Fifty years after returning from World War II, Reginald Carlson sat down to record what he
survived - frontline combat in Italy, 1945, written with the clarity and weight of a man
who came home when many others did not.
Summary
Reg Carlson's War Stories
Reginald "Pogs" Carlson recounts frontline combat in Italy in 1945, focusing on fear, survival, and the randomness of who lived or died.
Key points:
- He divides his stories into frontline events and everything else; this document covers frontline experiences.
- He served on the line three times: about 5–6 weeks, then 5 days, then 2 days in the Po Valley.
- He later reorganized and shared these memories with family after realizing some had no copies.
- He was awarded the Bronze Star (dated July 18, 1945) for meritorious service, including giving first aid and evacuating wounded men under heavy fire.
Frontline experience near Mt. Arnigo (Apennines):
- Daily life alternated between "out in the holes" (forward observation in exposed positions) and "run the gauntlet" (night supply runs under enemy flares and shelling).
- He describes four major close calls: repeated artillery barrages; a grenade attack on a nearby hole; a test run that nearly wiped out another platoon; and narrowly avoiding a direct shell impact by delaying his exit by minutes.
Battle for Mt. Arnigo (April 1945):
- Confused planning, delays, and severe losses as K, L, and M Companies pushed through intense German artillery and minefields.
- He repeatedly survived near-fatal moments - sniper fire, mines, close shell bursts, machine-gun emplacements.
- In one moment, he raised his rifle at a wounded enemy and stopped before shooting, describing a strong inner warning not to shoot.
Aftermath:
- By the end of the campaign, many men in his unit had been killed or wounded.
- A final image: soldiers returning from the mountain to hot food, while many mess kits remained untouched - waiting for men who never came back.