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A

World War II Memoir

~ The

Battle of the Bulge


~

by

RichardC.Smith
Tech. Sergeant, United States Army
~ 1942-1945 ~

Interviewed and Compiled


by

Caroline Jane Smith Sheaffer


December, 2004

IenlistedintheQuartermasterCorpsonJuly3,1942,atErieProvingGroundandtook
basictrainingatCampPerry.(BothwerelocatedoutsidePortClinton,OhioonLakeErie.)
Thattrainingincludedcloseorderdrill,physicaltraining,obstaclecourse,livefirecourse,
firingontherange(pistol,riot,shotgun,andModel03Caliber30rifle)etc. Iqualifiedas
sharpshooterwiththe03rifle.
YourmotherandIdecidedwewantedtogetmarriedonAugust16soIappliedfora
threedaypassfromthefirstsergeant,buthewouldntgivemeafirmansweronit.SoItalked
toamastersergeantwhowasinchargeoftheofficeIworkedin.WhenI
explainedthesituationtohim,hesaid,Goaheadandmakeyourplans.
Illseethatyougetyourpass.Sowegotmarried!
SometimebetweenThanksgivingandChristmas 1942ourofficeand
warehouse personnel were transferred to Camp Perry into the 1590th
ServiceUnit. AtthattimeCampPerrywasanOrdnanceUnitTraining
Center. MyjobwastorequisitionallQuartermasterequipmentforthe
Light,Medium,andHeavyMaintenanceOrdnanceCompaniestrainingthere. SinceIwas
keptverybusy,thebrassdecidedthatIshouldhaveanassistant.Theyassignedaformer
collegeprofessortome.Itsoonreachedthepointwhereitwastakingmoretimetotrainhim
thanifIhadjustdonethingsmyself. Thisresultedinmeworkingoftenatnightwithout
overtimepaytokeepthingsrolling.Onenighttherewasaknockonthewindowofmyoffice
andIlookeduptoseetheCaptainwhowasinchargeofoursection.Hemotionedtometo
comeovertohisofficenextdoor. WhenIgotovertheretheCaptain,whowasaHarvard
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graduate,askedHowisthenewmanworkingout? NotknowinghowtoanswerIsaid,
Well,hesverywelleducated.TheCaptainsaid,Iknow.Hesaneducatedfool.Buthow
ishedoingonthejob? WhenIsaid,Notverywell,theCaptainsaid,Hellbegone
tomorrow;youllgetsomebodyelse.ThenIgotasatisfactoryreplacement.
DuringtheperiodbetweenJuly,1942,andFebruary,1944,IwaspromotedtoPrivate
FirstClass,T15(corporal),T/4(Sergeant),andBuckSergeant.
InFebruary,1944,beforeIhadleftforoverseasprocessing,Iwascalledinbythechief
warrantofficerIworkedfor,andhesaid,Wehavebeengivennoticethatwecannolonger
keep 10% general service in the station complement. So youre going to have to go
somewheresoon.Ididntknowwhereorwhen,butIwasgoingtohavetogo.Sothatswhat
happened. TheothergroupthatwasselectedformilitarygovernmentwasASTP.(Army
SpecialTrainingPrograms)thatwererunincolleges;forinstance,theyoungfellawehadasa
GermaninterpreterfromacollegeinCaliforniawasanASTP.Thosewerethetwogroups
wehad.Mostwereprobablydraftees.Ihadenlisted,andmyserialnumberstartedwitha1;if
youweredrafted,itstartedwitha3.WhetherthishadanybearingonanypromotionsIgot,I
dontknow. TothisdayIcanremembermyserialnumberbetterthanmysocialsecurity
number.

OnMarch5,1944fiveofusweretransferredfromCampPerrytoCampReynolds,
Pennsylvaniaforoverseasprocessing.Whilethereourshots(tetanus,etc.)wereallbroughtup
todateandwefiredtheM1rifle(againIqualifiedsharpshooter.)AfterafewdaysatCamp
ReynoldsweweresenttoCampMilesStandishnearBoston
andontotheship,EdmundAlexander,twodayslater.Exactly
onemonthafterleavingCampPerryIwasinEngland.

WesailedfromBostoninlateMarch,1944.Itwasvery
coldandchoppythatfirstdayoutcauseitwasveryrough.
Wehadalifeboatdrillthefirstday,andeverybodyisouton
deckwearingtheirlifejacket.WehadsomenursesupondeckbeingtakenovertoEngland
whoaresnickering,gettingakickatusgettingpale.TheyprobablyhadaccesstoDramamine.
Well,Imadeitthroughthefirstdrillprettygood.AndjustaboutwhenIthoughtitwasover
andIcangetinmybunkandlaydown,thecolonelincommandofalltroopsonboardtheship
camewalkingdownthedeckwiththeshipcaptainandsaid,Captain,Iwasnotsatisfiedwith
thewaythiswent;wearegoingthroughthisagain.Ithought,Oh,myGod;Icantmakeit.
AndIcouldnt,butIwasnttheonlyone.ThefirstsergeantwasthemostseasickindividualI
eversaw. Hespenttheentiretimeinhisbunkexceptwhenhehadtogetuptousethe
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bathroom.Hewouldntevengodowntothegalleytoeat.Guyswouldbringhimbackham
sandwichesandthingstoeat.Thiswentonfortendaysbecauseyourezigzaggingalloverthe
placetryingtoavoidUboats.
Wewereonapassengerlinerthatwasconvertedtoatroopshipthatis, theyhad
closedintheupperdecktomakesleepingquarters,butmostofthetroopswerequarteredin
theholdoftheship.Ifeltluckytobeintheupperdeckportionincasewehadtoabandon
ship.Wewereincanvasbunkswherewehadaboutafootandahalfbetweeneachone.The
bunkswerestackedfourhigh.AndwesailedoutofBostonwherewewerejoinedbyother
shipswhichweweretoldwerefromNewYork.Wewereonalargeshipwith6,000troops
plus navalguncrewsandmerchantmarine,ofcourse,whichruntheship. Wewerethe
flagship,whichmeanswewereinthemiddleoftheconvoy.Therewereshipsasfarasyou
couldseeinallfourdirections.Andwewereratherhappythatwecouldseeanaircraftcarrier
thatwasnottoofarfromusintheconvoyandthinkingthatwehadsomerealprotection.And
adayortwooutwegottalkingtosomemerchantmarinesonboardandmentionedthisto
them,andtheybegantolaugh.Theysaid,Theresnowingsonthoseplanes;theyrebeing
takentoEnglandforassembly.
Soanyway,onenightlike2:00or3:00A.M.therewasacrashontheshipwhich
joltedeveryoneawake,andwethoughtwedbeentorpedoed,ofcourse.Sowegotupandput
onourlifejacketsandlistenedfortheP.A.systemtotelluswhattodo.Andnotawordcame
overtheP.A.system. Wesatontheedgeofourbunksforfifteenortwentyminutes,and
nothinghappened. SowefinallytookourMaeWestsoffandwentbacktobed. Thenext
morningwefoundoutthatinthefogwedbeenrammedbyanothershipintheconvoy.Now
theyputoutfogbuoyswhicharesupposedtowarnothershipstokeepawayfromyouata
reasonabledistance,butsomehowwewererammedrightatthewaterline.Andwesawthe
damagethatitdid,butitwasntenoughtoslowusdownoranything.

SowewentonandwelandedatLiverpoolonthe5thofAprilatnight. Andwere
walkingdownthestreetandthefellanexttometookaholdofme,andIsaid,Whats
wrong?andhesaid,Icantsee;Imnightblind.Hereheisoverseasandhesnightblind!
Anyway,Ithink,andIthoughtitatthetimeandIthoughtitmanytimesafterwards,thatfirst
nightIspenttherewasthemostdifficultnightinthe21monthsIwasoverthere.Anditmay
soundfunny,butyouthought,Well,Imherenow,buthowmanymorenightsamIgoingto
behere?Youhadnoidea;therehadbeennoinvasionyetofthecontinent.

Wedidnotgooverasaunit;wewerenotassignedanyunit;wewerewhatwascalled
casuals. TheytookusovertoManchesterouttoabigcricketfieldwheretheyhadsigns
erected: First Regiment, Second Regiment, Third Regiment, and then Regimental
Headquartersvariouscompaniesandallthisonthecricketfield.Thentheywouldcallyour
nameandtellyouwhichsigntostandbehind,andthatwastheunityouwereassignedto.We
weretoldatthetimethatweweretheonlyAmericanunitthatwaseveractivatedonforeign
soil.Whetherthatisstilltrueornot,Idontknow.

Thentheyloadedusintwoandahalftontrucks,andthereweresomanytroopsin
Europeatthetimethishadbeenbuildingupforyearsthattherewerentanymoremilitary
installationstoputusin.SotheybilletedusinprivatehomesinManchester,andtheytookus
inthistruckanddroppedusofftotheseprivatehomes.Thenonceamonthsomeonefromthe
BritishgovernmentwouldcomeandpaythehomeownermoneythatIassumetheAmericans
providedforourroom.TheEnglishmusthavehadalotofpressureputonthemtotakeus
GIsinbecausetheWellenshouse,whoIlivedwith,wasntthatbig. Therewerethree
bedroomswhichweresmallandabathroomwithatubandsinkbutnotoiletupstairs.The
toiletwasoffthekitchendownstairs.Alsodownstairswasadiningroomandkitchen.There
wasnolivingroom.Theyprobablywerepressuredconsiderably.

