Page 26 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine
P. 26
Garland Ellis The 4th Armored Division -
“Name Enough”
by Larry A. Williams
Veterans Liasion Co-Chair
Texas South Plains Honor Flight
That was warfare in the basic training, Ellis and
closing months and days of other replacements were
WWII in Europe. The race to sent to Camp Shanks in
the Rhine was on, and Private Orangetown, New York. The
Ellis was in the middle of it camp was the largest U.S.
all. Army embarkation camp
used during WWII, sending
Garland D. Ellis was born some 1.3 million troops to the
August 2, 1926 at home near European Theatre.
Dalhart, Texas to W.C. and
Myrtle Ellis. He had one Ellis and around 15,000 other
brother. The Ellis family replacement troops sailed
moved to Ralls, Texas when for Scotland. Continuing, he
Garland was only four years recounted, “We boarded the
old. His dad was a farmer Queen Elizabeth and zig-
and a carpenter, and most zagged our way all the way
of the boys’ days were there. We had no destroyer
spent working on the farm. escort. After we landed in
Garland played football in Scotland, we took a train
school and said, “staying to Southampton, England
in trouble” was his favorite and then a boat over to Le
rivate Ellis stopped in subject. In those days, Havre, France. We were
a doorway to have a school was over in the 11 assigned as replacements for
th
Pmuch-needed smoke. grade, and Garland made the 10 Armored Infantry,
th
His unit, the 10 Armored it through part of the 11 4 Armored Division and
th
th
th
Infantry, part of the 4 grade. He married his high rushed to join up with them.
th
Armored Division, had school sweetheart, Dorothy I spent the first night on the
been fighting their way Dillard in January 1944 and front lines in a schoolhouse.
across France in the early was drafted into the Army The next morning, the guys
months of WWII from town on October 4, 1944. Ellis were talking about the
to town, street by street and recalled, “I was inducted in mortar attack during the
house by house. The men Lubbock with some other night. I was so tired, I must
were looking for German guys in the area. We were have slept right through it!
soldiers left behind to slow sent to Camp Wolters near We were broken down into
up the advancing Americans. Mineral Wells, Texas.” At companies. Lon Colvin and
Oftentimes, it turned deadly. one time, it was the largest some of my buddies went to
There always seemed to be infantry replacement training A Company. I was assigned
a sniper lurking around, up center in the United States. to B Company. I used to
high, in the shadows. As Ellis added that “Infantry catch up with them going
Ellis bent down to light his training was supposed to be through other towns.” Unlike
cigarette, a shot rang out. 17 weeks, but we finished other armored divisions,
Remembering the event in 12. I met Lon Colvin the 4 Armored didn’t have
th
vividly, he recalled, “The (from Lockney, Texas) a nickname, but the highly
shot hit the window frame there.” After the abbreviated decorated unit spent 230 days
only a foot from my head.”
26 Lubbock Senior Link
