Officer in Sicily Praises War Dads

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This newspaper clipping, likely from the Holdenville Daily News, describes Harmon's appreciation of support from the home front during the fighting at Sicily in the summer of 1943.

Officer In Sicily Praises War Dads Organization
    Home Town News Good, Lt. Buckley Says, Tells Of Experiences, Country
    Praise for the Holdenville War Dads association came from Sicily today in a letter from Lt. Harmon Buckley to his father, Sam Buckley, here.
    "I received the War Dads card and really appreciate it. I think its a great organization," Lieutenant Buckley wrote.
    The Holdenville man now in Sicily with the 45th division also praised the Daily News and said that it "sure is good to get the home news. As soon as I finish reading them I take them to Major Duell and Colonel Taylor."
    "Major Duell doesn't or hasn't received any and he is always asking me for them. Col. Taylor lives at Konawa but enjoys the Holdenville paper," he wrote.
    Asking his father for the "Readers Digest," he said that the soldiers don't have anything to read over there but "that is all we need."
    "We get plenty of cigarets for the boys and this army issues one package per day per man," he said.
    He said that they also issued razor blades, soap, tooth powder and "anything that we could want." He said that the food there had been excellent, and that the whole supply system of the army was wonderful. "We have been fighting over the mountains here and they have pack mules bringing our supplies up."
    Concerning the fighting, Lieutenant Buckley said, "Dad, when we first hit the beach on the morning of July 10, we had to move inland to the town of Vittoria and take it the first day. Company L did the outstanding fighting that day and only had five men wounded and we captured 75 prisoners.
    We have completely crossed the island, fighting all the way," he wrote.
    He said that the 45th division had been praised by some of the highest British and American army officers for good fighting. "The Germans that we ran into were the best German troops. Some had fought at Stalingrad, and others in Africa but we whipped the hell out of them and are still shoving them back."
    Lieutenant Buckley said that the Italians won't fight but just come out and surrender as groups.
    "The people here are very poor because the Germans have taken everything they have that is worth anything. They hate the Germans and that is what helps us," he wrote.
    He told of the towns and called them "funny looking." He described the houses as two story with the barn and chickens downstairs. "All the houses are built from rocks and cement," he explained.
    The Holdenville boy told of the "nice swim in the sea and a nap on the beach this morning". "So you see that the war isn't too bad," he told his father. "The worst part is being away from home and one's family."
    He made some mention of Miller Pearson, Holdenville boy and said "Miller was also in the invasion of Sicily. He flew the paratroopers in."

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