TheWellenswereaverynicefamily.Theyhadafifteenyearoldson
andadaughteraboutseventeen.Mr.Wellensworkedinanaircraftfactory.
Helovedtoplaydrawpoker,pennyante.Healsosmokedcigaretteswhich
werehardforthemtoget.Wedplaypokerandhedsmokeaboutathird
ofacigaretteatatimeandthenhedpinchthefireoff.Hedputtherestof
itbehindhis ear. Wedplaysomemore,andthenhedrelightitand
smokeanotherthirdandpinchitoffagainandputitbehindhisearagain
andsoontosaveit.Idontknowhowhekeptfromgettingburned.Ikept
expectinghishairtocatchonfire,butitneverdid.
SomethingelseMr.Wellenslovedwerethegreyhoundraceswhichhealwaysreferred
toasgoingtothedogs.Hedsaytomeeveryonceinawhile,SomedayImgoingtotake
youtothedogs. SowecametoagreementonedayhedidnthavetoworkandIguessI
didnt,soweweregoingtothedogs. Wegotonastreetcarandwentacertaindistance,
transferredtoanotherone,andthenwegotthere.Theyhadeightracesthatday.Therewere
girlstherethatwouldparadethedogsinfrontofyou,andyoucouldbet.OnthisoneraceI
haddecidedonthisonedogandplacedmybet. Theystartedtoracechasingamechanical
rabbitandonthebackstretchtherabbitcameoffandabouthalfthedogsjumpedontopofthe
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rabbit.Theydidntcareaboutracinganymore.Well,mydogkeptongoing,andhewonthe
race.Buttheysaidduetothefactthatthishadhappened,theywouldhavetoruntheraceover
again.Thattimehedidntwin.
Mrs. Wellens was very nice also. We were never issued any summer uniforms,
althoughwehadarrivedinEnglandinAprilandwerethereuntillateSeptember.Wewore
wooluniformstheentiretime.NowhereinEuropedidanyonehavesummeruniforms,infact.
Iwouldtakemywoolshirtstoadrycleaner.OnedayMrs.Wellensasked,Wheredoyou
haveyourshirtscleaned?Itoldher,andshesaid,Youknow,Icouldwashthemforyou.
Wouldnttheyshrink?Iasked.Sheresponded,No,theywouldntshrink;Iwouldusecold
water. So,Itoldher,Well,okay,ifyouwanttodoit. Shediditformefromthenon.
Nowtheydidntlookasnice,butshemadealittleextramoneyfromit.
Therewasawidowwholivednextdoortothem,andshehadtwofellasfromouroutfit
too. One fella was single from Struthers, Ohio, and he ended upmarrying the Wellens
daughterandbringingheroverhereafterthewar. Hewasabout33yearsold. Hewasa
bachelorabigfella.Theothergoodlookingfellawasmarried,andhetoldthelandladythis
rightaway.Well,hegottofoolingaroundwithanEnglishgirl,andIcan
rememberthisneighborcameovertoMrs.Wellensandwascryingher
eyesout.Shedfoundoutaboutthissituationwiththisgirl,see,andknew
hewasmarried.Italkedtohimacoupleofdayslater,andhesaid,Boy,
theworstthingIeverdidwastellthatwomanIwasmarried!
We were instructed tonever give ourhome address to anyone.
AndIneverdid.ButIguessIdgottenapackagefromyourmother,andImusthavethrown
thewrapperinthewastebasketwithherreturnaddressonit.Theyfounditandstartedwriting
toherthenandafterthewar.Evenafteryouwereborn,theycontinuedtowritetous.They
werejustrealnicepeople.
AnotherthingwewerecautionedaboutinEnglandrepeatedlywastobecarefulifwe
weretalkingwithanyyoungmenthatlookedtobeofagetobeintheservicebutwerewearing
civilianclothes.IntheBritishArmyifasoldierwasonleave,hedidnotwearauniform,and
thepurposeofthiswastosavewearandtearontheuniform.Hecouldwearcivilianclothesat
home.Sothiswasdrummedintousfrequently.SoonenightIwassergeantoftheguardat
ourregimentalsupplywhichwasinahousethatwastakenoverinaresidentialarea,andone
ofthesentriesundermewastowalkpostonthesidewalkatthehousethatwasusedasa
supplyroomforus.Alongabout9:00or10:00P.M.IhearacallforSergeantoftheGuard!
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Thissentrywasonthispostandaciviliancamealongandhemadesomekindofacrackto
thiscivilianaboutnotbeingintheserviceanditjustsohappenedthatthis,hethought,civilian
wasamajorintheBritishArmyonleavefromnorthAfricaandhadbeenwoundedthere.I
hadallkindsofvisionsoftroublefromthat.Ihadthesentryapologizetothemajorandtried
tocalmhimdown.IreportedtheincidenttoRegimentalHeadquartersthenextmorning.He
saidthathewasgoingtogototheregimentalcommanderandreportit,butIheardnomore
aboutit.
ThoseEnglishhadahardtime;theyallhadvictorygardens.Theywereallraising
something,evenifthegardenwasonlysixoreightfeetsquare.Anditwasinteresting,you
know.Theyusedhorsesextensivelyatthattime.Ifahorsewasgoingdownthestreet,youd
seeallthesewomenintheirwindowswithonehandholdingadustpanandtheotherholdinga
broom.Ifthehorseleftsomethinginfrontoftheirhouse,thewomanwasouttheresweeping
itupasfastasitwasdroppedtoputonhergarden.Theywereallthatway.
IwasneverinLondon. Butwehadonefellainouroutfitwhowassentthereon
temporary duty and he worked in SHAEF there and theyd have air raids every night or
sometimesmorethanoneanightwhenthesirenswouldgo. Theyhaddesignatedshelters
wheretheyhadtogo,andhesaid,EverynightIwouldmeetthisoldwomancomingfromthe
otherwayandsometimesshewouldgettherebeforemeandsometimesIwouldgetthere
beforeherandonenightitwasatie.Theygotcaughtinthedoorway.Ididntwantanypart
ofgoingtoLondonfromwhathetoldme.

OurcompanyheadquarterswasabouttwoblocksfromwhereIlived. Itwasina
roomabovearetailshop,anditwasacrossthestreetfromaneighborhoodtheaterandinthe
parkinglotwhichwasprettygoodsized. Theybuiltaquonsethutforamesshallforour
companyandanotherone.WefoundthatwerenowintheEuropeanCivilAffairsDivision,
whichwouldoperateasacivilaffairsunitinfriendlycountrieslikeFranceorBelgium,but
whenyouwereinGermany,itwasmilitarygovernment.Youonlyusethattermwithyour
allies.Andourmotorpoolwasalsointhatparkinglotbehindthetheater.

OnDDayIwasinchargeofquarters.Ofcourse,nobodyknewwhenDDaywould
be,butIhappenedtobeinchargeofquartersonthenightofthe5thofJune.ThatmeantthatI
hadtostayallnightinthecompanyroomorderlyandtakeallcallsoranythinglikethat.And
IrememberIwasawakenedearlyinthemorningbyplanes.Youwouldntbelieve;therewere
justthousandsofplanesallonthewaytotheChannel,soweknewwhatwasgoingon.Of
course,Ihadnothingtodowiththeinvasion.
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ButthenIrememberwhenthe4thofJulycame,theywereafraidtherewouldbe
frictionbetweenourtroopsandtheEnglishpeoplebecauseofindependencefromEngland.So
theysaideverybodywillreporttothemesshallat4:30P.M.,andtheyloadedusupontrucks
andtookusoutinthecountrytoabigfieldlikeapark.Theyhadabarrelofbeer,sandwiches,
andbakedbeans;andthatswherewecelebratedthe4thofJuly.Inmyorganizationeveryone
hadtobeadriver.ThatnightalotofGIsdrankalotofbeerandwerefeelingprettygood.
Thiswaswellafterdark,andyourenotallowedtodrivewithanylights,onlywhatscalled
cateyes,whichgiveabsolutelynolighttosee;butIrememberdriving,andintheparkinglot
ofthispark,thisoneguywhowasprettytipsymadehiswayuptomefromthebackofthe
truckandasked,Whosdrivingthistruck?Oh,itsSmitty,hellgetusthere.Soontheway
backwehadtomakeourwaythroughthisprettynarrowalleywaybetweenthistheatermade
ofbrickandaprivatehomenextdoortogetintothemotorpool,buteveryonemadeitwithout
anytroubleatall.

