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October 6, 1945:
We have been undergoing a lot of checkups (physical and updating
of records). Just idling away the time, which seems like eternity,
waiting to board the ship.
Things have hit a snag. We are delayed due
to the longshoreman's strike in New York Harbor. Things like
this are disgusting.
We are located in Giengen, about eight miles
form Heidenheim. This is a historical site, with its famous castle.
We are only sixty miles from Schwabish Hall (where we were) and
yesterday I went back to see if I could pick up any straggling
mail. My trip wasn't wasted for I found two letters from Sis
and Lale.
Now that I'm preparing to head home, I am
having many dreams about home.
Sis informs me that the job of putting my
pictures into an album is about complete. I am very grateful
to Sis and Lale.
NOTE: Sixty years [mr] later I am still
grateful. We look through this album quite frequently.
Tonight I went to a movie. I sweated out the
line, worried about getting a seat (this is a regular German
theatre - they call it a Kino). What I saw of the movie was good
but when it was getting to the climax the projector broke down
and we had to leave (this is typical of our G.I. movies).
On my return I turned on the radio and listened
to the World Series. It was a thriller, a twelve inning affair.
Chicago won it 7 to 6.
October 17, 1945:
We are still playing a waiting game. Am getting restless. Nothing
happening. I have met a family by the name of Ratter. In fact,
we are living in their home. They have relatives living in New
York City by the name of Adolph Bruning. Because of the war and
still no mail service in Germany, they have not heard from them
since 1939. Mr. Ratter has written a letter and asked me to drop
it in the mail when I get home. I will comment on this letter
later on. We have been here about three weeks, still waiting.
October 23, 1945:
Still sitting here waiting for the word to "move out".
It looks like they are forgetting us. If we were on schedule
we would be on the high seas. Latest rumors have it that we will
be sailing about November 6th. I believe nothing anymore. It
sure didn't take them that long to get me over here. In fact,
when I was first notified on May 12, 1944, that I was going overseas,
I was on my way by June 2, 1944. That's exactly twenty days.
It's been already three weeks since we've been sitting here and
I am still waiting.
Other than this frustrating wait, everything
else is going okay. I'm receiving my mail, the food is good and
getting plenty of rest.
Today is the first day I received a letter
sent directly to my new address. It was from my mother written
on October 17th. I was resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be
receiving any mail, due to my telling Lale and the family not
to write (for I'd be home before the letters reached me). I see
that Mother has no faith in the Army. She realized I would be
hurting for mail, if she did as I suggested, so she didn't listen
to me and wrote anyhow. I'm sure glad she did.
Got some pictures from Mom. Nice shots of
the homestead, the grounds and pictures of Bob and Paul while
on leave. It's the first time I saw them in uniform. Also got
a box of goodies.
I have been giving some serious thought about
what I'm going to do when I get home. Now that Hank Maser has
my old job with Niessners, he may stick to it, for he always
wanted my job of driving the truck for Niessners. When I got
the job originally it caused some hard feelings.
Then too, I don't want to go back to my old
job. I'm at the point where I want to get something more permanent
and that will have a future to it. Uncle Frany says he can get
me a job in Youngstown, Ohio, but I don't want to move. Maybe
too, I'll take advantage of the G.I. Bill of Rights, and go to
college. Well, I'll let things take their course. I do plan to
take it easy for a couple of weeks.
I learned a lot from being around so many
men from the big cities and country farm boys. I may put this
to my own advantage.
I used to rub it in to my old pals Paul Lubke,
Carl Kieffer, and Frank Gerace, and the rest of them. They always
kidded me about how they would be in civilian clothes for a year
while I would still be over here. They are just reaching the
States and I'm following less than three months later. I always
kidded them, "Do you realize that when I get out of the
Army I'll be younger than they were when they came in to the
service?" They were all twenty-four and twenty-five when
they were drafted. I'll be twenty-three when I get out. They
were sure a bunch of good guys. I owe a lot to Tex Bolt, Paul
Lubke, Carl Kieffer, and Captain Paul Woods.
The period of time between October 23rd and
November 8th was one of waiting, waiting, and waiting. Frustration,
boredom, and more frustration.
Finally on November 7, 1945, we got the word
we were waiting for. Let's move!! On November 8, 1945, we left
Germany and took a four day trip to the port of Marseilles, France.
We arrived on November 12, 1945.
Here we sit and once again are playing a waiting
game. We are watching the black market in operation as well as
the prostitutes. No one would take a chance to foul up his life
at this stage of the game.
Spent ten days doing nothing but waiting and
playing cards. I played so much pinochle that I became dizzy.
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