Elman Ellsworth, Salt Lake City, Utah: an interview by Winston P. Erickson, May 30, 2000: Saving the legacy tape no. 28

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LM L WO T 2 supported armored divisions infantry divisions. W r c iv d a ig nt r m u headquarters which probably came from sound and fla h data. ll ofth p ibl artill ry missions that could be assigned, we probably had all of them. We had a g d battali n commander. We had a gunnery officer an engineer. We had talented people both offic r and soldiers, doing whatever they did. WIN: Did your assignments ever include the forward observation? As a unit commander were you? ELM: No, I never went as a forward observer. I did occasionally go up in the airplane for observation. WIN: Reconnaissance? ELM: Well, conduct of fire as well reconnaissance. We collectively had to provide communications to the forward OD positions. So sometimes the battery would do it; sometimes we would do it. But as a forward observer, per say, no. I was never a forward observer. WIN: As your unit-did it manage to maintain good communications with the FO in combat situations, or did the opposite artillery sometimes break the lines? ELM: Well, we had lost lines; and, of course, when it happened our linemen had to go find where it was destroyed and replace and repair. There's nothing more scary than going out at three o'clock in the morning on a line. So that worked to our advantage by making sure the guys laid the lines properly. The tanks were bad, trucks were bad, so the guys had to work real hard at placing the lines. Then, of course, we had to pick the wires up when we 15