ThefirstnightIwentintoapubthere,therewasanelderlyman,andhesaid,You
know, I dont like you Yanks, but Im damned glad youre here. We had a very good
relationshipwithalltheEnglishpeople;wecouldgotoaboutfivepubsinourcompanyarea;
theyhadalotofneighborhoodpubsandthepeoplewerealwaysfriendlytousandtherewere
singalongsandeverything.
Eachmorningafterwedhadbreakfast,wedmeetinformationandthenthefirst
sergeant would call out different assignments for the day and those who didnt get an
assignmentforthedaywouldhavetogooutfortrainingexercise;itmightbemapreading,it
mightbefieldtelephonerepair,orwhatever.Andafterwedbeenthereforawhile,thefirst
sergeantcalledmynameoutforworkinginthemotorpool.Thatwasfine.Inthemotorpool
youcheckedovervehicles,youpaintedgreasefittings,anddidallkindsofthings.Andthenif
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regimentalheadquarterscalledandneededadrivertotakeanofficersomewhere,theydsend
youwithajeeptotakehim. SothenextdayIgetmynamecalledagainformotorpool.
Thatsfine. Well,thiswentondayafterdayafterday. Well,otherguyswouldhavethis
assignmenttodayandmaybewouldnthaveanotheroneforaweek.Icouldntfigureoutwhat
wasgoingon.SofinallyIwentintothesergeantandsaid,HaveIdonesomethingwrong?
Andhestartedtolaughandsaid,Wouldyouratherbedoingwhatyouredoingnow,or
wouldyouratherbegoingoutonallthesetrainingexercises? Isaid,Well,thisisfine.
Andhesaid,ThatswhatIthought.Dontworryaboutit.
What did happen, an officer I worked for here in the States when I was in
Quartermaster,whowasalieutenantcolonel,nowwasaregimentalsupplyofficerforthe
divisionwhenIwasinoverthere.Oneoftheotherfellaswhohadworkedinourofficeunder
himtoldmeoneday,Say,IwassentovertoregimentalheadquartersandranintoCol.
PhillipsandhewantedtoknowifanyoftheotherfellaswereoverhereandIsaidyeahyou
wereoverhereandhetoldmeyoutellhimtocomeandseeme;Iwanthimtocomework
formehere.IsaidImnotgoinganywherenearhim.Ineverlikedhim.SoIneverwent
andheneversentformesoIguesshefiguredthat.Hewasknownasaslavedriver,buthe
alwaystreatedmegood.AndIthinkIdidgoodworkforhim.
OnedayIwas senttotheregimentalheadquarters withmyjeep,andtherewas a
convoyforming. IdneverdriveninaconvoyandIhadtopickuptheregimentalmotor
officerwhowasinchargeoftheconvoy;wehadtogodownthesestreetsinEngland,someof
themquitenarrow,andwearetheleadvehicle.Werecomingdownthemainstreetandthere
wasaresidentialareaandtherewasasidestreetandIcouldseeupaheadacoupleblockson
thissidestreettherewasamilkmaninahorsedrawnwagonandhewouldgetoutofthe
wagonwithhislittlehandcarrierwithsixoreightquartsofmilkinandheddeliveratthose
houses;butthehorsewouldkeepwalking,andthenhedcatchuptothehorseatacertain
place.Thehorseknewjustwhattodo.SoIcouldseewhatwashappening.Werecomingin
aconvoy,andthehorseiscomingtowardtheintersectionsometimeswithoutadriverright
wherewearecoming.Well,somehoworanother,wegotstopped,andthenwegotthrough.
OutsideManchestertherewasafieldthatlookedlikeitwasfilledwithanticraftguns,
buttheyweremadeofwood.Theywerepointedupattheskyandeverywhere.Isaidtothe
regimentalsupplyofficeroneday,Whatsthedealwiththishere?Andhesaid,Thatsto
maketheGermansthinkthisisareallyprotectedarea.Andhereitwasallwood!

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ThenitcametimeforustoleaveManchester,whichwasafteraboutfivemonths,and
wedbeencautionednottodiscussitwithanycivilians,andweweretoldaboutourleaving
onlythedaybefore.Ididnt,andnooneIknowdid.Anyway,thenextdaywhenweallleft
withallourbelongingsandtheconvoywaswaitingforus,thestreetswerelinedwithEnglish
women andoldpeople andkids.Andyouwouldhavethoughtit was a hometownoutfit
leaving.Theyallknewaboutit,andtheywereallouttherewavingatusasweleft..
WhenwecrossedtheChanneltogotoNormandy,wewereissuedCrations.Nowa
Crationwasasmallcanoffood.Youhadoneforbreakfast,oneforlunch,oneforsupper.
Youimmersedtheminhotwaterandthenatethecontents.Theydidnotserveanymealstous
ontheship.NowtheNavycrewhadamesshall,andtheyservedmealstothem.Nowthis
onemealtheNavyhadporkchops,andwhenthemealwasover,theymusthavehadsixor
eightporkchopsleftover. Sowhenthecooksetthatpanoutofthe
galleyontothedeckandpulledhishandin,theremusthavebeenabout
20GIsontopofthatpantryingtogetaporkchop.

From Manchester we left for a staging area right outside of


Southampton. ThiswasearlySeptember,and,ofcourse,theinvasion
hadbeeninearlyJune.Sotheytookusacrossthechannel,buttheyhad
notopenedupportfacilitiessufficientforeverybody. Welandedon
OmahaBeach.Soinlanding,ofcourse,theycouldntbringtheshipall
thewayuptoshore,sotheyusedlandingcrafttotakeustoshorejustliketheydidonDDay;
wehadtogodowninnetsoverthesideontotheselandingbarges.Iwasassignedtodrivea
commandcarwithacolonelwhoIneversawbeforenorsinceandwastoldwheretogo.
WhenIgotdownonthislandingbarge,therewereseveralcasesofpineapplejuiceforthe
troops. Theywerein46oz.cans,casesofthem.IhadmycanteenfilledwithwaterandI
hadntseenpineapplejuiceforagessoItookacanandcutitopen,dumpedmywaterout,and
pouredpineapplejuiceinitandhadpineapplejuicetodrinkforacoupleofdays.

FromtherewewentdownthroughSt.Lo,andIdidntseeanywallanyhigherthan
fivefeettallstandinginthattown;ithadbeenatoughbattlethere,andwewenttoachateau
whichwas25milessouthofPariscalledRochefort.Ithadamansion;thechateaugrounds
coveredIdontknowhowmanyacres.Theonlyonesthatgottostayinthemansionitself
werethefieldgradeofficers(majororabove).Therestofuswereinpuptents.Thefirstnight
weweretheretheytoldustogogetanarmfulofstrawtoputonthegroundtosleepon.
Thatstheonlystrawwegot,andweweretheretwomonths. Soafterthefirstnightthat
armfulofstrawwasjustliketheground.

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Therewegotourassignedofficers.Nowthemilitarygovernmentorganizationswere
pinpointedforcertainareasinGermany,andthatiswheretheyweretogotogovernafterthe
warorassoonasthatareaistaken.ItjustsohappenedthecompanyIwasinwasslatedfor
Bavaria,whichwouldbeprobablyoneofthelastonestaken. Sosomebodydecidedthey
shouldhavewhattheycallspearheaddetachmentswithtacticaltroops(withinfantry,armor,
so forth). They would travel with that organization wherever that organization went and
perform military government work there, which is essentially to keep civilians out ofthe
armyshair.Andsospearheaddetachmentstheycalledus.Sowewereattachedtothe7th
ArmoredDivision.

Nowourdetachmentconsistedofthreeofficers,acaptainandtwofirstlieutenants,
andsixenlistedmen.Iwastherankingenlistedman.Iwasabucksergeant,threestripes.
Whilewewereatthischateau,theywantedtopromotesomeofthesergeantstoahigherrank,
andtheyhadascreeningprocesswhereyouwentbeforeaboardofofficerswheretheywent
overyourrecordsandaskedyouquestions.Asaresultofthat,Iwaspromotedtotechnician
thirdgrade,whichisthreestripeswitharockerunderneathitwithaTinthemiddle.Anyway,
myassignmentwaschiefclerkofthedetachment.Wealsohadanenlistedmanwhowasa
sanitarytechnician;wehadtwoofthemwhoweredrivers. Wehadtwoofthemwhowere
interpreters;theycouldspeakGerman. Andspeakingoftheinterpreters,onewasacollege
boyfromCaliforniawhocouldspeaktextbookGerman,andtheother
onewasafellafromIndianawhoseparentshadbeenbornandraised
inGermanyandathometheyspokeGerman. Well,inGermanyhe
wasamuchmorevaluableinterpreterbecauseinsouthernGermany
weweredealingwithalotoffarmers,notwelleducatedpeople,and
hereallydidwell.Ourthreeofficerscamefromvariousbranchesof
theservice.Ourcaptainwasourdetachmentcommander,andhecame
fromWashington,D.C. Hewasalawyer,andhewasfromtheAir
Corpsbutwasnotapilot.WehadalieutenantfromNewYorkCityandhewasfromtheAir
Corpsalsoandhedbeeninpolicework.ThethirdonewasalieutenantfromTennesseeand
wasalawyerandhadbeenacountyjudgeandastaterepresentative. Wethenmovedto
Romilly,France.
Prior to meeting up with the 7th Armored Division when we were in France, in
Novemberwewereallassembledatarailroadsupplydepot,andwestayedinanunheated
cementwarehousewithconcretefloorwhereweslept.Iscroungedaroundandfoundacouple
ofpiecesofflatboardandlaidthemdowntosleepon,anditwasverycold.Whilethere,we
hadadentalinspectionwhichwehadnthadformonths. Ihadatoothfilled;Iwasafraid
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theydhavetopullit,buttheyfilledit.ThisJewishcaptainwasthedentistwhodidit,andhe
hadacorporalwhowashisassistant. Therewasnoelectricity,soheusedafootoperated
drill;thecorporaloperatedit.Youwouldfeelitasitkickedin,anditgougedyou.Anyway,
thatwashowmytoothwasfilledandhedidagoodjobofitandIdidnthaveanytroublewith
itafterwards.ButweweretheregettingassembledandreadytomoveintoGermany.

Wealwayslookedforplacestocomeinoutofthecoldwhenwewereonthecontinent.
Nooneeverturnedusdown. Ofcourse,theywereourallies. ItwasmainlyinBelgium.
TherewerealotofGermanbuzzbombsgoingoveratthattimewhichyouwouldhearalmost
likeasmallairplane.Whenyoudonthearthemanymore,whenthemotorcutsout,lookout,
causeitsgoingtocomedown.Anditdoesntcomestraightdown;itsgonnaglidedown.
Thesepeopledidntknowwhenonewasgoingtohitthem,sotheyweresleepingintheir
basements.Asaresult,theyhadbedsupstairsthatwerenotinuse.Whenyouaskedtocome
in,Ohsure,youcanstay;goupstairs.
We left Tirlemont, Belgium, on November 20,1944, and joined the 7th at St.
Geertruid,Holland,wherewesplitintothreeparts. WehadalsooperatedinPouhonand
Oneux,Belgium.ThefirstrecollectionIhaveofourspearheaddetachmentservicewaswhen
wereportedtothe7thArmoredDivision.Wewere
inacoalminingtowninnorthernGermanynotfar
fromUbachonNovember28.Thewholedivision
was there. An armored division at that time
consistedofthreecombatcommands. Therewere
Combat Command A, Combat Command B, and
CombatCommandReserve. Theprincipleofthat
isyouwouldputtwocombatcommandsintobattle,
andonewouldbeheldinreserveforwhereitwas
needed. Now, its not necessarily the case that
CombatCommandReserveistheonebeingheldinreserve;theyalternated.But,anyway,we
hadthreeofficersandsixmen.Theofficersdeterminedthattheywouldputoneofficerand
twomenwitheachcombatcommand.Sothatswhathappened.SoIwaswithourcaptain
andhisdriver,CorporalStanley,andwewerewithCombatCommandReserve.

