Unknown when he graduated, but we think Bud graduated in the 1941North High class. He enlisted in the US Army on October 2, 1941 at Fort Des Moines, IA. At the time of his enlistment, he was single with no dependents. His service number was 20704467. Bud's next of kin was listed as Mr. Clarence Cardwell Marchael, 1069 21st Street, Des Moines, IA.

In late summer of 1942, we were shipped to Scotland for amphibious training at the Duke of Argyle compound of Lake Loman.This area was a real challenge to us; jagged hills, moors, and peat boggs.

The Duke’s dwelling was a castle several stories high with moats and draw bridges that we had to scale by rope after coming ashore from the landing craft.

In the fall of 1942, Churchill and Roosevelt decided to open a new front in North Africa to ease pressure off of the Russian front.  There were three major landings planned.  The operation was to be simultaneous and called “Torch” (November 8-12, 1942) at the eastern force at Algiers, central force at Oran, and western at Casablanca.  My combat regiment 168^th was to be with British 78^th Division and the 6^th Commandos.  My troop ship left the British Isles, Glasgow, Scotland, and Greenock Bay on the Scotland Winchester Castle troop ship.  We had the 168^th and 175^th Field Artillery Regiments, and the 109^th Engineer and 109^th Medical Battalions. 

We sailed through the straits of Gibraltar by cruise ships at night. Our ships went through first as we were going to the eastern area to Algiers.  We would rendezvous with flotilla from the United States.  The next morning after entering the Mediterranean through the straits, Italian and German aircraft bombed our convoy all day long.  We lost some ships, but they lost some aircraft.  A British major told us to get our machine gun, 30 caliber, up to the top deck and lash the trail legs to the rails of the troop ship for extra anti-aircraft fire.  Lashing my gun to rails did not work because my ammo belts could not go through the breech of the gun.  It would jam, and my field of fire was very limited.  The only thing I could shoot was fish.

In reality, my squad saw action prior to our amphibious assault the morning of November 8, 1942.  In the next sequence of events, the British Navy took us to the wrong beach during the landing craft assault which in turned out to be okay because we had to silence the large guns at Fort Sidi Furoh at Algiers and only one of our objectives, the docks, downtown government buildings, and the Algiers airport. 

All objectives were reached except the harbor area where French ships were at the quays.  The Vichy French and Italians were our immediate enemy which we soon neutralized, but they blew up a ship in the harbor to block our ship from coming into unload troops and supplies.  The night of November 8, 1942, we were hit again with German and Italian aircraft, and two planes were shot down. I had my first drink of alcohol, a glass of rum, loading for the landing craft assault. This was because we were going down rope ladders in the dark with the landing craft pitching back and forth and up and down, and my whole squad was throwing up all over each other.

I was a corporal and a squad leader of about seven men.

The machine gun is a water-cooled 30 caliber. It consists of a tripod and receiver with breech block for rapid fire. Each ammunition canister has about two hundred and fifty rounds feed through the receiver by a web belt. The cartridges are usually loaded at the factory with one ball, one HE and one tracer to view if your line of fire is going where you want it to go.

My gear for my body was a cartridge belt with a first aid packet, one-quart water bottle, and cartridges for my 45 caliber revolver. I always carried at least two hand grenades hooked on my shoulder harness near my belt line. On my back was my combat pack that carried my mess kit, C-type or K-type. My half blanket and raincoat hung over my butt under my cartridge belt. On your side hung a pick and shovel for digging and chipping the ground and a gas mask with straps.

When you make an amphibious landing, you have to wear a Mae West which is an inflatable rubber canvas belt with a sparklet cartridge to punch if the landing party land in waves way over your head or body.

Landing craft assault usually land you right near the beach, depending on the LST, LCI or submarines for special operations. At Anzio, Italy, my squad went ashore in a motorized whale boat.  I always carried the tripod with the three legs unclamped over my shoulder. My number two guy carried the receiver with the water can, and the rest of the crew carried the ammunition.  Field glasses, night watches, aiming circle, and clinometers were carried by whoever volunteers to do so. 

The first thing I ditched at the Algiers assault was my gas mask.  I forgot we all wore helmets and combat boots with side straps and buckles.  Usually these boots went to the calf of your leg.

At daylight the first few guys I saw killed were not ours.  They were British Commandos.  There were quite a few body parts on the beach sand.  I had a guy in my squad that was quite mechanical, so we knocked the window out of an electrical trolley and hoped it would take us down town and that was the case.  We saved walking five miles and for not knowing who our enemies were, it went well.  Of all the troops we confronted, most were Vichy French, Arabs and Italians.