Lem Vannatta
Service Company, 143rd Infantry

Seems like the weather always has something to do with my coming up with a story. Today it’s 100, high humidity here at Arp, Texas. Too hot to sit in the back yard and whittle. This story has been in my mind for almost fifty years. I’ve never been a hero worshipper but I’ve seen men I admired and grew to love. Dave Frazior is one of these men. My admiration for him helped mold some character for me. On with the story.

Early in January 1941, Service Co. 143rd sent out a call to regimental for truck drivers. Serv. Co. was full of chiefs and no Indians, no one wanted to be a lowly truck driver. Us guys in the rifle companies who hated to walk were ready to drive trucks. The day we went to the motor pool (about 100 men) it was drizzling rain, a Sgt. fell us in at attention. A young, red headed well groomed, and neat dressed 2nd Lt. took over. He told us he had over 100 vehicles, dirty and needing to be serviced, for us to fall out and fall back in 10 minutes with a bucket and GI brush. There wasn’t 100 buckets and brushes in the regiments, as I was on K.P. back at K Co. I ran back, got a bucket and brush, returned and fell in the formation. When the 10 minutes were up about 30 men had buckets and brushes. The other men had nothing. Lt. Frazior walked down the line, if you had a bucket and brush, he never even looked at you. When he came to a man without a bucket and brush, he would ask in a quiet but firm voice, "Where is your bucket and brush?" The man would start his excuse, the Lt. would reply in the same quiet voice, "You can go on back to your Company, I wanted a bucket and brush, not excuses."

Well, we worked our butts off, built a fine motor pool, trained hard. Lt. Dave was always with us, he made us feel good and proud of our effort. He would fight for us, laugh at our personal trouble with us. They finally gave out a few ratings to truck drivers, he consoled those of us who were left out. The Indians who mobilized with Serv. Co. had our ratings.

Lt. Frazior made 1st Lt. and went off to Infantry School at Ft. Benning. He had us on our way to being good drivers and soldiers, we had more good motor officers, Chum Williamson, Lt. Buster, but to us Lt. Frazior was the guy who started it all.

Lt. Frazior came back from Infantry School and took over a rifle company. We would see them in the parade, etc., before long they were the proudest rifle company in the regiment. It was Captain Dave M. Frazior now. He still knew all of us truck drivers by name and spoke when he saw us. He stopped me one day and asked if I had gotten married yet. He knew I was serious about my wife.

When we moved to Camp Edwards, Mass., Capt. Frazior made Major and returned to Serv. Co. as Reg. S4 officer. We motor pool men were sure proud of our old Lt. He was still one of the boys. He was still highly interested in the transportation section, he kept an eye on us and saw to it we kept our training up. He took all the under fire and forced march training with us.

After Salerno, we lost him again, he went to the 1st Bn. as Bn. Exo. Later he made Lt. Col. Bn. Commander. At the wars end, he was Regt. Exo. He was beat up, tired, and all but was still one of the boys. He still knew all of us. If one of us ever got into trouble, he would stand by us, all he wanted when we went to him was for us to tell him the truth.

The day I left to come home, he drove up to see me off. I’d made the rest O.K. but I had to cry.

I didn’t go to the 143rd reunion at Waco this year, I was just tired and lazy. General Dave Frazior was there on a stretcher. I have a picture of 17 old Serv. Co. men taken at the 1987 reunion with Gen. Frazior. We all love our old motor pool Lt.