While wewere there, we wereoutside much ofthe time. Our kitchen was setup
outside,andweateoutside,eventhoughitwasDecember. Onenoonallofasuddenthere
cametwoMesserschmidtfighterplanesoutofnowhere.Theydivedandstrafedus,andwe
putourmesskitsdown.Therewasahousewithanoutsideentrancetoacellarandwegot
downthereand,ofcourse,thefellaswhomannedthemachinegunsfired,buttheydidnthit
13

them. Anyway,anamusingthingaboutthis,ifyoucanseeanythingfunny,isthedivision
artillery,whichis affectionatelyknownasDIVARTY,hadaPipercubplaneforspotting
purposeswhichhappenedtobeintheairatthetime.Well,thePipercubhasnoarmoronitof
anykind;nowayitcouldengageinafightwithafighterplane.Ithappenedinthistownthere
wasabigtallsmokestackatacoalmine.Soassoonasthepilotsawtheseplanescoming,he
madeabeelinetothatsmokestack.Hestartedcirclingaroundthatsmokestackrealslow,and
thesepilotswereafraidofdivingathimafraidtheydhitthesmokestack.Sothatstheway
hesurvivedit.
AboutthistimetheGermanbreakthroughstartedintheArdennes,andthe7thArmored
Division was pulled out and around behind the lines and was thrown into battle in the
Ardennes.Ourdetachment,stillsplitintothreeparts,wasrightalongwiththe7thdoingwhat
littleCivilAffairsworkwaspossibleinthosehecticdays.

Itbecamethe15thor16thofDecember,whichiswhenweknowtheBattleofthe
Bulgebegan.The7thArmoredDivisionwasgivenorderstomoveimmediately.Theywere
toldtomovewest,thensouth,theneastintotheArdennes.Wewerestillwiththe7tharmored
DivisionatChristmasbecausetheweatherfinallyclearedandourAirForcestartedtofly
again.WewokeuponChristmasmorning;everyonecheeredbecausethesuncameout.It
wasthedayafterChristmaswhensleepingbagsarrived.Priortothiswedonlybeengiven
blankets,andthesupplysergeantsaid,Illgiveyouasleepingbag,butyouhavetoturnin
twoblankets.AndIsaidIdidnotthinkasleepingbagwasworthtwoblanketssoIwould
onlygivehimoneandhelaughedandonlytookone.ManyGIssufferedfromfrostbite.Igot
awfullycoldlotsoftimesandforlongperiodsoftime.
Itjustsohappensthenthatatthistimethecommandinggeneralwasnotwiththe
division;hewasonleaveinParis.Andsoitwasdecidedbythedeputycommanderthatthe
captain and I and captains driver would remain behind and that when the commanding
generalreturned,wewouldbringhimbackandcatchupwiththedivision.Well,wewere
thereonenight,andwegotwordthathehadjoinedthedivisionintheArdennesandwewere
tojointhedivision.Sothethreeofussetoutinthejeep.Wehaveaquartertontraileronthe
backwithsideboardssowecouldcarrymoreequipmentonitandweregoingintotheBattle
oftheBulgesowecouldfindthe7thArmoredDivision.Andallweseeissnowandsnowand
moresnow.Itgottobenightfallonthefirstnight,andwevenotfoundanyevidenceofthe
7thArmoredDivisionyet. Sowepulledintoafarmhouse,andthecaptainwentuptothe
houseandaskedinFrenchnowthisisinBelgium,andtheyspeakFrenchifwecanstay
overnightintheirhouse.Yes,ofcourse,theBelgianpeoplewerealwaysverynicetous,
14

andheaskediftherewassomewherewecouldparkthejeeptokeepitoutofthesnow.They
saidwecouldputitintotheshed;soStanley,thedriver,pulleditintotheirshedandclosedthe
doorandwespentthenight.Itwasarealmoonlitnight.Thenextmorningwefoundouta
Germanpatrolhadpassed200yardsfromthehouse,and,nothavingseenourjeep,theydidnt
knowwewereinthefarmhouse,andluckilyso,orwewouldhaveat
leastbeencaptured.Sobynowtheyweregone,andthenwesetout
againtofindthe7thArmoredDivision.
WecametoacrossroadsandtherewasanMPondutyandwe
askedifhehadanyknowledgeofwheretheymightbe,andhesaid
No,butIthinkifyouturnleftdownthisroadandgoaboutahalfa
mile,youllseeadeadGIontherightsideandadeadhorseontheleftside.Justbeyondthat
youllseeaforkintheroad.Ifyoutaketheroadtotheleft,youwillcometoacommandpost
forsomeunit;Idontknowwhatitis.Sowedidjustwhathetoldus.Well,wedidntgo
veryfarbeforeasentrysteppedoutinfrontofus,levelingarifleatus. Thecaptainsaid,
Stop,Stanley. Well,itwasslipperyandthejeepwouldntstoprightawayandhestarted
cussingStanleyandtellinghimStopthejeep!Well,hefinallygotitstopped.Well,yousee
therewasalwaysapasswordandacountersign.ButduringtheBattleoftheBulge,becauseof
thefactthatGermanshadsentinGermantroopsinAmericanuniforms,theywerenotcontent
withjustusingpasswordsandcountersigns.TheywouldaskyouquestionsthatnoGerman
wouldprobablyknowtheanswertolike, WhoplayedintheWorldSerieslastyear? or
Whatdosuchandsuchlettersmean?andthesentrytoldusthattherewasacommandpost
downtheroad. Onthehillsidesthereweremachinegunssetupallovertheplace. The
commandpostwassetupinafarmhouse;Idontrememberifitwasthe82ndorthe101st
AirborneDivision.GIswerecomingoutoffoxholeseverywhere,andtheywerefiring.And
Stanleyasked,WherearetheGermans?Andtheysaid,Rightoverthathill.Itwasearly
morning,andwedhadnobreakfast. Theircooksfixedushotcakesandcoffee. Andthe
captainfoundoutfromtheofficerinchargewherethe7thArmoredDivisionwassupposedto
be,sowetookofffromthereandheadedforVielsalm,Belgium.
Wegotthere,andthe7thArmoredDivisionwasthere.Thecaptainwentintoreportto
thecommandinggeneral,andthegeneralsaid,Howdidyougethere?Heshowedhimon
themap,andthegeneralsaid,Youcanthavegottenhereonthatroad;thatscutoffbythe
Germans! Thecaptainsaid,Well,wejustcamethroughinajeep. Sothegeneralsaid,
Well,ifyoucangetajeepthrough,Icangettrucksthroughforammunition.Theyhadbeen
orderedtoholdVielsalm,Belgium,for24hours;theyhelditfor72.Theytookabeating.

15

WestayedovernightwithaBelgianfamilywhohadalittledognamedMaquis.The
MaquiswastheFrenchundergroundwhowererealenemiesoftheGermans.Thecaptainsaid,
IbetwhentheGermanswerehere,youdidntcallthatdogMaquis.Oh,yeah,Icallhim
Maquisallthetime,thewomansaid.

TheorderscamethroughthatweweretoreturntoanareainTirlemont,Belgium,that
was a disbursement point for military government, so we had to leave. (We were now
operatingoutsidetheregular9thArmyArea). Thiswasthreeofficers,sixmen,andthree
jeepsnowleavingthearea.Thismadetheofficers,especiallythetwolieutenants,madbecause
they wanted to be where the action was. Well, we went back to Tirlemont, Belgium, on
January5,1945,andreportedin,andtheofficerstalkedthemintoallowingustogoback
againwiththe7thArmoredDivision.Sothenwecamebackagain,butbythistimethe7th
ArmoredDivisionwasnolongerinVielsalm;theydbeenbeatenbackfurtherwest,butwe
rejoinedthem.Theytookheavylosses.(InBelgiumwewereinornearChevron,Beaufays,
Pouhon,Liege,Oneux,St.Vithalso.)
Theweatherhadbeenverybad,andourAirForcehadnotbeenflyingbecauseofthe
weather. ButtheGermanswereflying. Andtherewasa Germanplanewentovernotfar
fromwherewewere,andourantiaircraftshothimdown.Heparachutedout.Theywentto
capturehimthen,andbythetimeoursoldiersgottheretocapturehim,therewasagroupof
Belgianfarmerstherebeatingtheheckoutofhim.Theydidntkillhim.
ThenIdontrememberexactlywhenwewerepulledoutoftheBattleoftheBulge,
butitwasafterthingswerebackinhandfortheAllies.ThenweweresentintoHolland.I
knowwewereinKerkrade,Holland,andhadactuallysetupanofficeinSchaesbergattached
to the 13th Corps for fourdays andin Niewenbagen for a short time and raninto some
problems between GIs and civilians and tried to straighten them out. One of our worst
problems here was the killing of a fifteenyearold Dutch boy by a colored soldier who
claimedheshottheboyaccidentally.WearrangedforpassesandtransportationtoMaastricht
for the father and Burgermeisters Secretary in order that they could make funeral
arrangements.InvestigationoftheshootingwasturnedovertotheExecutiveOfficerofthe
80thQuartermasterBrigadier.WethenwenttoHoensbroek,Holland,forsixdaysbeginning
onFebruary21,1945.(OtherplacesinHollandwereSchimmert,andHeerlen.)
Whilewewerethere,thejeepwhichhadnoignitionkeyitjusthadaswitchtoturnit
onwasparkedbythecaptainsdriverwhohadputachainbetweenthesteeringwheeland
bracketonthesideofthejeepwhenitwasntinuse.Youcouldntsteeritwhensopositioned,
16

andhethoughtitwassafe.Well,thenextmorningthejeepwasntthere.Weneverdidgetit
back. Wegotareplacementjeep,butnevergotoursback. Youdbesurprisedhowmuch
theftgoesonamongAmericanorganizationsshortontransportation. Well,theyfigure,its
stillintheArmy,sotheytakeit.
Wewerethenreassignedtothe5thArmoredDivision.TheGermanswereretreating,
andmuchofthefightingwasbeingdoneontheroads.Amajorwasattachedtousandone
dayIwasassignedtodrivethismajorinajeepandweweretopostsignsalongtheroad(in
German)informingallcivilianstostayofftheroad.Wewereactuallyoutaheadofthe5ths
reconnaissanceunit!Atonepointthereconunitstoppedbehindus,andtheywerelisteningto
radiocontactwithDivisionHeadquarters.Iwalkedbacktoseewhatwasgoingon,andIwas
informedthatFDRhaddied.

