kendall. Stay right in back of me. And now for dessert, a chocolate parfait. Hit the dirt before you ruin your digestion for good. Broke the cheese. We got that bridge down in the entire infantry battalion. Men, vehicles and equipment barreled across and lit out after the enemy. It was late in the day and the captain called the whole company together. He congratulated us on the job we did. Then he said he wanted to ask us something. As you know, company headquarters has just pulled up with our kitchen. Sergeant Smith tells me that a truck from Quartermaster has come through with a whole load of meat, fresh eggs and stuff like that. For supper, you don't have to have sea ration. Yeah, man, it's about time. Let's eat. All right, hold it, hold it, hold it. About an hour ago, I found out there's a displaced persons camp just across the river. Now, these are people that the Nazis imported from France, Holland, Belgium, all over Europe to work in the factories here. There's men, women and children, and they got nothing to eat. I know you men are looking forward to fresh food, but there are women and kids there who are hungry. Now, it's up to you, fellow. I could have sworn the whole outfit was looking to me. Everybody must have figured if that chow-hound Kendall was willing to stay on sea rations for a little while longer, they could do it too. Well, that was nothing to think about. And I even volunteered to drive the truck out to the DP camp. It was like the captain said. They didn't look too well fed. They were of all different nationalities, but one thing they did have was an organization. They had a kitchen that cooked for everybody. That is, when they could get food. I turned the supplies over to the man who seemed to be in charge of the kitchen, a middle-aged Frenchman with a moustache named Amiel Fernand. Sergeant, you have saved us. We owe our lives to the American Army. Ah, it's not much, but it's the best we can do right now. Oh, this will be a banquet perhaps one day I shall be able to live in America. For 300 years, the Fernands have been bakers in Paris. But perhaps one day I shall open a shop in America. My son and his sons will bake in America. Ah, little one, you would like to become an American? The first time I noticed the little boy was a thin, underfed little kid sitting on a chair with a raggedy-looking blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He looked sick. We had big, bright eyes and he kept staring at my uniform. His father patted him on the head. Yes, little one, he is an American soldier. One day, if we are lucky, we will live in America and you too shall become an American soldier. You will fight for freedom and justice the way this one does. And your boy? Oh, yes, Sergeant. His name is Jacques. He is my only son. You have saved his life, Sergeant. Well, what's in the truck should hold you for a while. I'll personally see to it that you get more. Ah, there's a medical outfit moving up. I'm sure some of the medical offices will drop around here. I know some of the guys in the outfit. I'll make sure they know how to find this place. Oh, you are very kind, Sergeant. Well, I gotta be getting back. Good luck. Yeah, hold, hold. What have we here? A sack of fine flour. I must bake for you a cake. What now? I mean... To express the gratitude of every man, woman and child in this cup, a victory cake. A cake that only a fernon could bake. I have here the flour, the sugar, the eggs. I'm coming, Marty. Look, I have to go. I know you folks will be okay now. I will bake for you a cake. I promise. Sure, sure, sure. Maybe we'll meet again one day after the war. No, no, no. Now, at this very moment. I got back to the outfit maybe three, four hours later. I was in front of the command post with the captain. When I saw the little boy come running up to us, he was carrying a big cardboard box almost as large as himself. Shove the box into my hands and ran off without saying a word. What's this? Can't you smell it? It's a cake. Fresh cake. Hey, look, there's something written on top of the box. To the brave and generous men of the American Army's 19th engineer battalion. Bon appetit. Well, don't just stand there with Kendall. Open it. I never forgot that cake. I never tasted anything that ever even came close to it. Well, I guess it must have been seven years later. Korea, another place, another war. My outfit was pulled a couple of miles back from the front for a 10-day rest. The kitchen was set up in an abandoned storehouse. I walked in to have lunch, and right off the old Kendall knows something was in the wind. There was that aroma of cake. But such cake. It was all I could do to keep from bolting down my two portions of roast meat to get to it. And then I started to work on that cake. After my third portion, I had to go inside to where they set up the stoves to see my old buddy Haskins and mess to it. All right, all right. Let's get those vegetables started for supper. Hey, Haskins. Hmm? Well, lookie who's here. The walking delegate of the Chowhounds Union. How about that cake? Yeah, some cake, huh? Well, we get a cake like that in the field. Who's the genius? Well, he sent me a new man fresh from the States, a