Friday, December 24, 2010

Current Events December 24, 1942: MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM A. E. F's. ALL OVER THE WORLD:


THE RACINE DAILY TIMES
    RACINE, WIS., THURSDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 24,1942.
.
Yank Troops Join
French at Dakar
African Chain
Of Bases Now
Almost Tight
Only Tunisia, Portion
Of Libya Remain
In Axis Possession
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.—
(U.P)—The Allies have a fairly
good margin of superiority
over the enemy in Tunisia
for the coming struggle to oust
the axis forces from North
Africa, Secretary of War Henry
L. Stimson said today.
LONDON, Dec. 24.—(AP)—American
forces were disclosed today to
have arrived in t h e French west
African port of Dakar, welding
t h e last big link in t h e Allies'
chain of bases and supply ports,
as t h e campaign t o drive the enemy
from North Africa moved
steadily closer to' its climax.
The Italian high command said
Allied forces had launched an
armor-supported thrust to r e c a p t-
u r e lost positions in Tunisia presumably
'in the Medjez-El-Bab
gateway sector before Tunis and
Bizerte," b u t h a d been stopped.

Santa Arrives in Guinea,
Finds Poetical Success Tale
(How American troops all over the world are
Christmas is told in a group of stories on Page 9 ) .
WITH ALLIED FORCES IN NEW GUINEA, Dec. 24.—AP—Santa
Claus arrived at t h e fighting front yesterday via airplanes and jeeps,
in t h e persons of George Moorad, American Red Cross official, and
his staff.
Distributing gifts from home in t h e Cape Endaiadere sector which
t h e Japanese lost Dec. 18, Moorad was greeted by Poetic Sergeant
Marcus Burkholder, Platteville, Wis., w h o cited this version of " T he
Night Before Christmas."
T'was t h e night before Christmas on t h i s spot o n t h e m a p ,
Not a c r e a t u r e was s t i r r i n g . Not e v e n a J a p .
Stockings were hung b y t h e slit t r e n c h w i t h care,
I n hope t h a t Tojo soon would be there,
The boys were all sleeping on wet beds, while visions of
rations danced in t h e i r heads,
When out of t h e j u n g l e rose such a clatter.
That I s p r a n g through mosquito n e t to s e e w h a t w a s t h e m a t t e r ,
Then off in t h e distance came a familiar sound,
We knew that old Nip would soon be around,
He was h e a d i n g this way, spreading Christmas cheer,
With plenty of shrapnel, not one c a n of beer.
We r e t u r n e d his goodwill within a few hours.
With a bullet in stating: " Buna village is ours ."

(page 9)
Christmas Observances Differ for AEF
Stationed at All Points of Globe
(By T h e U n i t e d Press)
Journey to Jerusalem
BETHLEHEM, Dec. 24.—American
soldiers in olive d r a b mingled
with somberly dressed pilgrims on
t h e six mile road from Jerusalem
today, bound for the midnight
mass at t h e Church of the Nativity.
Visit Famous Shrines
JERUSALEM, Dec. 24.—(U.P)—
Sightseeing guides experienced a
war boom today with American
soldiers, some fresh from sorties
over the North African battlefronts,
observing the Christmas
season by visiting the shrines of
t h e holy land.
London Observance
LONDON, Dec. 24.—(U.P)—Staff
Sgt. Frank Mullin of New York
is ready for his first Christmas
overseas.
" I t won't b e t h e same as back
home," he said, "but i t could be
much worse."
Mutton in Africa ,
ALLIED NORTH AFRICAN
HEADQUARTERS, Dec. 24.—(UP)—
American doughboys in North
Africa are dreaming of a white
Christmas—a year from now.
They expect no special Christmas
observance, although one Iowa
squadron fattened up two turkeys
and a pair of geese in t h e i r quart
e r s for Christmas dinner. Most
of the AEF here, however, will
dine on cold mutton.
Tripolitania Feast
SIRTICA, Tripolitania, Dec. 24.
(U.P)—American fliers at this
desert outpost will have makeshift
Christmas trees, t u r k e y and a b a r
for their holiday observance t o morrow.
Santa in India
NEW DELHI, India, Dec. 24.—
(U.P)—Like most Americans here,
Sgt. Charles O. (Chili) Hille of
Dallas, Texas, looked forward today
to his first Christmas away
from home b u t t h e prospect wasn't
too glum.
Holiday in Hawaii
HEADQUARTERS, Hawaiian
Department, Dec. 24.—(U.P)—Hawaii
is on the alert today, but
Christmas prospects are brighter
t h a n last year, when the holiday
followed the P e a r l Harbor attack
by only 18 days.
Services in Alaska
HEADQUARTERS, Alaska Defense
Command, Dec. 24.—(U.PJ—
American servicemen will hold
Christmas services and parties
with Canadian forces tomorrow in
desolate areas where only a year
ago t h e r e was nothing but wilderness
with an occasional Indian,
Eskimo or wandering trapper
passing through.
Beef, Beer in Cairo
CAIRO, Dec. 24.—(U.P)—Softball
games, Christmas trees and r e l i gious
services will highlight the
holiday observances of t h e A m e r i can
armed forces in the Middle
East tomorrow and e v e r y man will
get a pound of beef or chicken
and American beer for his special
Christmas dinner.
Gifts in New Guinea
S O M E W H E R E IN NEW
GUINEA, Dec. 24.—(U.R)—Christmas
under New Guinea's blistering
sun will be just another working
day for forces fighting the J a p a nese
under Gen. Douglas MacArt-
hur 's personal command.

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