HomeMy WebLinkAboutClarence J. Vitopil, Brazos Valley Heroes~.
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Clarence .1.
Vitopil
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By Bill Youngkin
Special to The Eagle
If you've ever attended a meeting and eaten a dinner
meal at American Legion Post 158 in Bryan during the
last 15 years, it was probably prepared by Clarence
J. Vitopil and his wife, Viola. The Vitopils have served
the Legion long and well, just as Mr. Vitopil served his
country during World War II.
As related by Vitopil, "I was born on the family farm,
which was located where the present-day campus of
A&M Consolidated now stands. My mother was born in
Germany and my father in Bohemia, and neither spoke
English until coming to this country. Our farm originally
belonged to my mother's family, the Leiar family.
"1 graduated from A&M Consolidated in 1943,
which was just across the street from the Texas A&M
campus. I was on the campus on a regular basis, as my
Dad worked for Mr. Hensel in the grounds maintenance
repair shop. When I received my draft notice, my
principal got me asix-month extension so I could finish
my senior year and graduate. I graduated in May 1943
and reported to be sworn in on July 21,1943.
"I was first sent to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio
but later was sent to Camp Wolters at Mineral Wells,
Texas, for basic training. While I was undergoing basic
at Camp Wolters, a movie came out that we were
allowed to see one night. That movie was `We've
Never Been Licked,' which had been made on the A&M
Campus. I knew all those buildings and scenery in the
movie, and I was never so homesick as that movie
made me that night.
"Shortly before I reported to Camp Wolters, one of the
sergeants asked if any of us knew how to drive a truck
because he needed a volunteer. I had driveri trucks
most of my life, so I raised my hand and volunteered.
The truck he gave me had two handles. It would be
described back on the farm as a wheelbarrow. It taught
me not to volunteer in the Army ever-again.
"The thing I remember about Camp Wolters were
two hills we had to march up all the time. You had to
lean so far forward to go up those hills that you just
about scraped your nose going up."
That hill. climbing would serve him well in fighting
the Germans in the Italian Alps.
"In 1944 we headed to Ft. Dix, New Jersey, where
we boarded an old Liberty Ship. Until then, I never
realized our country had so many ships. You could see
ships as far as you could see. We arrived at Naples,
Italy, and headed north."
Vitopil would be part of Company B, 135th Infantry
Division, which would receive campaign ribbons for
Rome, Arno, the Northern Appians and the Po Valley.
"One thing I vividly remember as we headed north
through -Italy was a day in April 1945 as we passed
through Milan. ft was the day Mussolini's own people
captured and shot him to death. They had him
hanging upside-down when we passed through. I also
remember that when we would go through a town or
village the people would turn out and give us bread and
wine. But it seemed like wherever we went in Italy, we
were walking or climbing uphill the whole time.
"We would send wave after wave of B-24's,
along with artillery hitting the German position in the
mountains, but we were never able to knock out the
Germans. When the war was over we found the caves
and tunnels the Germans had dug into the back side of
the mountains. It gave them real good protection from
what all we dropped on them."
By the time the war ended, Vitopil had been
promoted to platoon sergeant of his infantry company
and had, in addition to the various campaign ribbons,
earned the badge of courage of all infantryman, the
Combat Infantryman's Badge.
"When the war ended and before I could come home,
I took a trip to Switzerland. The contrast between war-
ravaged Italy and Switzerland-was significant. I bought
two watches in Switzerland, one for my dad and one
for me. I still have mine, and my grandson wears my
dad's now.
"I finally got orders to head home, with us being
ordered to the docks of Naples to board the USS
Randolph, an aircraft carrier. When they said they were
full, there were still 10 of us waiting on the dock. I
was worried we would be left behind, but they let us
come aboard. We were assigned a berth in the officer
quarters and we had a real nice trip home, except for
the weather."
Vitopil landed in New York Harbor on Christmas Day
1945 and was home by January 1, 1946. His mom
was able to celebrate the holidays with the return of all
four of her sons and her only son-in-law. After the war,.
Vitopil went to work at Lone Star Gas and worked there
for 39 years until his retirement in 1987.
"Looking back on my experience, I've got to say that
I have no regrets about my service to my country. The
Army made a man'out of me. I think the service would
be a good thing for a lot of our young people today."
Clarence J. Vitopil's name is found on the Brazos
Valley Veterans Memorial. If you want to have a name
added to the Veterans Memorial, for mor>' information,
to make a contribution, or if you' know a World War
11 veteran whose story needs to be told, contact the
BWM at www.veteransmemoriaLorg or Bill Youngkin
at (979) 260-7030.