28 November 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

28 November,       1944

Dearest darling Wilma –

Well, I don’t know; There’s one thing about the war at this point, and that is – the Germans are catching more hell than we are, because in addition to their Army, the civilians are taking a beating. I can’t tell you how many civilians I’ve treated in the past couple of days – badly wounded civilians with serious injuries incurred from booby traps and anti-personnel mines – left behind by their own godammed army. It’s a pleasure to hear these same civilians curse their own soldiers for using tactics like that – because it certainly is a bastardly way to fight a war. Well, every mine exploded by a civilian – is one less we have to worry about. I guess I have about the busiest practice in town – and I think I’ll open an office in Filene’s – on the street floor after the war, dear. This central location of ours – with our Geneva Cross flying in the front and from the back door certainly keeps them coming – wounded, sick babies, old men, children with rashes, etc. Too bad I haven’t got an adjoining operating room – I could really have a field day.

We got some mail yesterday, darling, but I got two only, one from you and one from Eleanor. I’ve still got a bunch of them due me – but they’ll be coming in one of these days. What I’ve just written you, dear, is not to worry you – but merely in answer to one of your letters some time ago in which you hoped we were giving the Germans hell. If the papers say we are – you can believe them in that respect. Any single town that is defended – is being leveled by our artillery, and of course the Air Corps has already done a terrific job. This whole Rhineland is being devastated – and after the war they’ll be busy for years trying to build up some of their cities. I hope the other side of the Rhine catches a bit of the same medicine. If it does, Germany – as a modern, civilized country – will cease to exist.

You also asked me in one of your letters if I knew my ARC Field Director. The answer is “No” – darling, since I have had no occasion to contact him for any reason at all. I did know a couple of them in England, one in particular who had the Ipswich district. He was a regular fellow – came from Cleveland and his name was Bob Armstrong. Over here – the Directors remain with the Corps – Rear, usually – where we aren’t. Our only contact with the ARC has been the Club-Mobiles, whose effect upon us is much more immediate.

And one more thing you asked of me in a recent letter – and that was – to love you hard. Sweetheart – if I love you any harder – you’ll soon start to ache – even at this great distance! Yes, dear, I love you hard – and long and constantly – and I know I always shall no matter how long I’ll be away from you. And when I’m finally with you and marry you – my pent-up love will have to be metered – or I’ll be classified as dangerous.

That’s all for now, sweetheart. I hope everyone is well at home and taking things in stride. My love to the folks, dear and

My sincerest love to you

Greg.

* TIDBIT *

about The Destruction of Germany

Greg speaks of the devastated Rhineland and the rebuilding that will have to take place after the war. Here are some of the facts:

All German towns and cities above 50,000 population were from 50% to 80% destroyed. Dresden with a population larger than that of Liverpool was incinerated with an estimated 135,000 civilian inhabitants burned and buried in the ruins. Hamburg was totally destroyed and 70,000 civilians died in the most appalling circumstances. Cologne with a population greater than Glasgow's was turned into a moonscape. As Hamburg burned the winds feeding the three-mile high flames reached twice hurricane speed to exceed 150 miles per hour. On the outskirts of the city trees three feet in diameter were sucked from the ground by the supernatural forces of these winds and hurled miles into the city-inferno, as were vehicles, men, women and children. Between 1940 and 1945, German cities with a total population of 25 million souls were destroyed or devastated. Here is a list of 111 of those cities, towns and villages:

Berlin		Essen		Koblenz		Recklinghausen
Aachen		Frankfurt		Konigsburg		Regensburg
Arrnang-Pucheim		Frankfurt-Oder		Krefeld		Remscheid
Aschaffenburg		Freiburg		Kreuznach		Reuel
Augsburg		Friedsrichhafen		Kulmbach		Reutlingen
Bad Kreuznach		Gelsdenkirchen		Leipzig		Rome
Bayreuth		Genoa		Linz		Rostock
Bielefeld		Gieben		Lubeck		Saarbrucken
Bocholt		Gladbach		Ludwishafen		Schweinfurt
Bochum		Gladbeck		Luneberg		Schwerte
Bonn		Graz		Madgeberg		Siegen
Bozen		Hagen		Mailand		Solbad Hall I.T.
Braunschweig		Hale		Mainz		Solingen
Bremen		Hamburg		Mannheim		Stuttgart
Bremmenhaven		Hamelin		Moers		Turin
Chemnitz		Hamm		Munchen		Ulm
Coburg		Hanau		Munich		Vienna
Cuxhaven		Hanover		Munster		Vilach
Danzig		Heilbronn		Neapel		Wanne-Eickel
Darmstadt		Hildesheim		Neumunsster		Wetzler
Dorsten		Homberg		Noremberg		Wiener Neustadt
Dortmund		Innsbruck		Oberhausen		Wiesbaden
Dresden		Kaiserlautern		Osnabruck		Wilhelmshafen
Duisburg		Karlsruhe		Paderborn		Witten
Duren		Kiel		Passau		Woms
Dusseldorf		Klagenfurt		Pforzheim		Wuppertal
Elmshorn		Kleve		Pirmasons		Wurzburg
Emden		Knittelfeld		Plauen

Here are photos of some of these devastated cities, copied from a website called "rvision".

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

Aachen


Berlin


Braunschweig


Bremen


Cologne


Darmstadt


Dresden


Duren


Essen


Frankfurt


Freiburg


Karlsruhe


Mannheim


Mittelwihr


Munich


Münster


Nuremberg


Sigolsheim


Ulm