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    The Fearsome Foursome
    The Fearsome Foursome
    The Fearsome Foursome
    Ebook94 pages1 hour

    The Fearsome Foursome

    By J.T. Mobley

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    About this ebook

    In 1941, four young men meet in the military, unaware that they were about to become very close friends for a long time to come, through three long warsWorld War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

    Richard (Rico) Andres, born in the Bronx, was involved at eighteen in a pretty serious crime. The judge gave him a choice: Either you go into the military, or you go to jail. Rico chose the military.

    Thomas L. Dane was born in Montrose, Iowa, and grew up working on his dads farm. He left home and found a mechanic job in St. Louis. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, he decided to go into the military.

    Franklin (Frankie) Reese was born in Balmore, Pennsylvania. He was a good student and athlete growing up without his father, who was killed in a diner stickup. Right after graduation, he enlisted in the service.

    James Rails grew up just outside of Lonoak, Arkansas. At sixteen, he got a job with a trucking company; soon he was riding with the truckers on the longer hauls. Then he got his draft notice to report to St. Louis.

    The Fearsome Foursome tells their story of friendship, camaraderie, and heartbreak.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTrafford Publishing
    Release dateAug 17, 2010
    ISBN9781426940774
    The Fearsome Foursome
    Author

    J.T. Mobley

    J.T. Mobley is sixty-eight years old and a retired truck driver. He lives with his wife in a very small town in central Illinois. They have been married for forty-six years. He is a father of four, grandfather of fifteen, and great-grandfather of four. This is his first book.

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      Book preview

      The Fearsome Foursome - J.T. Mobley

      Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 1

      These four men were all young in 1941. A couple of young toughs, a farmer and a truck driver. They never dreamed that on December 14, 1941, that they would all meet in St. Louis, Missouri at the US Army Induction Center for service in the military. How did they get there?

      Let’s start with Richard (Rico) Andres, born in a three room flat in the Bronx, New York. He grew up tough, in trouble with the law by age 10. Running with other toughs, stealing, robbing. Not really much good in this kid. But he absolutely cherished his mother. Every time he was pulled in for some petty crime, he always told the judge that he did it so his mother’s life might be a little easier.

      The judge always took a special interest in Rico, never sentencing him to any jail time. How-ever, in 1941, when just eighteen years old, he was involved in a pretty serious crime. This time, the judge said, Sorry Rico, either you go to the military, or you go to jail.

      Rico chose the military.

      Next comes Thomas L. Dane. He was born in Montrose, Iowa in 1922. His middle initial was for Lester, but he grew up as Lefty. He always worked on his dad’s farm as he grew up.

      Around 1931 or 1932, the family moved to Dyersville, Iowa where two more children were born to his mom and dad.

      The small farm that his dad had purchased did fine until around 1935 or 1936. Then came the dust. Lefty was forced by circumstances to quit school and take a full time job in town on a shipping dock for the railroad. That job soon petered out, so he left home sometime in 1939, heading for St. Louis to find some work. He found a mechanic job and worked until after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

      He was torn between sending money home to the family or going to the service. December 14, 1941, he made up his mind.

      Franklin (Frankie) Reese was born in Balmore, Pennsylvania in 1923. He grew up fatherless, because the day after he was born, his father was shot and killed in a diner stickup. He had stopped in for a cup of coffee when three men came in and started shooting. He was shot twice and died instantly.

      Frankie grew up quite average. He was a good student, B-average grade level in school. He excelled in track and lettered in football. He learned very young how to cope without his dad being around. He would look up to his friend’s dads and they always included him in their own father-son things. Ballgames, fishing, etc. He lived at home until he finished school. It was shortly after graduation that Pearl Harbor was attacked. He, like so many thousands of others, enlisted.

      James Rails was born in Rogers, Arkansas in 1921. He grew up with an older brother just outside of Lonoak, Arkansas, and he did not like it here at all. As soon as he was able, he quit school early and took off back home to Rogers. Back to live with his mother.

      He was sixteen or seventeen when he got a job on a freight dock for a trucking company, and soon he was riding with the truckers on the longer hauls. They would drive until they were tired, then Jimmy would take over for awhile.

      Even though very young, he soon came to the attention of a bunch of bootleggers and they paid him well. He would haul anything for them. Hijacked goods, liquor, guns, just anything to make a dollar.

      He was in or around St.Louis when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

      His friends told him he should go sign up and go fight. He flat refused, telling them if they all though that such a noble cause to just have right at it.

      He was making too much money trucking to want to go fight somewhere.

      Then it came. He has called his mother to tell her that he had gotten a raise and would be sending some more money soon. His mother told him that he must come home because he had some very important mail. He told her he’d be there in a couple of days. When he got home, his very important mail was his draft notice to report to St. Louis on December 14, 1941.

      As it worked out, these four young men had no way to know it, but for them, they would be very close friends for a very long time to come.

      They were all in line for their serial numbers, shots, boots, clothing and yes, even their housing would be in the same barracks.

      After a few weeks of rising at 5:00 am and going to classes all day to learn the military way, their actual training started.

      They were marched to a small assembly area, where their platton sergeant read their names, and assigned their training.

      Cordela, transportation. Mints, infantry. Jones, tanks. Chaves, infantry. Rails, transportation. Jamison, transportation. Ford, engineers. Dane, tanks. Reese, tanks.

      Be this time, these four had been together for a couple of months and had become acquainted and actually had some things in common. After their assignments, they were marching back to the barracks when Rails told the sergeant that he didn’t like his assignment and asked him if he could get it changed from transportation to tanks because he thought he would make a better tanker than a trucker.

      So, you would rather be a tanker?

      Yeah Sarge, anybody can drive a damn truck.

      Anybody else that don’t like your assignments?, asked Sarge.

      From somewhere in the group he hears, I’d rather go train Girl Scouts. and from someone else, I’d like to go back home.

      A captain is walking by and hears the chatter, and stops to ask the sergeant if there are any problems.

      No sir, just a truck driver who’d rather be a tanker.

      A tanker?

      Yes sir.

      Send this man to see me in the morning, sergeant.

      Yes sir.

      Rails arrived the next morning around 7:00 am. He knocks, enters, salutes, reports and stands at attention.

      At ease Rails and tell me, why do you want to be a tanker? They are hot as hell in the summer and cold as hell in the winter.

      Well sir, I drove a truck in civilian life and fell in with bad company. I almost went to jail on account of it, sir. So if it’s all the same to you sir, I’d like very much to stay away from them damn trucks.

      I think I can relate to this Rails. I’ll see what I can do.

      Thank you sir.

      And so it was born. The relationship between four men who much later in life would be referred to as the Fearsome Foursome.

      They are eventually sent to fort Knox, Kentucky for tank training, and by the luck of the draw are assigned to the same company, and the same platoon.

      After a couple of weeks, they are sitting in the barracks one night talking and Rails say, Hey Lefty, talk to Frankie and Rico about let’s try to get assigned to the same tank.

      They were later assigned so and continued their training. It was early spring, 1942 and nice. Lefty says, Hey you guys, want to go to town?

      Sure, why not?

      Come on Rico.

      Naw, you guys go ahead, I gotta write Ma.

      Jimmy?

      Yeah, I’m in if I can get a pass.

      They go to town, and drink some, but they don’t get drunk. Just drank and talked with other guys that they knew.

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