08 July, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

France

8 July, 1944          0950

Dearest darling Wilma –

This is Saturday morning and as always, I have to submit my weekly report. That having been done I’m now ready to write you. Yesterday was the banner day for us since arriving in France. I got two letters from you – June 21 and 22 – and one each from my father and yours. The latter thanked me for remembering him on Father’s day – and his letter in general was very well expressed. I was glad to hear from him. My father’s letter was written on June 21st and he hadn’t received his gift yet. He told me about being in Winthrop and that my mother missed my not coming home week-ends. Well – I do, too, darling – although as I remember it, once I met you last summer, I spent precious little time at home anyway. Boy – last summer seems like a dream from where I’m sitting now – but I know it was and is reality. Both you and my dad express satisfaction at my being in England as late as June 8th – as my father wrote. I hope you didn’t worry too much, dear, shortly after that. By now of course – you’ve heard from me in France. I’ve tried to give you as accurate a picture as possible – but I can’t go into tactics, sweetheart, for obvious reasons. And the fact is – that outside of a discussion of tactical changes from day to day – there’s really nothing to report. There’s such a world of difference between training or living in garrison as we did in England – and the real thing.

I liked your letter written on Red Cross stationery – particularly the telegram work sheet part which I believe I would have filled out in just about the same manner. I’m indeed glad you’re not bored – and I believe you when you write it; I also believe that you really like my folks and that, darling, is a very comforting thought – because I’ve seen so much of the opposite. This I know – they’ll never interfere in anything you or I want to do. I don’t mean active interference – but passive interference – which is the aggravating kind. What they want most is for us to be happy and we won’t let them down I know.

Yesterday p.m. I visited some of the gun sections of one of the batteries. In so doing I had to pass through a small town. I got the urge to eat some potatoes and meat – so I had my driver scout around the town. In reality – the town was off limits to the troops – but with a large Red Cross painted on the hood – and waving a R.C. flag – the M.P.’s don’t bother us much. Well after a little questioning here and there I found a source of potatoes and was able to buy 40 kilograms for 100 francs. A kilo – in case you don’t remember dear – is 2.2 lbs. Everything here is in kilograms for wt. and kilometers for distance. I then found a butcher’s which hadn’t been entirely destroyed by shelling and bought something that looked like steak (it tasted like leather) and bought 14 pieces – one for each officer in Headquarters – and I paid 100 francs for that also. (1 fr = 2 cents). To finish it off – I got some onions – brought it all back and we had steak, french fried potatoes and fr. Onions. What a treat! It was the first potatoes and fresh, uncanned meat we had had since arrival. The pay off is this: some of the liquor we had been given – remember I told you about it – still remained – and it consisted of 5 bottles of champagne! Well we killed that too. Now how’s that for living in the field?

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

Near Carentan, Normandy
June 1944
My driver - Sgt. Shoup and Sgt. Kirby
Apparatus on side - besides entrenching tools
is a splint-set for the leg.

What else? Well I must remind you again darling that I love you most sincerely, constantly and deeply – and – to put it awkwardly, the farther away I get from you, the more I love you! Boy! That’s grounds for a break in relationship – but I’m a sucker for a “bon mot” – as the French would put it. At any rate, sweetheart – no matter how far away I get – my love for you grows stronger and I’ve been away long enough now – to know what I’m writing.

Postcards of Carentan from Greg

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Hôtel de ville


Hôtel de ville de Carentan today


Notre Dame Church


Mass is Celebrated in Notre Dame Church in Carentan
for 101st Airborne and other Allied Soldiers
Photo Owned by PhotosNormandie's Photostream


Notre Dame Church Today


Rue de L'Isle


Rue de L'Isle Today

I’ll have to close now, dearest. Don’t work too hard, don’t worry too much, don’t stop loving me – and – don’t you think that’s enough for now?

Love to the folks and

All my love is yours, dear

Greg

07 July, 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

France

7 July, 1944

Hello darling!

Well last night, believe it or not, I saw a movie – right out in a field – but under an apple tree. The screen was rigged up in such a way as not to show any light. Unfortunately the picture was terrible – Gloria Jean in “Moonlight in Vermont” – if you can imagine such a thing. But you’ve got to give our Special Service Officer credit for arranging it. The relaxation was wonderful for 1½ hours.

This might have been the field and apple
tree where the movie was shown.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

July 1944 - Normandy - South of Carentan

No mail yesterday, Sweetheart – but there should be some today, I hope. Everything has been going along well and I’m not complaining. There seems to be a certain optimism around these parts that the Jerries can’t possibly fight very long. The power we have is terrific and even the fanatical Hitler-Jugend that are being captured – say they never faced anything so terrible.

All for now, dear. Love to the folks and

All my love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about Hitler-Jugend

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

Hitler Youth Recruitment Poster
"Youth Serves the Leader"
"All 10 Year Olds into the Hitler Youth"

The Hitler-Jugend (HJ) (Hitler Youth) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party which existed from 1922 to 1945. It was made up of the Hitlerjugend proper, for male youths ages 14–18; the younger boys' section Deutsches Jungvolk for ages 10–14; and the Bund Deutscher Mädel for girls. The HJ were viewed as future "Aryan Supermen" and were indoctrinated in anti-Semitism. One aim was to instill the motivation that would enable HJ members, as soldiers, to fight faithfully for the Third Reich. The HJ put more emphasis on physical and military training than on academic study. Many HJ activities closely resembled military training, with weapons training, assault course circuits and basic tactics. Some cruelty by the older boys toward the younger ones was tolerated and even encouraged, since it was believed this would weed out the unfit and harden the rest. By December 1936, HJ membership stood at just over five million. That same month, HJ membership became mandatory for Aryans, under the Gesetz über die Hitlerjugend law. This legal obligation was re-affirmed in 1939 when membership was required even if it was opposed by a child's parents. By 1940, it had eight million members.

In 1943, Nazi leaders began turning the Hitler Youth into a military reserve to increase manpower which had been depleted due to tremendous military losses. In February 1943, the 12th SS Panzer (armored) Division Hitlerjugend, under the command of SS (Protective Squadron) Brigadeführer (Major General)  Fritz Witt, was formed. The Division was a fully equipped Waffen-(Armed)-SS Panzer division, with the majority of the enlisted force being drawn from Hitler Youth boys between the ages of 16 and 18. By 1 September 1943, over 16,000 recruits had completed their six-week basic training. Many of the recruits were so young that they were supplied with sweets instead of the standard tobacco and alcohol ration.

The Hitlerjugend Division was unique because the majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from members of the long-indoctrinated Hitler Youth, while the senior NCOs and officers were generally experienced veterans of the Eastern Front. The division, with 20,540 personnel, first saw action on 7 June 1944 when deployed against the British and Canadian forces to the north of Caen. During the following months, the division earned itself a reputation for ferocity and fanaticism.

06 July, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

France

6 July, 1944          1015

Dearest sweetheart –

Another day, another letter. Again I believe I have been able to write 3 letters in a row without resorting to V-mail. I much prefer this because I don’t feel cramped. I got another letter from you last night – written the 20th of June at the Clark’s. If I can get one a day like that, dear, I’ll be happy. Getting 14 letters from me in 2 days should impress you with at least one thing, if nothing more, – and that is that I’m writing to you. It’s too bad they have to come bunched like that though.

Well I’m glad my check arrived, sweetheart, and I hope you didn’t have to go to too much extra expense to get what you did. And I hope the gifts were enjoyed. It is absolutely impossible to think in terms of things to buy in France. It was bad enough in England – where a shortage existed because 1) lack of manufacture or import and 2) American troops having bought up everything after being in England for two years. In France – the Germans bought up everything usable a long time ago and whatever appears now is black market and worthless. Incidentally everything is priced in the hundreds or thousands of francs and that seems to be the effect of the tremendous amount of francs the Germans printed. They flooded France with it and as a result – our money is just as cheap. As a matter of fact – a storekeeper would much rather have a pack of cigarettes or some GI rations – than the francs – because he can’t buy anything with the latter, anyway.