WewentallthewaytotheElbeRiverwiththe5thandsplitintothreesectionsagain.
TheRussianswereontheothersideoftheriver(eastside)andwewereonthewestsideand
the Germans were in the middle. There were Germans swimming across the Elbe River
towardthewesttosurrendertotheAmericansbecausetheydidntwanttobecapturedbythe
Russians.Infact,itreachedthepointthattheytoldthisstoryIwasnttheretowitnessitbut
itwasthatoneoftheseGermanswhoswamovertosurrendertoaGIwasaskedbytheGI,
DoyouhaveaLuger?TheGermansaidnohedidnthaveone.Hewasthentold,Swim
backandgetoneandcomeback.Andtheguydid.

Westayedinasmallschoolhousethatwaslocatedinthemiddleofavillagewiththe
housesarrangedlikespokesonawheelallaroundit.Thereagainwehadtosleeponafloor.
(Ithinkthatswhymyhipsbothermesomuchtoday;sleepingonfloors.) Whilewewere
there,acoupleoftroopsfromthe5thArmoredDivisioncameinwithaguydressedincivilian
clothes.Onhimwasahanddrawnmap,sotheyfiguredtherewasagoodpossibilityhemight
beaspy.Andaspyinwartimesdressedincivilianclothesisshot.Well,atfirsttheythought,
Hesacivilian;wedbettertakehimtomilitarygovernment;andtheybroughthimintous,
andthecaptainquestionedhim.Thenbecauseofthismapwethoughtthemilitaryintelligence
shouldhavehim.Sowesentwordovertomilitaryintelligence,andtheysentamanoverto
pickhimup.Theywantedrealbadtotalktohim.SotheGIhada.45pistolon,andhesaid,
Illputhiminthebackofatruckandhaveaguardonhimuntilwecaninterrogatehim.
Well,whenhegothimalmostovertothetruck,theguybrokeandran.Weheardoneshot.
TheGIgothimrightinthebackofthehead.Soweneverknew.Inthatschoolhouseiswhere
IpickeduptheNaziflagandsomeofthelittleNazisouvenirsIpickedup;theywerenotfrom
anyonesprivatehome.
17

DuringthewaroneofourfunctionswastochecktheidentitybooksofallGermans
mainlytoseewhatdatetheyhadjoinedtheNaziparty.Iftheyjoinedintheearly1930sthey
probablyweredyedinthewoolNazisthusrequiringfurtherinvestigation.Inoneofthese
sessionsaboyabout16yearsoldwasaskedifhewasintheHitlerYouthandhesaidthathe
was.Sinceallweaponshadtobeturnedintous,hewasaskedwherehisHitlerYouthknife
was.Hesaiditwasathome,sowetoldhimtogetitandbringittouswhileweheldhisID.
Whenhereturnedwithit,hehadsmashedtheswastikaoutofthehilt!Heprobablywastrying
tospoilagoodsouvenirforus.

Wewerewiththe5thArmoredDivisionwhenthewarended. Thenweweresent
orders to report to our pinpoint location which was in Bavaria, a little town called
Pfarrkirchen.ItwaslocatedinthesoutheasternGermanyneartheAustrianborder.Wewere
assignedjurisdictionovertwo landkreis, whicharecounties. Thereweremaybeadozen
villageswithPfarrkirchenbeingthelargesttown.Itisnormallyasmallvillagebuthadgrown
quiteabitduetothefactthattheyhadevacuatedalotofthecitieslikeHamburgthatwere
being bombed to smaller villages like this where the people were being moved in with
relatives.WehadtomovefromnorthernGermanytosouthernGermany.Wewouldnotbe
toofarfromBerlinwheretheRussianswere.WewereinstructedifwegotintoBerlintobe
sureanddisplaytheAmericanflagonthevehicle.Well,weavoidedBerlinbecausewedidnt
wanttogettangledupoverthat.AndthatwasthemostpleasantrideIhadintheArmy.The
warwasover;itwasMay;itwasniceandwarmridinginanopenjeepdowntoPfarrkirchen.

Thefirstthingwedidtherewasfindasmallvillagehotelandtoldtheownerwewere
goingtostaythereforafewdaysuntilwecouldpickoutasuitableplace. Hewasvery
congenial.Itwasrightnearariver;Idontrememberthenameoftheriver.ButIhadalways
likedtofish;thehotelownercouldspeaksomeEnglish,soIaskediftherewasfishinthe
river.Hesaidtherewas.Iaskedifhehadanyfishingequipment.Hesaid,notallowed;
therewasonlyoneshopintownthatwasallowedtosellfishingtackle,butonlytopeople
authorizedtobuyitbytheGermangovernment.Well,Imthelawnow.SoIgooverthere
andtoldthemwhatIwantedandtheysoldittomeandIwentfishingandcaughtafewfish.
Meanwhile,wepickedoutathreestoryhealthservicebuilding.Ourofficeswereon
thefirstfloor,ourdiningroomandofficersquarterswereonthesecondfloor,andenlisted
menonthethirdfloor.Nowwewereauthorized,beingasmalldetachment,tohaveourown
diningroom,requisitionourownrations,andhirecivilianstocookandserveandtakecareof

18

therooms,andwedid.ItwasamazingtouswhatsomeofthoseGermanscoulddowithGI
rations.Itwasverygood.

InourofficedowntherewehiredaGermangirlwhosefather
wasadoctorintheGermanArmywhowasontheRussianfront.
SheandhermotherhadbeenevacuatedfromHamburgbecausethey
werebombingtheheckoutofHamburg. Shecouldspeakfluent
English;IcoulddictateinEnglish;shetookshorthandandgaveit
backtomeinnotime.Shewasreallygoodandarealnicegirl.Ihadanothergirlwhohada
Texasdrawl.IquestionedheraboutthatandshedlivedinTexasaboutfiveyearswhenshe
wasingradeschool.
We always dealt with the burgermeister, who was like the mayor but included
surroundingareasaswell.Hehadalotofauthorityandcouldgetthingsdoneratherthanour
dealingwithindividuals.Ifwehadsomethingthatneeded20mentodo,wewenttohimand
toldhimweneeded20men,andhegotthemforus. The burgermeister couldnotspeak
English,buthehadaninterpreter.TheinterpreterspokemorelikeanAmerican,andwhenI
questionedhimabouthisaccent,hesaidhehadlivedinPittsburghforabouttenyears.When
HitlerhadputoutacallforalltrueGermanstocomehomebackinthe30s,hereturned.So
hewastheburgermeisersinterpreter,andhewasaverygoodonetoo.
Alotoftheoldfarmershadthesehandlebarmustaches. Theywereaccustomedto
comingintogovernmentofficestohandlebusiness.Thisonefarmercameintoagovernment
officeheknows,anditsprobablythefirsttimeithasntbeenrunbytheNazis.Hecamein
andthrewhisarmupinaHeilHitler.Boy,Ithoughtourcaptainwasgoingtodieofaheart
attack.Hewentovertohimandsaid,Comeintomyoffice,andboy,didtheyhaveatalk!
Oneoldfarmercameinandhadtearsinhiseyes.Deerarecomingouttomygarden
andeatingmycabbages. Canyoucomeoutandshootthedeer? Ofcourse,theywerent
allowedtohaveguns. SoIsaidwewouldandaskedwhattime;about5:00P.M.another
driver (fromWinchester,VA)whohadrealbadeyesandworeglasseslikethelensona
flashlightandhadneverhuntedadayinhislife,andIwentouttothisfarm. Therewasa
woodsontwosides,openfield,afieldofcabbage,andapotatopatch.Welaydowninarow
ofpotatoes.Itwasntlongbeforeadeercameoutandstartedtoeatthecabbages.Iwhispered
totheotherguy,Youtakethefirstshot.Hesaid,No,Illprobablymisshim;youtakeit.
AllwehadwerecarbinesandIshotandthatdeerwentupintheairaboutsixfeetandcame
downrunningbackintothewoodswherehecamefrom.Soweeachgotuponourkneeand
19

