The Messengers

A Messenger Readying for Delivery to the Gargliano Front

~~~

Army operations required a steady and reliable transferal of documents, information and small packages to maintain a peak level of operation. With ambush attacks, sniper fire or the arbitrary engagement with a Panzer column, the duties of delivery services would never see a dull moment. Often items were delivered in a jeep by soldiers, without armor and only a sidearm or M1 Garand as means of protection. The routes sometimes took them on the better traveled Rtes 6 & 7 up the calf of south-western Italy, but more often, through unknown cart paths or mud soaked farm fields almost certainly littered with mines. Their duty added a whole new dimension to the mail motto: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds". They had to include avoiding live weapons fire to the credo.

This scanned page is taken directly from the original story. The entire transcript of the story along with commentary will be in the published version of "Winterline Stories"

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The Messengers