I had occasion to be in Cherbourg and of course I can’t tell you much about the place for many reasons. As is usual with my outfit – or at least with me – whenever we get anywhere – I manage to see about every part of the place – and so with France, so far. I’ve run into a couple of fellows I knew slightly at Edwards and I don’t remember if I mentioned it to you already – but I did see some evidence of an outfit’s being here that you mentioned in one of your letters – the brother of a girlfriend of yours from Portland, I believe, is in that outfit. Seems to me I may have told you this already – but it’s easy to forget things here.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Cherbourg (Manche) Postcard
Le Quai Alexander III


Cherbourg (Manche) Postcard - Front and Back
The Beach - Before the Invasion!

8 July 1944
Hello Dear! I can't write when I was here -
But I guess I can tell you -
It didn't look like this and I didn't go swimming.
Love, G.

And sometime after the invasion...

Well, darling, I’m proud of you. Eighty-eight percent is a high mark in any type of exam. What comes now? Are you through your training period, do you wear a uniform – and what else?

I was glad to read that Betty and Les were finally married. Those two really “sweated” it out. It’s going to be mighty difficult for her when he goes overseas, though – and that he will – I feel pretty certain – particularly if he’s in the infantry. I’m sorry to read though that she didn’t graduate. She’ll always regret that fact, especially later in life. Somehow or other I feel that was Les’s fault and had he insisted more strongly – she might have stuck it out.

Sweetheart – that’s all for now. It sure is great hearing from you again and I’m glad the reverse is true. I love you, dear – and hearing from you is my only satisfaction these days – but there’ll come a day! Love to the folks – and

All my love is yours, dear

Greg

La Presse Cherbourgeoise, 5 July 1944, Number 3
"First Newspaper of Liberated France"

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

05 July, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

France

5 July, 1944         1000

Dearest sweetheart –

I received a letter from you last evening written by you on the 19th of June and mailed on the 20th. Although that made it two weeks old, it sure seemed up to date to me, darling; and as I exclaimed, jokingly to the boys around me when I finished reading it: “She still loved me as recently as the 19th of June!” But it really was good to hear from you and to read that some of my mail was beginning to reach you, dear.

No – I haven’t heard from Stan I can say – literally – for months and I certainly am thoroughly disappointed in him. He never did let me know if he received the lighter – by the way. As for his having ‘found’ a girl – I don’t know. Stan gets strong likes and dislikes – and how long they last depends very often on how long the person is enchanted by his line. Anyway – with the man shortage in Washington – he must be having one heluva time for himself. Apparently he has no self-consciousness whatsoever about being in civilian clothes. Boy – it would do some of those boys a lot of good to get out here and live close to the ground for a little while; to perspire freely after digging a fox-hole and not be able to change their clothes; to find their shirt-collar getting black and grimy – and just go on wearing it; to go 3 or 4 nights in a row without removing their shoes and stockings; to just ache for a bath or shower and finally – regardless of the weather or the water – to bathe by repeatedly filling a helmet with cold water and sponging, sponging and sponging. It would do them a lot of good, I repeat, and might make them appreciate the simple convenience of life a bit more – let alone the luxuries of night clubs, dinner and dancing. I never before resented anyone’s being out of this thing, but you can’t help but build that feeling up in you after awhile. Perhaps it’s because up to France – I wasn’t really in the war, dear – just marking time – and believe me – the difference defies description.

Excuse me, darling, I didn’t mean to get off on that tangent. Incidentally when we take a bath as described above – we say we wash down as far as possible, we wash up as far as possible – but we don’t quite wash possible. Excuse that, too. I liked the enclosed prayer, dear. Thanks for sending it and thank Mary, too. The thought is excellent! I forget so often these days that I am a physician. The fact is the amount of medical work I have to do is practically nihil – due to our setup, and there’s no doubt that if I ever want to do surgery in the future – I’ll have to have more training. But I’m not worrying too much about that now, sweetheart. What I want most of all is to return to you in good health and to find everything and everyone just the way I last saw it. I’ll worry about other things later. I feel certain that one way or another I’ll be able to provide for us in respectable style.

