The Decoy Doughboy

Souvenir Edition -- Printed in Czechoslovakia

May 23, 1945. -- Publishes by and for the men of the 18th Combat Team. -- First Infantry Division, U. S. Army.

Recon Al-A "York"

When "Decoy" took over an area in the Sudeten mountains, the "doggies" were led to believe that all was peacetful and quiet, with the enemy a good distance away; but when 'K' Co. officers and platoon leaders made a reconnaissance tour of the new location, they found it a hot bed of enemy small arms fire.

Led by Captain Clark Johnson, C.O., five 'K' Co. leaders set out in a jeep to look over their "quiet" sector. 200 yards beyond their CP, they hit a Kraut road ambush and swerving the jeep into a ditch, they hit the ground. For the next hour, the five 18th Reg't men had one of the stiffest fire fights they'd seen since D'Day.

The climax came when 1st Lt. Paul Underwood made a lone rush under covering fire and knocked out the main Kraut machine gun with hand grenades. After that, it was difficult to keep track of the number of prisoners that surrendered, but it was more than the number captured by other outfits in that area for two weeks.

"We found out how the land lay, the hard way," smiled Capt. Johnson.