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We were assigned to the 1st Infantry Division Replacement Depot and again had another physical. The 1st Division came up with this hernia of mine and shipped me straight back to Africa on the Destroyer Earl. On July 30, 1943, in Africa, I went into the 79th Station Hospital and had the hernia sewed up. At this point, if I had wanted to play the game like the Medics wanted me to, I would have been free with light duty for 6 months, but I had only one thought in mind, "that war's going to get over before I get into it!" So I went into a convalescent area. I guess I was in there for a month and finally I just couldn't stand it any longer.
The 2nd Replacement Depot had moved forward to Algiers, this is where the 79th Station Hospital was, so I went in and told them I wanted to go back to my unit. They asked where I belonged and I said 1st Infantry Division. They told me the only way I could get back to my unit was to go down to the airport and get a ride back which, basically, is going over the hill. He said as long as I was going forward, they weren't going to make me a deserter or anything. I was going forward to fight the war. So about 4 or 5 of us went down and caught a ride on a C-47 back to Licata, Sicily. Then we hitchhiked up to the 1st Infantry Division.
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