kid who's been to cook and bake a school. Kid says to me, uh, Sergeant, can I bake a cake? Well, he says to him, how you gonna bake a cake on these field stoves? Kid says, if we got eggs, milk, flour, and a little butter, I can bake a cake anywhere. I guess he can. Hey, Frenchie. Frenchie, come here a minute, will ya? Hey, kid, you're in, you're in. This is Sergeant Kendall. He likes the cake. Look, in all my life, I only tasted one cake that was better than this. Seven years ago, some guy baked it in the DP camp in, uh, where was it, uh, Czechoslovakia. Yes, yes, that cake would be better. Much better. Well, I wouldn't say it was much better. But it was better. Yeah, but... Now that's a nice way to compliment the lad, isn't it? For my money, this is the best cake that was ever baked. No, no, no, the Sergeant is right. This is a fair cake. But not as good as my father can bake. Your father? You remember me, Sergeant? The DP camp. How you brought food to us that day? How you saved us from starving? You must be the kid, that little kid. Look at you. Boy, you sure put some meat on those bones. After the war, we came to America. My father opened a shop in San Francisco. You became an American soldier, huh? I never wanted to be anything else from the first day I saw your battalion. I must write to my father. I must tell him I found you. I must tell him that we are now American soldiers together. Go do that. Send him my regards. And when you finish, you get to work on another cake. That's tough luck, Sergeant Chowhound. We're out of flour. A temporary difficulty. I am taking the jeeps and heading back to Quartermaster. I have a few very good friends there. I will personally see to it that this kitchen is not neglected. Happy ten days, those of us. We ate like kings. We had Jacques Fernand, a genius in the kitchen. I won't say he made Korea seem like a paradise to live at a child time. You could close your eyes and make believe you were dining in the finest restaurant in Paris and New York. Those ten days were soon over, and it was back to the war. My boy Fernand was a big help there, too, because whenever they needed a volunteer to bring up some hot chow on the fire, that lad put the pots and pans in the jeep and got it to you somehow. For a cook, he sure got shot at a lot. Handle. Yes, sir. We're just talking to the commander of that tank with him. They're being held up. They can't get to the top of the hill. What's the matter, sir? Well, there's a big shell crater right in the middle of the road. They can't go through it. They can't go around it. Look, on one side, they've got a wall of solid rock. On the other, it's a sheer drop to the valley below. And we'll have to fill in that crater. Now, we better start on it right now before those reds get an idea to begin lobbing some mortars around here. It was a sizable hole in the road. A couple of heavy shells must have landed in the same place, and the rain must have washed a lot of the ground down the other side of the cliff. We started running trucks up filled with dirt and rocks, and then we began filling the hole. Everybody into the hole! Take cover! And where did that come from, George? There must be a red patrol up there on the top of the hill. He'll look it down on us. Don't move it. It can sweep us clean. Hey, listen. It's a jeep coming up the hill, tortoise. It's Fernand. He's bringing up some chow. He comes up a little closer. They'll pick him off. Fernand! Fernand! Get back! Get back! According to the proudly-we-hail production The Battle of Beef Stew Hill, a story of your army in action. Your army now has an operation, a training program that permits you to choose your own branch and train in the particular job of your own choice. It's called the Reserved for You Training Program, and it works this way. If you're a high school graduate of service age, visit your nearest army recruiting station and make application for the Reserved for You Training Program, stating your preferences of branch and training course. If you qualify and a vacancy exists, you're awarded a letter that guarantees your reserved seat in the technical training course of your choice. Now, all this takes place before you enlist, and it places you under no obligation whatsoever. Then, after you enlist and have your basic training, you are enrolled in your school and begin your career as a highly skilled army technician. We suggest you find out about it right away by visiting your nearest United States Army Recruiting Station and talking it over with the friendly people there. You are listening to Proudly We Hail, and now we present the second act of The Battle of Beef Stew Hill. Fun hand! Fun hand! Back up and get out of there! Look at that crazy fun hand! He keeps on coming! Fun hand! Jump out of there! You're a setting stock! Come on, you guys. Fire up the hill at that machine gun. In here, kid! In here! Never mind the child jumping! You okay? Let me...let me catch my breath. Every pan in the back seat of that jeep has been chewed up by bullets. The coffee is all over the floor. All right, all right. As long as you're okay. I'll have to go back and get some more. Are you crazy? You'd never make it back to the