shotacouplemoretimes,butwedidntgethim.Isaid,IthinkIhitthatdeerthewayhe
jumpedupintheair. Sowewentovertothewoods,andweheardckckckck;hewas
coughing.Idhithiminthelungs.Wewalkedabout20feetinthewoods,andtherehelay.
Soweloadedhimupinthejeepanddrovehimtothathotelownerandsaid,Wewantameal
heretomorrownightforninemen,andyoucanhavetherestofthemeat.Boywashehappy!
While in Pfarrkirchen I questioned the hotel owner regarding
wildlifeinthearea.Hesaidthattherewereducksalongtheriver,and
taughtushowtowalkquietlyalongthebankandperiodicallystopand
slapthegunbutttoscaretheducksoutoftheunderbrushoverhanging
theriverbank. Itworkedquitewell,butwasfardifferentfromany
duckhuntingaroundhome.Healsoguidedustogoodpheasant,quail,andrabbitspots,and
carriedallourgameforus.IhadpickedupaWinchesterModel97pumpshotgunandwas
havingtroublewiththeejectionofemptyshellcasings.Stanleywasworkingonitinmyroom
whenitwastimeforsupper.Everyoneelsewentdowntooursecondfloordiningroomand
knew what we were doing. Suddenly the gun went off and hit the ceiling. There was
completesilence,thenweheardtheothersrunningupthestairsexpectingtheworst.Theonly
damagewasplasterallovermybed!
Someguyshadalotoftroublewithhauntingwarmemoriesaftertheyreturned.My
timeunderactualcombatconditionswassomewhatlimited.Itriedtoconcentratemoreonthe
humorousthingsthathappened.Anyway,onelittlehumorousincidentwaswhenoneofthe
lieutenantsfromNewYorkhadpickedupaGermanShepherddogsomewherealongtheline
whenitwasaboutsixmonthsoldandnowwasfullgrown.Forsomereasonitwastheexact
oppositeofwhataGermanShepherdshouldbeitwasverymeek. Ifyouholleredatit,it
wouldlaydownandshake.NowStanley,thedriver,ahillbillyfromsouthernIllinois,saidto
me,Imgonnafixthatdog;youwatchhimtonightatsupper.WhatStanleydidwasopena
shotgunshellandremovethewadandshotandtakeoutthepowder.Thenhedumpedthat
gunpowderinthedogsfood.Weresittingthereeating,andthelieutenantdoesntknowthis,
see.NooneknowsthisbutStanleyandme.Weresittingthereeatingandthedogcomesto
thetablehehadthehabitofdoingthat,youknowandthelieutenantwouldsay,Getoutof
here!andthedogwouldcowerinthecorner. Thistime,whenthedogcameoverandthe
lieutenantsaid,Getoutofhere!thedogwentGRRRRRRRRRRathim.Hedidntknow
whatdidit.
OnedayinJunethelieutenantfromTennesseewassenttoameetingatRegensburgon
ariver.Whenhereturnedhesaid,YouknowtheyconfiscatedabargeofGermanchampagne
20

andtheyweresellingittousfor40centsabottleandtheysaidwecouldbuyallofitwe
wantedto,butIdidntknowifyoufellaslikedchampagneornotsoIboughtonlyonecase.
Well,okay,eachoneoftheenlistedmenpaidhimforthethreebottlesapieceitcameoutto
whenwedivideditup. Thatnightweweresittingaroundinthiscommonroomdrinking
champagneinourcanteencupssingingaroundthebabygrandpianothere.Idranktwobottles
ofchampagne,andothersdrankmore.Wewerehavingagoodtime.ThenextdayIwasso
sick.Ihadtokeepgettingupandgoingtothebathroom.Ihadthedryheaves.Ikeptthe
thirdbottleofchampagneinthebackofthearmoirewithmyclothes.InSeptemberweheard
aboutVJDayandtheguyssaidtheywishedwehadsomethingtodrinktocelebrateitwith
andIsaid,Ihavesomething,andIwenttothebackofthearmoireandpulledoutthatlast
bottleofchampagne.Theycouldntbelievetheireyes.Anyway,wecelebratedVJDaywith
thatonebottleofchampagneforsixguys.
Whilewewerethere,whichwas35milesfromourcompanyheadquarters,therewas
dispatchserviceabouttwoorthreetimesaweek,andanoticecamethatanyonewhowanted
toapplyforafurloughcoulddoso. ItgaveyouchoicesofEngland,Paris,ortheFrench
Riviera.Ididntevensendonein.SomeoftheguyshadmetgirlsinEnglandandwantedto
gobackthere;somewantedtogotoParisandhaveagoodtime.Ididntsendonein.Twoor
threeweekswentbyandonedayherecomesthecourierandIgotthemailandherewere
orderssendingmeandanotherfellowfromadifferentdetachmentinourcompanytothe
Rivieraforatwoweekfurlough.IwastoreporttocompanyheadquartersonWednesdayof
nextweek,soIwent.Yougetorders,yougo.SoIwentdownthereontheappointeddayand
Iwenttothefirstsergeant,theonewhohadmeinthemotorpoolallthetime,youknow,andI
said,Sarge,whatsgoingonhere?Ididntapplyforafurlough.Andtheotherguythere
said,Ididntapplyforafurlougheither. Thefirstsergeantlookedatmeandsaid,You
didnt?Thenhelookedattheotherguyandgrinned.Hesaid,Illtellyou;neitherofyou
guysevergavemeanytrouble;yourebothgoingtotheRiviera.SowewenttotheRiviera.
Theygaveyouacardthedayyougotthereassigningyoutoahotel.Thereweretwo
mentoaroomandacardastowhereyouweretoeatyourmeals,andtheywouldpunchit
everytimeyoudeatameal.ThiswasinNice,France.Theonlyofficerstherewereassigned
thereonduty;nonewerethereonfurlough;theofficersonfurloughwereinMonteCarlo;they
keptyouapart.Sotherewasnosalutingonthestreet.Youwerenotrequiredtowearacap.
Youcouldjustsitinthesun,whichiswhatIdid.Therewasanoldwomanatthebeachwho
wouldchargeyoutwofrancsadayforawickerchairandshegaveyouaslipandyouhaduse
ofthechairallday;youcouldgoandcomebackifyouwanted.TherewasabigRedCross
clubtherewhereyoucouldgetCokeoranAmericanbeerorwhatever.Thewordwasifyou
21

gotintoanyfightsoranythinglikethat,youdbepickedupbyanMPandbeputinthebrig
overnightandthenletoutthenextdayandtherewouldntbeanycharges.Ididntseeany
evidenceofthat. TheydidclosetheRedCrossclubpartofonedaybecauseguyswere
throwingaroundbeercansorsomething,butitdidntlastlong.Whenthefurloughwasup,
youhadtomakeyourwayuptoyourcompanyonyourown.Imusthavebeengoneabout
threeweeksaltogetherbecauseofhowlongittookmetomakeconnectionsback.Itooktrains
andhitchedridesinGItruckstogetback.
IthinkoneofthemostinterestingthingsthathappenedafterthewarwaswhileIwasin
Pfarrkirchen. Duringtheinterim,LieutenantBairdhadbeenpromotedtocaptain.Wenow
hadtwocaptainsandonelieutenant. Overseveralweekstherehadbeenconstantbickering
amongthethreeofficers.Itwasveryfrustrating,especiallyforthemen.Itreachedaheadone
daywhenthelieutenantandthecaptainfromTennesseesatdownandwrotelettersrequesting
transfers. Theygavethemtome,ofcourse. Sookay,Igavethemtothecaptainandsaid,
Whatare wegonnado? Helookedat meandsaid, Putanindorsementoneachone
approvedandforwarded.Okay,soIdidthat,andhesignedthem.Abouttwodayslaterthe
regimentaladjutant,amajor,whoIhadseenmaybeonceinmylife,arrivedtogettothe
bottomofthis.Itwasintheeveningandtheofficewasclosedandhecalledthecaptaindown
andtalkedtohim.Hecalledtheothercaptaindownandtalkedtohim.Thenhecalledthe
lieutenantdownandtalkedtohim.Iwasuponthethirdfloorinmyroom.Alongaboutthat
timeupcametheregimentaladjutantsdriverandsaid,SergeantSmith,themajorwantsto
talktoyou.Imcalledin!
SoIgotdownthereandreportedrealformal,youknow,andhesaid,
Ivegotaproblem,andIwanttogettothebottomofit.Iwanttoknow
whatyouthinkaboutallthis.Anythingyousayinthisroomisbetween
you,me,andthecommandingofficeroftheregiment,andnobodyelseis
goingtofindoutathing.IdecidedIwasjustgoingtotellthetruth.I
toldhimwhathadbeengoingon.Hesaid,Ivegottotransfertwoofficershere.Whatdo
youthinkaboutthat?Isaid,Ithinkyououghttotransferallthree!Helookedatmeand
startedtolaughandsaid,Icantdothat,personnelsituationsbeingwhattheyare.Butwhich
oneshouldstay?SoIansweredhim,Thereisnodoubtinmymindthemenwouldbemore
satisfiedwithCaptainBaird,whowastheonefromTennessee.Hesaid,Okay,therewillbe
orderscomingdowninthenextfewdays.Whentheorderscame,thatshowitwasCaptain
Bairdstayed,andtheothertwowent.AndwhenIcameupstairsthatnight,thecaptainwho
wasthedetachmentcommandingofficercameintomyroomandsaid,Whatwentondown
there?Isaid,Well,themajortoldmeeverythingthatwentondowntherewasbetweenhim
22

