For the next month, the Regiment operated in Tennessee as ground infantry. The maneuver period was separated into weekly exercises with the weekend reserved for rest and preparation before the next exercise. The 508th was located in a deep valley. The skies would darken, the rain would fall, and the troopers would paddle around in the miniature lakes during the rest period.

By the end of September, the 508th went to Tullahoma, Tennessee to prepare for a regimental jump during the first part of October. Nearby Camp Forrest provided the men with the first real showers they had since moving to Tennessee.

After a week’s preparation, the 508th jumped on October 5th at 9 A.M. The 1st battalion was scattered. The 2nd and the 3rd battalion had jumped in the correct spot.

1st Lt Gerard Ruddy and 30 paratroopers of the HQ 1st landed in the middle of the opposing team and were captured. They were taken to a central point and on the way, Gerard Ruddy removed his rank insignia bars.

When he was interrogated, he said he was Private Gerard Ruddy and he gave some phony serial number.

The enemy took their rifles and ammunition but they didn’t find the flour sacks the men had kept in the pockets of their jump pants. During the maneuvers, flour sacks were used to simulate hand grenades. While captured, Ruddy got word to everyone to follow his lead and to have their flour sacks ready.

All of them were in a large tent with the enemy Colonel and questions were being asked. Ruddy stepped forward and stated, “you took our rifles, you took our ammunition, but, you forgot our hand grenades!” With that, he hit the Colonel in the face with his flour sack and yelled “Diablo!”.

At the critique following the week's activity, that same Colonel was on the stage and he stated that the paratroopers that they captured were the rudest group of heathens that he had ever been forced to associate with. He, of course, had been declared KIA by the umpires after being hit with the flour sack.