Part of my Papa's life, World War II

This is from a newspaper article written in 1945, in Archer County, I guess. Granny sent me the copy today and I wanted to share it. I will copy it exactly as it is, punctuation and all, spelling too.

The thrilling experiences of an Archer City boy, Robert Alonzo Berryman, were related in a letter handed to us this week by his mother, Mrs. Boss Berryman. Excerpts from the letter follow:

"We took off from Biak at 4:30 the morning of January 30, 1945 on board a C-46 transport plane bound for Leyte. The plane was heavily loaded with 7400 pounds of lumber, three belly tanks and three passengers and equiptment.

Everything went along smoothly until about 9 o'clock when we ran into a teriffic storm. On board were the pilot, Lt. Wilkins, F-o. Louis Winstrop, co-pilot; S. Sgt. Robert Casey, radio operator; T. Sgt. Louis Dusas, crew chief, and three passengers. Sgt C.J. Sisk, Pfc. Robert A. Berryman and Pfc Bernard Trammel. We first noticed the right engine was not running properly when we were about an hour from our destination. At this time Dusas, the crew chief, ran back with orders from the pilot to throw out all our equiptment and anything of any weight. As we were throwing our various items such as food lockers, bags, clothes and incidently a case of beer, the left engine started cutting out and caught on fire. We started making preparations for a crash at sea such as inflating life rafts, ect. The pilot did not know at the time that we were over land until he saw an opening in the overcast. We prepared ourselves for the crash as he circled for a landing spot. He saw a small clearing of about 150 yards with only small bushes and tall grass. We then braced ourselves with the life rafts against the end of the lumber. As we came in with the wheels up, we clipped the tops of several trees as we lit in the mud and slush and was headed for a grove of trees when the prop of the right engine dug in the soft turf tearing it completely off. In doing this, the engine caught under the wings thus turning us around, and probably saving all our lives, otherwise we would have crashed into the trees. We only recieved minor cuts and bruises. As we got out of the wrecked plane, not knowing we were in friendly territory, we immediately took our weapons and posted a guard until important equiptment could be destroyed. We then proceeded to a small grass hut where a small family of Filipinos lived. They took us to the guerillas who took us to the home of Mrs. Christeta C. Serra and daughters. There we recieved our first Filipino meal. This meal consisted of fish and rice and a drink of Pacroy Nipa wine, or jungle juice. We spent the night at Mrs. Serra's and early the next morning we returned to the scene of the crash. We removed the small electric plant, lights and wiring. Incidentally, we took the cautious bell and installed it at the home as a dinner bell. We removed the radio and installed it in the home of Mrs. Serra. The family was very much impressed with the set. They especially enjoyed listening to the late war bulletins. On the fourth day our radio operator, S. Sgt. Casey contacted Leyte who inturn promised us a Cat plane which we instructed to land in the Tago river. On the fifth day, we again radioed them and explained that we were very short on food and no cigarettes or attibrine. Again they promised us help and on the sixth day we recieved orders from guerilla headquarters to report to Barbo where a small landing strip was located. On the seventh day, we headed for Barbo by home made boat. We went down the Tago river to La Pas on the coast, spending the night at La Pas. Early the next morning, we boarded a captured Jap launch heading toward Barbo, forty miles away. We were about an hour from our destination when the crude oil engine became overheated. The engine was stopped for cooling and again fate reared its ugly head. The crew worked on the engine for about an hour and a half. Finding it impossible to start, we constructed a crude sail made from a parachute from the plane. This was about 3:30 in the afternoon and at 2:30 the next morning we finally drifted into shore. A family of Filipinos met us on the shore. The took us to their home and gave us a tasty meal of fish. The fish tasted very good as we had not eaten in around twenty hours. We spent the rest of the night there and the next morning we proceeded to the town of Barbo. The next day and night was spent in the barraks of the guerilla soldiers. The guerilla soldiers looked upon us as officers of our army.

Early the next morning we went to the air strip via a captured Jap truck. There we recieved orders that we were to be picked up as soon as Major Evans arrived. Then came more troubles. A company of Japs broke through the guerilla lines and headed for the strip. We were moved back into the hills to the home of Mr. Pearson and family, superintendent of the Tambia Gold Dredge Co. Here we saw our first gold mine, however we were only interested in getting back to our organization. We recieved word that the Japs had changed their course. Thus, the Major arrived and we were ready for the pickup. On our fourteenth day in the jungle, we were rescued by two C-47's which were cargo ships and escorted by two F4U's, fighter planes. The planes were bringing supplies to the guerilla soldiers. Incidentially, had these planes not come, we might have still been in the jungles. The seven of us, tired and worn out airmen, boarded the plane for Tacloban, Leyte. We arrived at Tacloban an hour later and then proceeded to Dulong by truck, where we spent the night. Early the morning of the 13th of February, 1945, we took again in an ill fated C-46 to Biak. We stopped at Peleliu for re-fueling. We arrived at our squadron at 5 o'clock p.m. We were greeted by the commanding officer and all the fellows. We didn't know we were so popular until our return to the squadron.

In closing we wish to say that the Filipino people cannot be praised enough for their hospitality and their generosity. Their food was very short yet they gave and shared everything they had. We made friends in the Phillipines that we will always remember and we all hope to see them again someday but under different circumstances."

Signed by,

Robert Alonzo Berryman