26 November 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

26 November, 1944      1600

Hello Sweetheart!

This time I really only have a couple of minute’s time in which to write you, dear. It’s been and still is a very busy day from several points of view.

We are now moving our Dispensary on the main street of a fair-sized town – and above all places – inside a Department Store. Our particular section formerly was a ladies underwear department, so the boys have been trying on foundations etc. Most of them were too small for us, though.

Dispensary with a Red Cross Flag
Outside Closed Department Store
Stolberg, Germany 1944


A Market Area of Stolberg in 1990

Darling – I must stop now. I’m busier than I thought I was when I started. Will try to write tomorrow. Love to the folks.

All my love, dear

Greg

Route of the Question Mark


CLICK TO ENLARGE

(A) Hahn to (B) Stolberg, Germany (6 miles)
11 October to 26 November 1944

November 26... Stolberg. We became city dwellers again, living in a vacant department store in comparative luxury. The mess-hall had tables and benches. There was a place to show motion pictures three times a week. We were warned almost daily about "The Blonde" who lived in the cellar next door. Here we had more guard posts than you could shake a stick at. Our first casualties: the wire-crew's weapons carrier hit a mine and T/Sgt [Manuel C.] OLIVIERA, T/5 [Alfred M.] SELL, T/5 [William M.] HENSHAW, T/5 [Richard D.] DE SILVA all got the Purple Heart. Marlene Dietrich entertained us in a USO show, dressed all in gold and singing "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have." Paddy, the Personnel section's dog, was lost in Stolberg; we received most of our Christmas packages; T/Sgt [Sheridan F.] HAGGETT and Pfc [Mariano] CRISCIONE decorated the biggest Christmas tree in Germany only to have to abandon it two days before Christmas, for we received news that von Rundstedt had broken through our line, and we made impressive preparations to resist a paratroop attack.