jeep. But if you're good, there's no room on the road to turn around. Of course, staying right here for an ad, and that's an order. Right now we're pinned down. There's nothing any of us can do about it. I'm getting a message on the radio, sir. Give it here. Box leader. Box leader, this is Dan's mother. Box leader? What? Company for supper, summer of 98. Jack, who sent you noise makers for the party? Guests too comfortable, have defiled, won't travel. Can try. Situation too close. One short round will interfere with your friends. Okay, box leader, hold out. Over. Keep the radio, Jack, and keep listening. Okay. What shall we do, Sergeant? Stay here for a while, I guess. Let us ask for mortar fire to shake them off the top of the hill. And went through all that with the captain. The only trouble is we're too close to them. One or two of those mortar shells could fall in here, and then what would be the point of the whole thing? I guess we'll have to sweat it out. But for how long? Till it gets dark. But that won't be for three or four hours yet. Yeah. These guys haven't had anything since breakfast. What do you got in the backseat of that jeep back there? Beef stew, mashed potatoes, and apple pie. Plenty of machine gun bullets should be mixed in with them too by now. Well, that's all right. Look at that jeep standing there. Can't be more than 20 yards behind us. All that food on it and we're starving. I'll try to bring it, Sergeant. No, no, you've done enough. I'll go. Maybe I can crawl along the edge here. Huh? Second, I'm not going anywhere. Well, that was the situation. They had us pinned down all right, and huddled in the hall just waiting for darkness to fall. There was nothing we or anybody else could do. And then the sun went down behind the hills and the darkness fell swiftly. This was our chance. All right, this is what we need. No noise. I'll go first, then Fernand, Jack, Tom, Mike, Downey, and the rest of you guys follow about two minutes later. Sergeant, look, look. Oh, no, no! It was as though the Reds were reading our minds. Suddenly the darkness became bright. You could see up and down the whole road. They'd set up flares to light the scene. You could almost see every rock, every blade of grass. The darkness was doing us absolutely no good at all. What should we do now, Sergeant? Right now we should be eating dinner. When I think of that food, you're sitting on that jeep. Ah, it is cold and tasteless by this time. I wouldn't turn it down. Sergeant, why do they not try to assault us and drive us out of here? Why have they not used mortars on us? What for? They're happy about the whole thing. They want to keep us here. What do you think they have up there? They could make out two machine guns. I think you three or four rifles were firing, too. And that could be maybe 10 men. Give them a couple of ammo carriers for the automatic weapons so the patrol could go as high as 15, but that stops them. 15 men. They're holding up the whole advance, stopping our armor from getting through. Yeah, they're happy about everything. No radio, Kendall. Fox leader. Ten mother. Having a track meet back here. Yeah? Big event, dog races. Like to watch. Like to bet on the hurdles? You're on. You're on for 50. Like to be able to watch. Good luck. Well, keep busy. Idle hands make for mischief, as they say. Over. There's an infantry advance. Where? Jack, I think I know what's happening here. How do we stand on ammo? Not too good, Sarge. We didn't expect to fight when we got to work up here. Half the guys weren't even wearing their belts. It's going to be tough. Here's what the captain was trying to tell me. There's an infantry combat patrol about 50 men who are trying to climb this mountain from the other side and take that red patrol from the rear. Our job is to try to keep the reds so busy they won't have a chance to spot them. The reds long enough. Now we'll do our best. Everybody take a weapon. Fire as slowly as you can. You got your M1 for an hand? Yes, Sergeant, but the only ammunition I have is the one clip in the gun. Okay, squeeze it off. We made a lot of noise for a little while, but we couldn't keep it up long enough. First one man and then another ran out of ammo. Very soon we were no longer able to fire. I wonder where that infantry patrol is by now. Oh, no. We're going to be up the other side. On the other hand, there could be only halfway up. We've got a rough going. We can't fire any longer, so what can we do to occupy their attention now? Well, we could talk. Talk about what? About your favorite topic and mine, food. What good would that do? Do you suppose any of them understand English? Who knows? Unfortunately, I cannot speak Chinese or Korean. I can speak English, French, Spanish, German, some Russian. Let me see. Of all those languages, English and Russian are they most likely? Most likely. Some of them up there are certain to understand a little bit of English and maybe Russian. Yeah, but what's all this going to prove? There are two ways to distract these people. One is to fire at them, which we no longer can do. The second is to interest them in something else. I believe it is called psychological warfare. All I need is one