Quartermasters know that not all the fighting and dying is done in front-line foxholes. A lot of them learned that in Italy, more than fifty years ago. Ernie Pyle, the famous World War II correspondent, had heard all the typical jibes about Quartermaster soldiers being immune from combat. But when he covered the Allied landing on the beaches of Anzio, in January 1944, he got a firsthand look at the role Quartermaster soldiers played in the real world. And saw for himself repeated examples of QM COURAGE and devotion to DUTY on the battlefield.

Previously it was assumed that Quartermaster technicians remained in the rear, far removed from harm’s way. But as soon as he climbed ashore, Ernie quickly learned otherwise. "Up here on the beachhead," he wrote, "they are blowing that tradition all to hell. The Quartermaster Corps has been under fire ever since the beachhead was established and still is." And he couldn’t help notice they were taking heavy casualties, right along with the Infantrymen they were sent there to support.

Looking up and down the beach, he saw Quartermasters delivering rations to frontline foxholes over rugged, zeroed-in terrain. And witnessed graves registration units burying the dead under heavy enemy bombardment, and taking refuge in the open graves when the rounds got too close.

QM Petroleum specialists had it particularly rough. One POL officer on the scene later wrote: "If you really want a Roman holiday, try to picture yourself issuing gas to one outfit, fighting a fire in another area, pumping gas from 55-gallon drums into 5-gallon containers, and, at the same time, dodging shells as they come in: Keeps one rather busy just staying alive, let alone supplying an army."

Compiled by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps Historian Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia