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The Nazi who notched his gun for Shaffer was a little premature.
ullet
by SHERMAN KEATS
FIVE years ago, on a damp, penetrating night in March, Ray Shaf' t fer, a machine gunner with the 91st t Infantry Division, was manning his \ position in the Italian mountains near Bologna. Although there was no ap' t preciable enemy activity that night, he and his buddies were somewhat distressed by two German machine gun J nests that were intent on subjecting t them to a harassing fire. Shaffer, who : was to be relieved in a few hours, | could only think of how he would be enjoying the nebulous comforts of the ' rear area that were to be his reward v for an extended period in the forward 1 lines.
Suddenly, his balloon of day dreams was pierced when he realized that an exceptionally long burst of enemy fire was being leveled in his direction. Intent on returning the hospitality of his gracious hosts, he swung his gun *" around to the direction from which
the firing was coming. While in the process, Shaffer was struck in the chest by a .31 caliber machine gun bullet which had ricocheted off the one remaining wall of a battered farmhouse that had previously served as his protector. This is how one of the most fantastic medical cases on record began. After all, how many men have survived a machine gun bullet through the heart?
He staggered out of the line of fire, clutching his breast, and faded into unconsciousness. The other crew members managed to get him to the battalion aid station where he was administered morphine and a pint of plasma. Upon completion of this preliminary treatment, he was carried over a road that looked as if it had been cursed with the pox, to the 33 rd field hospital. Ironically, the GIs had named this menace to transportation "Easy Street," as it ran past a nearby ammunition dump which was a fat