Major Marker and the Men Went Over Their Plan
“Oh—like the gang which came back from the dam in the Wadizam Pass action?” the general laughed. “They did the impossible.”
“Yes, I’m thinking of some of those same men,” Major Marker replied. “Who shall give them their instructions?”
“I’ll do it myself,” the general said. “Can you have them here tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yes, sir,” the Major replied. “Tomorrow afternoon—six picked men.”
And so it was that six men set off with Major Marker for the general’s headquarters. At first they did not know that was where they were going, but the Major told them after they were speeding along the road in the big command car. Then they were more mystified than ever. The Major would say nothing but, “Something special. Very interesting job. Wish I could go too.”
Next to him sat Lieutenant Jerry Scotti, who was to be in command on this mysterious mission. There was Dick Donnelly, second in command, and Corporal Tony Avella for the radio work. Taking up enough room for almost two men in the rear seat was Private Vincent Salamone, the home-run king of baseball in peacetime, the toughest paratrooper of them all in war. As the Major later remarked to the general, “Everybody in Italy knows the name of Vince Salamone. He’s an idol over here just the way he is at home. He’ll win over the Italians in a minute!”
All those four men spoke Italian well, like natives. They knew Italy and the Italian people thoroughly. Major Marker felt sure that with four out of six speaking Italian so well, this qualification of the general’s had been met with complete satisfaction. The fifth man was Private Max Burckhardt. He spoke German, and he was a veteran of the Wadizam dam suicide detachment. The sixth man, since he had to be a demolition expert, was George “Boom-Boom” Slade, who now sat silently beside Vince Salamone, looking most insignificant beside the bulk of the famous ball player.
Major Marker looked over his six selections and smiled. They were all good tough fighters, with plenty of seasoning. And they got along well together. They were good personal friends. The Major knew that Lieutenant Scotti was “Jerry” to the rest of them except when other officers were around. And he knew that the whole crowd would follow Dick Donnelly to the ends of the earth.