Luzon, 27 Jan 1945. The 108th which has waited 4 years, 3 months and 10 days since federalization to come to grips with the enemy, now is in the thick of the battle to clear the Japanese-infested hill northwest of Bamban. The regiment today was astride knife-like ridges looking down the enemies throat.
Capt. Eugene Garrett of Medina took his company across dried-out rice paddies and through a village of nipa huts. On the far side there was a gentle lift into the hills. It was studded with clumps of high grass at 100 yard intervals.
The enemy could watch every move, and machineguns stutered and echoed against the rocks whenever Capt. Garrett’s men crept forward.
Capt. Garrett found a detour up a flanking draw and quickly secured it for the other units. A tank destroyer bumped over the paddy dikes and took by-passed spots under deliberate fire. Behind, the radio artillery-spotter plane pin-pointed Japanese mortar positions for American guns which plastered them at such a pace the barrels had to be cooled with truck-loads of water hauled three miles.
