Remembering Normandy
By PAUL GAUNTT
Alvarado Post staff writer
C. R. "Doc" Eason (member of VFW Post 9299)

Like all the other World War II veterans from Ellis and Johnson counties who are mem­bers of the Honor Flight, Alvarado resident W.R. "Doc" Eason is looking forward to the trip.
"I'm really excited about going," he said. "I'm just look­ing forward to talking to some­body who may have been there when I was."
His daughter, Gena Clark, who lives near Decatur, Texas, is accompanying Eason. He also has the approval of his sons, Rusty and C.R. Jr. who still live in Johnson County.
Eason was born and raised near Lexington, Tenn. Raised by an aunt and uncle, he moved to Fort Worth when he was a teenager, and helped his uncle in a couple of businesses, includ­ing a machine works and liquor store.
He did his Army basic train­ing in Camp Edward, Mass. Before being deployed to General George S. Patton's Third Army in France.
"We spent a month in London before going to Normandy," he said. "I was there during some of the final (campaign) with Germany."
According to a Web site, Patton led his Third Army across Europe after the battle of Normandy, liberating or con­quering over 81,000 square miles of territory.
Eason recalled a harrowing experience of onslaught by the
Germans as he and other sol­diers stood guard at a pontoon bridge.
"I remember one night one of my friends, Jolly Brewer, who handled ammunition, told me that there was plenty of room in the (ammo warehouse) if I want­ed to sleep in there where it was dry. I told him that I just didn't feel right about it, and said I'd just sleep out in the tents with these other guys."
Eason said he awoke at about 2:30 a.m. to the sounds of explo­sions and fire, which was the warehouse that had been attacked by German planes.
"Brewer and four other men died that night," Eason said, shuddering to think that one of them would have been him.
He told of the experience of being confronted by the leg­endary general.
"A buddy of mine had taken a motorcycle, and we were riding it down this sidewalk," Eason said. "His driving was kind of wobbly, and we ended up crash­ing into a plate glass window."
He noted that the ordeal had caused a major traffic jam, and most of the traffic was General Patton's entourage.
"He was standing there pack­ing those white pearl handled pistols, and he gave us a good eatin' out." Eason said.
in c-xpressino his admiration for the general, Eason said, "If I had it to do all over again. I'd gladly volunteer for Patton."