Unloaded, Ha Ha!,
Martin J. Connor
Co E 273rd Inf Rgt
martynmil@webtv.net  

On our way to the Siegfried Line, we stopped at a farm house to get out of the rainy cold weather.  We had been told to get some rest as we would be moving up soon.  The Bazooka man leaned his weapon against the wall and took off his belt holding his .45 pistol.  One man said he had never handled a .45 and asked if he could hold it?  The Bazooka man agreed and took it out of the holster, removed the clip, then pulled the trigger twice for safety.  He handed the pistol to the GI who had requested to see it. After admiring the pistol for a few seconds, he aimed at the window, then pulled the trigger.  Bang!, the supposedly empty .45 went.  The Bazooka man rushed over to the bewildered GI, grabbing the pistol, again pulling the trigger.  Bang!, again it exploded.

Why? How?  This may sound strange to you, but it happened.  I was there with two of my buddies, Francis Dionne and Bob Crowe.