06:42 September 27, 2017
by James Tuzeneu
Email: jtuzeneu@comcast.net
Walter K. Tuzeneu got the name of Sgt. Tuzzie while he was an enlisted man in the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. He was part of the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (320th GFABN). This was a special unit similar to the Navy seals unit of today. The 320th was a unit that consisted of gliders. The gliders were military equipment that was used exclusively in World War II. The 320th role was to man the howitzer. The howitzers of World War II were military weapons similar to the canons that were used in other wars as our own American Civil War. There were several sizes of howitzers that the 320th worked with: the 75mm pack mule, 105mm, 155mm, and the 220mm long-barrel. The 105mm howitzer was the only one adapted to fit a glider to make it airborne; it was shortened.
As a result of this use of the 105mm, the 320th had five or six gun crews consisting of five to seven crew members to man the howitzer. Sgt. Tuzzie was the gun crew chief of the first gun crew. It is not a known fact of how Sgt. Tuzzie acquired the name of ‘Tuzzie’. It can be surmised that as gun crew chief of the first gun crew he was adored by a loyal crew of men. That coupled with the idea that ‘TUZENEU’ was an unusual name as well as difficult to pronounce – it was the ‘z’ in the name that made it difficult to pronounce – that the crew affectionately called him Sgt. Tuzzie.
☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
01:57 September 30, 2017
by James Tuzeneu
Email: jtuzeneu@comcast.net
Sgt. Tuzzie was part of the flight crew to test fly a 75mm howitzer in a glider in a simulated combat mission. This occurred in northern Africa. There were test flights of the howitzer in a glider, but they were all back in the United States. The first half of ‘The Knot Will Hold’ describes the story of the events leading up to that eventful test flight in northern Africa. The following description is Sgt. Tuzzie’s recollection of that important day of ‘The Test Flight’.
Tuzzie raised himself up to look over to the glider co-pilot and saw the blue of the Mediterranean just a short distance away. He glanced out the small round window that was like a tiny porthole and noticed the shadows of the tow plane and their glider. The shadow of the plane suddenly disappeared as it crossed the line between the shore and the sea. Just as quickly their shadow followed, and just as suddenly their flight was as smooth as if riding on an absolutely flat surface like a pool table. It was a surprise to all, and the tightness and the tension disappeared from muscles, neck, and back. A relaxed feeling replaced the stiffness with one of casual enjoyment, and they moved around touching the ropes for tightness and proper tension. Their faces displayed the change with smiles, and their bodies settled into a comfortable slouch. The time of flight over water passed quickly, and the Island of Malta, the designated point for turning around to head back, appeared as a tin
y spot on the sea below them. They made a wide sweep before the speck of land, and the plane ahead rose ever so slightly, and as the glider reached the same spot, it too rose, and then returned to the smooth level flight enjoyed by all.
Land quickly came into view, and the time to return seemed to take half as long as it did to reach the turnaround at Malta. The smooth flight ended abruptly as they crossed from sea to land. Again, the plane and glider lunged and lurched and seemed to drop more violently than before. The heat from the late afternoon increased the strength of the thermals, and the jerks, lurches, and constant movement brought back the strain to muscles, necks, and backs. Sight of the landing strip increased the anxiety and concern for a reasonably safe return to the wind and dust the flight took them away from over the water for a short time. As they made a gradual turn to line up for a straight run onto the runway, a red light appeared from the plane. The glider pilots moved about to adjust themselves for a rough touch down just as a yellow light appeared next to the red. A violent drop, even more than any previous one, increased the strain to the point of fear in the ‘occupants’. Just a
s the green light replaced the red and yellow, the tightening of the tow rope jerked them upright with a snap that could have broken bones if they had not been fastened in their seats. The quick release from the tow rope made them drop in a steep path toward the runway. The surprise was in the quiet and smoothness of free flight and was not expected by anyone. The time to touchdown was but a few minutes or more nearly seconds. At touchdown the ride was bumpy, rough, and noisy, but short amid a cloud of dust that swirled around them from the wind. It formed into a cloud resembling a dust devil or a small tornado. No one moved. It was as if they were trying to believe the landing was finished. The equipment was secure. The glider was intact. No injuries. The mission was a complete success.
☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
by James Tuzeneu
Email: jtuzeneu@comcast.net
Walter K. Tuzeneu got the name of Sgt. Tuzzie while he was an enlisted man in the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. He was part of the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (320th GFABN). This was a special unit similar to the Navy seals unit of today. The 320th was a unit that consisted of gliders. The gliders were military equipment that was used exclusively in World War II. The 320th role was to man the howitzer. The howitzers of World War II were military weapons similar to the canons that were used in other wars as our own American Civil War. There were several sizes of howitzers that the 320th worked with: the 75mm pack mule, 105mm, 155mm, and the 220mm long-barrel. The 105mm howitzer was the only one adapted to fit a glider to make it airborne; it was shortened.
As a result of this use of the 105mm, the 320th had five or six gun crews consisting of five to seven crew members to man the howitzer. Sgt. Tuzzie was the gun crew chief of the first gun crew. It is not a known fact of how Sgt. Tuzzie acquired the name of ‘Tuzzie’. It can be surmised that as gun crew chief of the first gun crew he was adored by a loyal crew of men. That coupled with the idea that ‘TUZENEU’ was an unusual name as well as difficult to pronounce – it was the ‘z’ in the name that made it difficult to pronounce – that the crew affectionately called him Sgt. Tuzzie.
☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
01:57 September 30, 2017
by James Tuzeneu
Email: jtuzeneu@comcast.net
Sgt. Tuzzie was part of the flight crew to test fly a 75mm howitzer in a glider in a simulated combat mission. This occurred in northern Africa. There were test flights of the howitzer in a glider, but they were all back in the United States. The first half of ‘The Knot Will Hold’ describes the story of the events leading up to that eventful test flight in northern Africa. The following description is Sgt. Tuzzie’s recollection of that important day of ‘The Test Flight’.
Tuzzie raised himself up to look over to the glider co-pilot and saw the blue of the Mediterranean just a short distance away. He glanced out the small round window that was like a tiny porthole and noticed the shadows of the tow plane and their glider. The shadow of the plane suddenly disappeared as it crossed the line between the shore and the sea. Just as quickly their shadow followed, and just as suddenly their flight was as smooth as if riding on an absolutely flat surface like a pool table. It was a surprise to all, and the tightness and the tension disappeared from muscles, neck, and back. A relaxed feeling replaced the stiffness with one of casual enjoyment, and they moved around touching the ropes for tightness and proper tension. Their faces displayed the change with smiles, and their bodies settled into a comfortable slouch. The time of flight over water passed quickly, and the Island of Malta, the designated point for turning around to head back, appeared as a tin
y spot on the sea below them. They made a wide sweep before the speck of land, and the plane ahead rose ever so slightly, and as the glider reached the same spot, it too rose, and then returned to the smooth level flight enjoyed by all.
Land quickly came into view, and the time to return seemed to take half as long as it did to reach the turnaround at Malta. The smooth flight ended abruptly as they crossed from sea to land. Again, the plane and glider lunged and lurched and seemed to drop more violently than before. The heat from the late afternoon increased the strength of the thermals, and the jerks, lurches, and constant movement brought back the strain to muscles, necks, and backs. Sight of the landing strip increased the anxiety and concern for a reasonably safe return to the wind and dust the flight took them away from over the water for a short time. As they made a gradual turn to line up for a straight run onto the runway, a red light appeared from the plane. The glider pilots moved about to adjust themselves for a rough touch down just as a yellow light appeared next to the red. A violent drop, even more than any previous one, increased the strain to the point of fear in the ‘occupants’. Just a
s the green light replaced the red and yellow, the tightening of the tow rope jerked them upright with a snap that could have broken bones if they had not been fastened in their seats. The quick release from the tow rope made them drop in a steep path toward the runway. The surprise was in the quiet and smoothness of free flight and was not expected by anyone. The time to touchdown was but a few minutes or more nearly seconds. At touchdown the ride was bumpy, rough, and noisy, but short amid a cloud of dust that swirled around them from the wind. It formed into a cloud resembling a dust devil or a small tornado. No one moved. It was as if they were trying to believe the landing was finished. The equipment was secure. The glider was intact. No injuries. The mission was a complete success.
☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