man to understand me. The others, seeing he is interested, will have him translate. So then our patrol may be able to encircle them and take them unawares. I think it's crazy, but what can we lose? I had heard of psychological warfare, and I'd even seen a little bit of it, too. But what Fernand was doing took, if I may say so, the cake. It was a quiet night, and the sound could travel, and the enemy was only 50 yards or about half a city block away. What he was saying would go on for a while in English. Then he'd spout some pigeon Russian he picked up in France. And then back to English. Oh, to the line this kid had. I am not talking to you men about what you think you are fighting for. After all, you wouldn't believe me. You think I am a war-mongering minion of Wall Street. I laugh at that because I am Jacques Fernand who is happy and grateful to be an American soldier. It was the American army that saved me and my father and restored us as free men. None of that is of interest to you, but here is something you may like to believe. Some 20 yards behind us is a jeep. You can see that jeep. You remember me driving it here. You remember shooting at me. Did you wonder why I was driving that jeep? I will tell you. Look, I was bringing food to the men of my outfit. And such food. Meat, potatoes, pastry. I realize it is unfair to talk this way to men who have been living for days on a handful of dried rice. But the truth is the truth. Does anyone in your glorious army risk his neck to bring you food under fire? When did you eat meat last? How bad can my army be if it worries so much about the well-being of its men? Standing on the back seat of that jeep, riddled by your gunfire, are pots and pans of meat, potatoes, pastry. There's coffee. What kind of army have you got? I must be getting under somebody's skin. Hey, put off. You're doing great. What did they promise you in your glorious people's democratic army? Forget it. Are you eating better? I have seen some of your friends who were taken prisoner. What do you mean? Well, we fed them, and none of you are watery rice soup either. Oh, you're making me hungry. It cannot be helped. In case one of you up there is a cook, I would like to give him with my compliments a recipe. A recipe for stew. First, take your meat, chop it into squares about an inch in size. Then, tomatoes. Well, when I went out, he must have had a fascinating audience. He went into one recipe after another. I know my mouth was watering, and I felt I was starving to death. I was about ready to dash out of there and run to the jeep to get at the food when suddenly the top of the hill seemed to explode with gunfire. The infantry patrol had made it around from the other side. Come on, guys, out of here, Jack. You went down to get the dirt truck and told us to let the tanks through. Come on, get moving! Hey, seconds on the beef stew. Right here, boy, you've got a customer. Sergeant, I understand the infantry patrol took most of them prisoners. I hear one of the prisoners was a chef in civilian life. Well, that accounts for it. Is this the beef stew you were telling them how to prepare? Yes, Sergeant. The captain tells me some newspaper corresponders have heard about your little psych war bit up on the hill there. Prepare to be interviewed, kid. Oh, but what will I tell them? Some action on a hill in Korea is filled with hills. Yeah, but this is a very special hill. And I think it deserves a special name. Something better than just Hill 98. We ought to call it Fernand's Hill. Oh, no, no, Fernand's Hill. What sort of a name is that? It deserves something much more descriptive. Okay, I got the name. I'm going to suggest to the captain that Regiment officially changed the name of Hill 98 to guess what. I don't know. From now on, my boy, its official title will be Beef Stew Hill. There it is on your maps and in your records, Beef Stew Hill, proving what? For my money, it goes to show you that some good hot chow can also win a battle for you, provided it's prepared by a guy like Jacques Fernand. Young men, if you want the greatest deal of your life, go down to your Army recruiting station. That Army recruiter of yours is one of your best friends, a real opportunity man. He'll show you how high school graduates can choose their job training before enlistment. That's right, you can choose exactly the technical training course you want. There are over 150 to choose from. Radio and TV repair, photography, drafting, medicine, engineering, take your choice. Your recruiter will reserve the course you want for you, make sure it's guaranteed before you enlist. You'll get top instruction, become a real expert in your field, and remember, you get the training you want all at government expense. You can't do better than a deal like this, and only the Army offers it to you. So visit your Army recruiting station and get choice, not chance, from your Army recruiter. This has been another program on Proudly We Hail, presented transcribed in cooperation with this station. Proudly We Hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center for the United States Army. This is Ralph Roland, inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hail.