ECKER, Darrell - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Lt. Darrell E. Ecker, son of Mr. and Mrs. George M. Ecker, 916 W. Main Street, has received a promotion in rank to first lt. Pilot on a C-47 transport plane, Lt. Ecker has been overseas in Italy since December 1, 1944. He entered the service about two years ago while a student in Purdue University. Lt. Ecker is now quarterd in a very attractive spot on the west coast of Italy within 60 ' of the Terranian sea. He says that V-E Day was observed very quietly by the American servicemen in his area but t. and gained a mighty nice view. In his duties, particularly before V-E Day, Lt. Ecker flew to Rome almost daily from his location, something less than 100 miles south of the Italian captal, to return with supplies for the PX. Then, recently, he and a "buddy" drove all over the ancient city in a jeep. Many German side arms and other military souvenirs were secured by some American servicemen in his outfit after V-E Day when they flew to a prison camp in Austria where many Germans were imprisoned. The Americans just had the Germans hand over belongings and equipment without any questions asked. Lt. Ecker recently sent home to his parents a number of pictures he had taken with a borrowed camera in many historic places in Italy and the territory immediately surrounding that strangely beautiful country. But, like thousands of America's young men who have been in the Mediterranean or indeed any theater of war overseas, Lt. Ecker informs his parents the more he sees of the world the more he admires the US of A. Ining at San Diego, Calif, he was sent overseas in January 1944. He first landed at New Guinea and for awhile he was in a rest camp at Guadalcan.