I’m glad you’re spending time with my folks, dear – and I hope you get a chance to do some swimming in Winthrop – this summer. By the way – how is your Mother feeling these days, dear? Your mention of bridge seems so distant. It seems like ages since I last played and I guess I’ll have to learn all over again – but that too doesn’t worry me very much darling. All I want is to make you my wife and the sooner I do, the better I’ll like it.

The enclosed Stars and Stripes is the first issue – as you can see – in France. There were very few put out – but I managed to get one. If you can, dear, save it – for sentimental reasons.

Well – that’s all for now, dearest. I’ll close now – but remember, sweetheart – I love you deeply and miss you more than I can say – Love to the folks – and

All my love for always

Greg

First "Continental" Edition of The Stars & Stripes Vol. 1 No. 1
Pages 1 (top and bottom) and 2 (top and bottom)

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

04 July, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

France

4 July, 1944 0945

My darling –

On this holiday – I wonder where you are and what you’re doing. Whatever it is – I hope you’re enjoying yourself, dear. This is one of the few days since arriving in France that the date has had any significance for us. The fact is – all days are noisy. I can think of the times when I jumped at the noise of a two-inch firecracker – and now – well the less said the better. Anyway – we’ll try to have a sane and safe 4th. The French – you remember – celebrate the 14th of July, their Bastille Day.

Another date that I remembered was yesterday’s. On July 3, 1942 I reported for active duty. Boy! Was I green! After the war, sweetheart, I’ll give you my impressions of my first few days in the Army. It was really funny. I didn’t know then how long I’d be in the service – but I sure am glad those two years are behind me. By any sort of reasoning or prognostication – more is behind me than ahead of me, and that thought, darling is very soothing.

Let’s see – this is Tuesday, I think, and if so – it must have been difficult to make a long week-end out of the Holiday, although I suppose some people were able to take Monday off. Last night at supper we got to thinking and talking about the night before the 4th in the old days – and each fellow had a slightly different version of what it was like in his city; represented were Buffalo, York Pa, Brooklyn, Portland Me, Chicago, Phila, Davenport Iowa, and Portsmouth N.H. I took care of Boston. You can see that an interesting discussion took place. All agreed however that we’d probably awaken today with clearer heads – and we did.

Awakening in the morning these days, darling, is different than it ever was before. For my own part, I feel very humble and thankful for another day, and although I don’t actually say a prayer in the morning in so many words – I do so in my mind. Nights can be hell around here for half a dozen reasons that I won’t go into – and as I said, on awakening, I – at least – feel thankful. A fellow gets to lean heavily on a prayer and the thought of a Protecting God out here. I feel glad that I’m not being hypocritical in this feeling, because in the past I have always felt the same – albeit more independently.

Darling – don’t misinterpret all of the above to mean that I’m under constant fire or anything like that. But we do hear guns go off in the distance, sometimes, as well as our own guns – and when you haven’t had quite enough sleep of a nite – you begin to think that every gun of the evening is trained just at you – and whether it is or it isn’t – you can be just as thankful in your mind for being alive.

I know I haven’t written like this before and I don’t expect I will very often, sweetheart, but it would be very idiotic of me not to have received some impressions of this whole thing, and I know I can transmit my impressions to you without making you unduly alarmed. I have not been in danger, dear, and I don’t think I will be. What I’ve described to you is just some of my inner thoughts and reactions on realizing that I’m in a war area.

There was no mail yesterday – but we have good reason to believe that there’ll be some today – and I’ll surely hear from you, dear. If your letters were ever dear to me before, you have no idea of what they mean to me here. They link me with you so inextricably that I forget about time and distance and by the time I’m through reading one of your letters I find myself projected back to Boston or Newton – or in fact – to wherever you happen to be writing about. It is good tonic, sweetheart!

Well, dear, I’ve got a few things to take care of. Our jeep ‘Wilma’ is always around and I see and say your name a hundred times a day. I hope you’re well, dear, and enjoying your work – although Boston must be hot these days. My love to the folks. So long for now – and

All my love

Greg

03 July, 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

France

3 July, 1944

Dearest fiancée –

You know that’s a real French word. Some of the French farmers ask me if I’m married. I say ‘no’ – of course – but follow it up immediately with the picture of ‘ma fiancée’. They all say “très jolie, très gentile, vous êtes très heureux” – and darling – I agree.

