Ivar H. Awes

Era: World War II

Military Branch: Army

The following World War II account was written by Mr. Ivar Hawes himself.

"I was a battlefield-commissioned 2nd Lt. in Italy. I served with the 151st Field Artillery and was transferred to the 185th when I was commissioned.

My purpose in writing this is to relate what I saw happen when the 125th A Battery mess line was bombed by an American P 38 attack bomber on Feb. 7, 1944.

I am writing it because I recently read the totally false and sanitized Air Force version of what happened. I was in an O.P. on the top of Mt. Trocchio when I saw some P38s begin to drop bombs on Cassino. They made their runs and were heading back when I noticed the rear plane had a bomb hanging on its wing pointing straight down.

The pilot was moving his wings up and down trying to dislodge it when it finally broke away well into friendly territory. I followed it down with my field glasses and saw it hit one of our units. I later found out that it was one of our 34th Division units and that there were many casualties, including my friend from the 151st, Al Brunnette, who was transferred to the 125th.

The plane made no attempt to return to enemy territory to get rid of the bomb. There were no enemy aircraft chasing him. How the story ever was written that he was being chased by the enemy, I can't imagine. I heard that Lt. Col. DuBois launched an investigation of the matter, but I guess it was swept under the rug.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. One of my best friends in the 151st was Floyd Hanson (Floyd and Howie's Texaco), a wonderful friend and a great soldier."