andmeandColonelCrawford. Well,youcantellme,hesaid. No,Sir,Iwillnottell


you,Iresponded.Andthatwastheendofit.Heandthelieutenantweretransferredout.I
dontrememberifitwasbeforeorafterthatincidentIwaspromotedtotechsergeantwhich
wasthreestripesandtworockers.Idontknowthatthatwouldhavehadanythingtodowith
it.
Thisfollowingincidentmayhavehadsomeinfluenceinmydeterminationastowhich
officershouldstay.IthappenedonthewaybacktotheBattleoftheBulge.Ibelieveitwason
ChristmasEveinafarmhouseinalittlevillage.Theenlistedmenwereinonehouse,andthe
officers were in another. During the evening thenLieutenant Baird came over and said,
TomorrowisChristmas,andIthinkweshouldreadsomewordsoutoftheBible. Sohe
pulledalittleTestamentoutofhispocket.Andweallthoughtthatwasafineidea.Hebegan
toreadscripturetous,andwhoshouldwalkinbutthecaptainwhowasaJew.Hesaidhe
wasntaJew.TherumorwashehadaJewishparentandaCatholicparent,sohewasanin
betweener.Andhesaid,Whatsgoingonhere?LieutenantBairdsaid,ItsChristmasand
werehavingafewwordsoutoftheBible.Well,okaythen,hesaidandheleft.Theother
lieutenantwhowasfromNYCwasdefinitelyaJew,andIonceheardhimarguingwiththe
captainandsaid,Captain,theresnothingworsethanaJewwhowontadmithesaJew.So
hemusthavebeendenyinghewasaJew.
Ididnt havemuchcontactwith chaplains,butwhatcontact Ihadwas very,very
positive.SomeofthemwereJewish,somewereCatholic,somewereProtestant.Theyallhad
tobecapableofperformingservicesintheothertworeligionsbesidestheirown,andtheydid
itvery,verywell,Illtellyou.Theyweregreat.Ialwayscarriedapockettestamentwithme
andtriedtoreaditeveryday. Someguysthoughttheywouldnevergetback,butInever
thoughtthat.
Oneofourmainpriorityjobsafterthewarwastorelocatedisplacedpersonsbackto
theirhomes. Wehadtogetthroughamazeofpaperworktoaccomplishthat. Downin
Pfarrkirchen there was a huge group of displaced Hungarians. This one guy had the
appearanceofaHungariangeneralbyhisdress;hehadabigredstripedownthesideofhis
pantlegofhisuniformwithallkindsofribbonsandbraids.Hesaidhewas,andwebelieved
him.Weaccomplishedourtask,butitwasquiteajob.
At midnight on February 27, 1945, we took over Rath, Germany, where all the
Germanshadlefttownbecausetheyknewitwasgoingtobeinvaded.Allthehouseswere
empty. Wehadntbeenintownformorethanacoupleofhourswhenheredowntheroad
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comingfromtheeastwereabout200or300displacedpersons,probablyPolesorRussians,
either from a concentration camp or work camp. (I wasnt aware of the existence of
concentrationcampsuntilafterthewarwasoverdespitebeingfairlyclosegeographically.)
Astheycameintothistown,youcanunderstandwhattheyaregoingtodoloot.Sotheystart
throughthesehouses. Herewearethreeofficersandsixmentryingtostop200or300
people.IcanstillseethecaptainholleringinGermanatthesepeopleatthebackdoorofthis
housethattheycannotdothis.HisGermanisntthebestandtheyjustlookedathimlike,to
Hellwithyou!Hepulledhis.45pistoloutandshotaboutsixroundsovertheirheadstotry
toscarethem,buttheydidntcare.Theydseenworsethanthatandwentabouttheirbusiness.
Well,somehow,Idontknowhowwedidit,butwegotaholdoftheirleader.Theres
alwaysaleader.Hesawthewisdomofthesituationofgettingthemoutofallthehousesand
gotthemtogetherinacertainarea.Therewasabigbuildingacrossthestreetthathadabig
fencedinyard.Weconvincedhimtogetallthosepeopleinthereandwewouldbringthem
food.Bygolly,hegotthemintherewiththehelpofacoupleofMPs,andwedidnthaveto
standguardorusegunstokeepthemthere.Whathesaidwasit;theyfollowedhisdirection.
WegotthatsituationstraightenedoutandremaineduntilMarch2.
AfterthewarwasoveronSunday,June24,1945,someofusvisitedBerchtesgaden.
ThisisoneoftheBavarianterritoriesknownforitspicturesqueandsceniclandscapesfilled
withforests,theKonigseeLake,saltmine,andhotel. ItisalsoknownasHitlershideout,
EaglesNest,whichiswhatwevisited.Itwasatoughclimbuptothehouse.Therewasan
elevatorbutitwasreservedfortheuseoffieldgradeofficers(majorandabove)only!
AfterthatweperformeddutiesinHart,Kempen,St.Tones,andHath. AtHathwe
were joined by two Dutch boys about seventeen years old who were attached to us as
interpreters.TheyspokeEnglish,German,andDutch.However,forthemostpartwefound
themtobemorebotherthantheywereworth.TheywerebotharmedwithStenoguns,and
oneofthemnearlyshotthePublicSafetyOfficersheadoffwhileridinginajeep.
Blackmarketwasextensiveoverthereafterthewar.Everythingwasrationed,andwe
learned of a gang that had clothing and other things. We pulled a raid and confiscated
everythingandthrewitallinthebasementofourofficeforevidence.Whenthecasewasover
andwedidntneedthestuffanymore,IaskedthisniceGermangirlwhoworkedforme,Is
thereanythingdownhereyoucanuse?Tomorrowwearetakingitalltothedisplacedpersons
camp,andifthereisanythingyoucanuse,goaheadandtakeit.Shelookeditoverandher
facegotkindaredandshehesitatedandfinallysaid,Mymothercouldusesomeofthese,
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pointingtoapairofbloomerslikeyourAuntLilyCookusedtowearyearsago.(Therewasa
snapshotsomewhereinGrandmaSmithsalbumofherliftingherskirttoshowherbloomers.)
Shetookthreeorfourpairandwastickledtodeathtogetthem.TheGermanpeopledidnt
talkmuchaboutHitler. Theywerealwaysnotpolitical. TheirrelativesintheGerman
ArmywerealwaysfightingontheRussianfront. IalwayshadthefeelingthatIwasnot
fightingtheGermanpeople;IwasfightingtheNazis.Germanywasineconomicchaosafter
WorldWarI,andthepeopleweregraspingatstraws.Ineverencounteredanyonewhohad
hiddenanyJews.
Mailcallwaseveryday,butlotsofdaysyoudidntgetanymailatall,andthenother
daysyoumightgetsixoreightlettersatonetime.Andthenduringtheactualcombat,like
BattleoftheBulge,youwouldntgetanymail. Ofcourse,thenitdidntaffectus,butit
affectedthepeoplebackhome.BeforecertainthingslikeDDay,theywouldsendnomailout
becausetheydidntwantanyonesguesstogetoutastowhatorwhenthingswerehappening.
Wecouldmailthingsfree;youwrotefreeintheupperrightcorneroftheenvelope.Vmail
youusedonacertainformwhichcouldonlybeonepageandthenitwasreducedonfilmand
reproduced.Therecipientgotareducedversionofyourletter.Airmailwasatthattimesix
centsandyoucouldusethatifyouwanted,butitwashighlyquestionableifthatwasbetter
serviceornot. Usuallyyourmotherputanairmailstamponherletterstome. Youcant
imaginewhatmustgointoallthoselogisticssuchasgettingmailaroundtoeveryonemoving
aroundlikethat.Istillhaveapostcardcommemoratingtheresumptionofpostalservicein
PfarrkirchendatedAugust1,1945.
Youweredischargedbasedonthenumberofpointsyouhadacquired.Ihad76points.
Thefirstgrouptocomehomehad80ormorepoints.Itwasallbasedonthepointsystem.
Whathappenedthenwas,insteadofsendingabunchofindividualshomewhohadacertain
numberofpoints,theywouldassignyoutoadivisionthatwasgoingtobesenthome.And
anymenthatwereinthatdivisionthatwerelowerpointpeopleweretransferredouttoanother
organizationthatwasntgoingtobemovedhome.Sotheytransferredmetothe79thInfantry
Division.AndIreportedintoacaptain,thecompanycommander,whohadneverseenme
before,andmyrecordshadntcaughtuptomeyet.Sothecaptainsaid,Whathaveyoudone
intheArmy?Whatkindofjobshaveyoubeendoing?SoIsaid,Well,whenIfirstwentin,
IwasintheQuartermasterCorps.Heturnedandlookedatthecaptain,andthecaptainshook
hisheadyesandsaid,Youreournewsupplysergeantjustlikethat.Hedidnthavetohear
anythingmore.Theyneededasupplysergeant;theirshadbeenmovedoutbecausehedidnt
haveenoughpoints. Hesaid,Godowntothesupplyroomandyoucanpressblanketsall
day.Inotherwords,laydownandtakeiteasy.Well,thatwasabigliecauseyouregetting
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acompanyreadytocomehomeandyougotalotofworktodo.Therewasoneguyagreat
bigfellaandhealwayshadtennisshoeson. Isaidtohim,HowcomeIalwaysseeyou
wearingtennisshoesandnotGIshoes?Hesaid,Cantgetthemtofit.Isaid,Why?He
said,Iweara13EYEandthesupplysergeantwehadbeforesentinaspecialrequisitionfor
themandtheynevercame.SoIwentbackintherecordsandsureenough,therehadbeenan
order sent. SoIcalled regimentalsupplyandtold them thecase, andthey said,Oh,it
probablygotlostsomewhere;submitanotherone. SoIsubmittedanotherrequisition. A
coupleofweekslatertheguygetsfourpairsofshoes.
Hereyouhaveaunitthatsgoinghomeandtheyrenotgoingthroughanykindof
combattrainingoranything.Theygooutandplayballbaseball.Iissuethebatsandtheballs
forthemandtheyreouttherehavingagoodtimeandIgottastayinthereandwork. It
workedinreverseformethattime.
Whenthe79thInfantryDivisionmovedfromnorthernFrancetotheMarseillesstaging
areatoreturntotheStates,wetraveledbytraininboxcars.SinceitwasinearlyDecember,it
wasquitecold.Ourtrainwasfrequentlystoppedandsidetrackedto
letothertrainsthrough. Duringthestopswewouldgetoffand
scroungearoundforpiecesofmetaltomakesomekindofstove.
Sometimesatthenextstopfellowsinonecarwouldspotsomething
betterforastovesotheywouldkicktheirsoutthedoorandbuilda
newstovewhilefellowsinanothercarwouldlikethelooksofthediscardedstovebetter
thantheonetheyhadsowouldtradetheirsforthediscardedone. Itwasalmostfunnyto
watch.Thefactthatweknewweweregoinghomehelpedgetusthroughthisratherdifficult
trip.IthinkwesailedfromMarseillesonaboutDecember5,1945.
Anyway,inthesupplyroomtherewasagreatbigboxthatwaspadlockedthathad
souvenirpistolsthattheguyshadpickedup. Theywerenotallowedtohavethemtillthey
werereadytocomehome. Whenitwastimeforthemtocomehomeleavingourpointof
embarkationinMarseilles,Iissuedthemalloutwiththeircardsandeverything.Therehad
beennumerousshakedowns,inspections,andeverything,andyouwerenottohaveoneunless
youhaditregistered.Sowereinthestagingarea(tentcity)aboutadaybeforeweretoget
ontheboat,andthisguyhandsmethisColt.45pistol.Hesays,Here,Iwasgoingtotryto
takethishome,butImafraidImgonnagetcaught,soImturningthisin.Gee,everything
istakencareofandyourereadytogetontheboattomorrowmorningandhecomesinwith
this!Isaid,Comeonandwewentrightnextdoortothecompanyheadquarters,Isays,
Captain,thismanisturninginthisweapon.Boy,ifyouheardamangetchewedout!We
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tooktheweaponandturneditin,andhereallygotagoodchewingout.Hejustgotcoldfeetat
theendiswhathappened.Causethepistolwasgovernmentissue,andthatisnotwhatthey
wereallowedtohave.TheywereallowedtohavesouvenirlikeaP.38likeIbroughthomeor
aLugerorsomeotherforeignweaponthattheypickedup,but
NOTagovernmentweapon.
[My situation in the service was
somewhat different from that of your
uncles.] Uncle Cliff was pretty quiet and
hadreceivedsignificantdebriefings. See,hewasintheSCS,whichwas
theforerunneroftheCIA.HewasinEngland,India,andallover.From
what I could gather his work was all electronic surveillance and analyzing reports on
espionageorpossibleespionageandallthiskindofstuff.WildBillDonavonwasincharge
ofit.
UncleWoodrowwassentwiththeNationalGuardunitfromOakHarbor. Hewas
draftedandsentwiththesamegroupoffellastotheSouthPacific. Theywentthroughthe
wholewartogether.Hewaspartofthe37thDivision,whichwastheOhioDivision.Nowthe
37thDivisionhasreunionsquiteoften. Andtheywerepartofthe148thInfantry,andthey
havereunions.AndhewaspartofcompanyD,andtheyhavereunions.Butthereyouhada
groupofguysessentiallyfromthesamearea.
InmycaseoneguywasfromCalifornia;onefromIndiana;onefromIllinois;onefrom
Winchester,Virginia;onefromSyracuse,NY;andme.Now,wedidntgooverasaunitand
wewerentputtogetheronthebasisofwhowewereorwherewewerefrombutonthebasis
ofourM.O..(MilitaryOccupationalSpecialty.)Andtwooftheguyswereinterpreters,twoof
themweretruckdrivers,oneasanitarytechnician(Syracuse,NYguy),anditwasbasedon
yourjob,notyouasanindividualorwhereyouwerefromoranythinglikethat. AsI
understandit,AlliedMilitaryGovernmentwasmadeupoftwogroupsofsoldiers:thosewho
hadservedinstationcomplementinmilitaryinstallationshereintheUS,likeCampPerry,in
chargeofsupplyandthesethings. Duringthewarthestationcomplementatthedifferent
installations were permitted to have 10% of their station complement be general service
troops.Generalservicemeansyouhavenophysicalrestrictionsontheassignmentthatyoure
given.Youdonthavebadeyes;youhavenoimpairmentinanyway. Youcanserveany
placeanywheretheywantyoutodoanything.Thatsgeneralservice.Butonly10%ofstation
complementwasallowedtobegeneralservice. Theresthadtobelimitedservice, i.e. bad