No mail for a couple of days – but in view of the situation – that’s understandable. Nothing much happening here, though, dear.

I get awful blue spells when the going seems slow – but now is the time we must be really patient, darling – and I guess I can hold out. I hope your patience is with you too, sweetheart.

Sorry – I can’t write more right now. Love to all at home, dear.

My everlasting love –

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about Congratulations and Continuing On

CLICK ON LETTER TO ENLARGE

Congratulatory Message
from the Secretary of War to Omar Bradley

From US Army in WWII: The Breakout and Pursuit comes this:

In keeping with the desire of Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery to get the American offensive to the south under way, General Bradley had lost no time in redeploying the VII Corps from Cherbourg. As the Cherbourg operation was ending on the last day of June, Bradley ordered the VII Corps headquarters to move to Carentan immediately to assume responsibility for an area on the east of the VIII Corps.

The new VII Corps sector, between the Prairies Marécageuses de Gorges and the flooded Taute River, covered the shallowest part of the Allied beachhead. Through Carentan passed the only highway linking the U.S. troops in the Cotentin with the Allied forces east of the Taute River. The area was considered the weakest and most sensitive part of the entire First Army front.

A road center and small seaport, Carentan was extremely vulnerable to German attack. The VII Corps positions, facing southwest toward Périers, were only three and a half miles from the center of Carentan. A German counterattack in mid-June had come to within 500 yards of retaking the town, and German field artillery continued to interdict the town and the highway bridge across the Taute River. The First Army staff did not rule out the possibility that a determined German attack might overrun Carentan, cut the Allied beachhead in two, and deny the Allies lateral communication by land. Advancing the front line south of Carentan would eliminate these dangers and the nuisance of German shelling.

More important than these defensive considerations was the offensive motivation. The VII Corps objective was a portion of the Coutances-St. Lô highway. To reach the objective the corps had to pass through a narrow and well-defined corridor constricted by adjacent marshes. Resembling an isthmus two to three miles wide, the corridor between Carentan and Périers severely limited the amount of strength that corps could bring to bear. Only after reaching the Périers-St. Lô highway would VII Corps have adequate room for deploying its forces, and there, south of the Prairies Marécageuses de Gorges, the VII Corps would be at a juncture with the VIII Corps. Continuing south, the two corps would come abreast at the Coutances-St. Lô highway, the final army objective. Should resistance disintegrate before the final objective was reached, General Bradley could use an armored division that he had in the army reserve to exploit the American success.

General Bradley had thought of launching the VII Corps attack on 3 July, at the same time the VIII Corps jumped off, but he had decided to help VIII Corps on its first day of operations by giving it temporary control of the VII Corps Artillery. He therefore postponed the VII Corps effort until 4 July, when VII Corps was to regain control of its own artillery support.

02 July, 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 403 % Postmaster, N.Y.

France

2 July, 1944

Sunday morning      0930

Dearest darling –

After 3 days in a row (I believe) of regular letters – I have to resort to this again – time, as usual, being the factor.

Things are going along well and there’s nothing particular to complain about, dear, except that I grew sad last night while listening to my radio in my tent. I don’t know the name of the song – but one phrase caught my attention and made me wince – “every day we’re apart is a day wasted” – not particularly original, darling, – but it just happened to strike me as being true. Well – I’m positive there’s more behind us than ahead of us and when we’re together, sweetheart – we’ll make each and every day count!

Nothing else new dear to tell you. I love you and have been missing you terribly – but that’s a good sign – isn’t it? Love to the family, regards from Pete who thanks you for your constancy in remembering him. All for now, darling, and

All my love

Greg

Route of the Question Mark

The middle of Page 23 from The Route of the Question Mark tells this:

July 2... St Come du Mont. The 155 mm guns in the adjoining fields made sleep impossible. The mosquitoes were in there fighting, too, and German planes were being knocked down all around us. We never strayed far from our foxholes and we slept in them every night. Farmers were continually driving live-stock through our area and a herd of horses used to gallop around, miraculously avoiding every tent.

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Fields around Saint-Côme-du-Mont,
now part of Carentan-les-Marais