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eyesorotherthingslikethat.Well,Iwasinthat10%aswerealotoftheguysthatendedup
togetherinthatorganizationthatIdid.

IwasntabletocallyourmothertillDecember12,1945,when
wereatIndiantownGap.ThatwastheonlytimeItalkedwithherfor
21months.Ididadumbthingthen.ComingintoBostonHarbor,they
announcedthatnothingisrationedinthePOX.Iboughta12ounce
canofPlanterspeanuts,andIhadnthadpeanutssinceIlefthome.SoIsatdownandatethe
wholecan.ThenextdayIwassosick,andIknewwhatcausedit.Therestoftheshipscrew
hadlefttheship,andIwenttosickbayandaskthepillrollerforhelp.Hegavemeadoseof
Paregoricandsaid,Youllbeallright.Well,Ihadtogodowntotheholdandcomeupwith
myduffelbagwhichhadeverypieceofclothingandeverythingImallowedtohave,comeup
tothedock,andthereareabunchofRedCrossladieswithdonuts
andcoffeeandImtoosicktogetnearthem. Sotheyputusona
train and take us out to Camp Miles Standish which had been a
stagingareaforoverseasandisnowthereverse.Theyhadprepared
asirloinsteakdinnerforeverybodyandputitinfrontofme,but
therewasnowayIcouldeat.Theguynexttomesaid,Arentyougoingtoeatthat?andI
said,No,Imsosick,Icant.Hesaid,Ican!andhegrabbedit.AndthenIwenttoIndian
townGapfordeprocessing,anditwasreallysnowingthere.IwasdischargedonDecember
13.IhadticketsontheRedArrowwhichwentthroughBellevueandToledoonthewayto
Chicago.ItwaslatefromNewYorkduetosnowandwewerewaitinginHarrisburganda
blackbaggagehandlercameovertothreeofusgoingtoToledoandhesaid,Theresgoingto
beabigcrowdwanttogetonthistrainwhenitpullsin.Youfollowme.Itwasbusywith
ChristmascomingandalotofGIsgettingdischarged.Sowefollowedhimandwegotseats
andonlyabouttenpercentofthemgotseats.
ThenwhenIgottoToledo,yourmotherwassupposedtobeattheCommodorePerry
Hotel.Idcalledherandtoldhertocheckintherecausemytrainwasduetogetinat4:00
A.M.andIdfindwhatroomshewasinandmeetherthere.SoIgetthereandgotothehotel,
and there was nobody there by that name. Whats going on? Well, theyre having a
conventionthereandmaybeshecouldntgetaroom. Well,isthereamessageforme?
Theylooked,Yes,youretocalloperatorsuchandsuchinChicago.Somepoorguygotmy
message.ShedgonebacktohermothersinOakHarbor.Ithoughtmaybeshedgonetothe
Secure,anothernicehotelinToledo,butshewasntthere.SoItookacabtoIrenes,andshe
cametothedoorandlookedatmelikeshesawaghost.ShedidntknowIwasontheway
home.AlwasatworkwiththecarsoshecalledAl,whocamehomewiththecar,andshe
28

tookhimbacktoworkanddrovemetoOakHarborwhereyourmotherwas.Shelivedon
WashingtonStreetatthetime.
Iwasnowbackhome,andIdidnthaveacar.UncleArthadtoldmehewantedmeto
comebackandworkforhimagain,soIknewwhereIwasgoingtobe
working. WestayedwithGrandmaandGrandpaSmithforawhile,fora
fewdays. ItsDecember,andIrodeShirleysbicycleinthesnowtothe
eastendoftownwherehisbusinesswastogettowork.AndIremember
thinkingtomyself,HereIhadworkedmyselfuptoadecentrankinthe
Army.Theybeggedustoreenlist.Icouldhavereenlisted,comehomeona
30dayfurlough,gonebacktothemilitarygovernmenttothesamelocation
ifIwanted,ortoadifferentone,andwhensufficienttimehadpassedand
theycouldhandleit,theywouldallowthefamilytocomeover,provideyouwithahouseto
liveinandoneservant. Icouldhavehadallthis,andhereIamridingabiketoworkin
Decemberandwondering,DidImakeabigmistake?
ShortlyafterthewarChuckJohnson,theguyfromCalifornia,stoppedtovisitusfora
coupleofhours.HewasagoodfriendofBobThomas,whowroteaHollywoodnewspaper
columnforseveralyears. FredReed,fromNorthSyracuse,NewYork,marriedoneofour
Germanmaids,andtheyvisiteduswiththeirsmallsontwicewhenwelivedonCatawba
Island.Ineverhadanycontactwithanyoftheotherguysinouroutfit.
WestayedintouchwiththeWellensforafewyears.Mrs.Wellenssentyouastuffed
toyofsomesort.WeexchangedChristmascardswiththeirdaughterforseveralyears.Her
husbanddiedandsheremarried.EventuallybothMr.andMrs.Wellensdied,sheinformedus.
IdidntrealizebeingintheBattleoftheBulgethatitwasaturningpointinthewar.
Asisusual,thebigwheelsarentgoingtotellyouwhatthefullextentofthemissionisatthe
time. Ihavea clippingfromtheToledo Blade ofBritishMarshalBernardMontgomerys
praiseofourorganization.HewasnotonetocomplimentU.S.Aforcesveryoften.Itreads:
Grimlyearnest,MarshalMontgomerypunctuatedanhourlonginterviewwithreferencestoAmerican
heroismatSt.Vith,Basting,andsouthofMonte.HesingledouttwoAmericanarmoreddivisions,the2ndand
7th....andsaidthebattleisoneofthemostinterestingandtrickybattlesIhaveeverhandled,withgreat
issuesatstake.Hesaidheformedanoffensivearmycorpsthe7thundertheveryfineAmericanGeneral
Collins(MajorGeneralJ.LawtonCollins),whichnowisattackingtowipeouttheGermanbulge.

Mr.SmithdiedinPortClinton,Ohioon10September2015.

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