12 November 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

12 November, 1944        1015

My dearest sweetheart –

It’s a gloomy Sunday morning here, gray and drizzly and were I home now I guess I’d be reading the “funnies” and staying indoors. There hasn’t been much of a sick call so far this morning and that’s why I have a little time to write right now. A little later I’ve got to see a couple of civilian patients and by that time it will be noon and time to eat, I suspect.

I have the prospects of a good Sunday dinner, though – roast chicken. The lady of the house where I stay believes I was instrumental in keeping new troops here from moving into her house and moving her out. Actually – I had very little to do with it, dear, but anyway – as I was leaving the place this a.m. – she called me and showed me a chicken about to be roasted and told me it was for me. When it’s done – I’ll bring it over to the Dispensary where a few of us will make short work of it. One of the boys will make some French fries – we have bread, butter and mustard, I believe – so you see, darling, it’s not so tough in the E.T.O.

After dinner – rain or cold – I must take some of my men and myself to some showers. That’s turning out to be quite an ordeal in this weather – but if we don’t clean up soon the Board of Health will be after us. I’m having no trouble with my laundry and haven’t had to do my own since way back in France, I guess.

We got no mail yesterday p.m. and what with Saturday night and all – I could have felt a bit blue, but we went over to the Colonel’s and played some Bridge and had a few drinks. The Colonel had some gin and some grapefruit juice – and the two combine will, as you probably know, dear. Incidentally, the Colonel was telling us of a gin drink they used to make in the Philippines when he was there: 9 parts gin, 3 parts Grenadine, 1 part lime-juice; sounds like poison to me and must be stronger than the Hooks’ original – “Purple Jesus” – By the way, dear, did you see the picture “First Comes Courage”? We saw it recently, although I imagine it must be over a year old. Merle Oberon and Brian Aherne were in it. Anyway there was one scene in it which showed the Hooks’ toast just as we used to do it at home in the good old days. And when will those good old days come again, I wonder? Can this life of ours continue to be wasted indefinitely? No matter how slow things seem to be going now – I still think that the over-all picture is good and that it can’t be so very much longer from here in. I know I don’t often talk about things like that – because idle speculation only leads to disappointment. But at some time or other, there’s bound to be a saturation point and I’m betting it will be less far off than seems possible right now. Remember, again, sweetheart, that that is my own opinion and no one else’s. We are allowed to express our own opinion only, anyway.

Say – this would have been a good year for me to be home to help you celebrate your Birthday, darling. I have no calendar here – but it seems to me that your Birthday falls on Thanksgiving, or vice versa. I’d give a lot to be back and spend the day with you – but I’ll be there in Spirit anyway. Chalk up another one that we have to make up, sweetheart. We’ve got quite a string of them now, but it makes no difference, dear, because when I’m back and married to you – every day will be a Holiday and every day will call for a Celebration.

All for now – Sweetheart, love to the folks – and

All my deepest love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about More from General Hodges

The snapshots that follow were taken from Normandy to Victory: The War Diary of General Courtney H. Hodges & the First U.S. Army, maintained by his aides Major William C. Sylvan and Captain Francis G. Smith Jr.; edited by John T. Greenwood, copyright 2008 by the Association of the United States Army, pp. 172-173.

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

11 November 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

11 November, 1944       1420

Hello again, darling!

I mean – since yesterday. Armistice Day today and what to do about it – let’s put out the light and go to bed. No, No – on second thought, yes! yes! I guess that, plus the Armistice – will have to wait a while, dear, but it should be worth waiting for. I think the Germans will probably remember this Armistice Day more than we will, unless I’m mistaken.

Last night I had a pretty quiet evening. When I finished my letter writing, I read a little – Time Magazine – and at 2100 I went to my quarters. I listened to the radio for about an hour and then fell asleep. It was a very quiet night – almost ominously so – and I found myself awakening at 0400 for no apparent reason; I guess I just wasn’t tired. I slept a total of about another hour between then and 0745 and then I got up. This a.m. I went out to A Battery again and returned here at 1100 and took care of a couple of patients. Our noon meal was delayed awhile due to a couple of minor incidents, but we finally got it. This afternoon I’d like to see a snappy football game, but instead I’ll stick around the Dispensary, darling, and write you. Now don’t pout, dear, I did not say I’d rather go to a game than write you. I guess you know dear that I love to write you more than anything else I do of a day – except possibly to read your letters – and I sure love that.

So Bea got married – and you cried, darling. If you want to cry at ours – well, you can – but I’m willing to bet I’ll have you laughing most of the time. This war has been a serious one, on the whole, dear – and it still is, for that matter. I haven’t been serious all of the time – but I owe my mind and myself a lot more gaiety then I’ve had in recent months. Therefore I’m warning you, sweetheart, I’m going to take it out on you. I like the way you plan on being my wife and how we’ll get along. I’m glad you feel you’ll be a devoted one, too; I’m sure you will be, and rest assured, dear, I won’t take advantage of you. How could I and still love you? And I do love you.

Your news of Irving and his illness was the first I had heard of it. I haven’t written to ask the folks about it because they’d worry over the fact that I might be worrying. Irving had had 2 or 3 attacks of angina pectoris, bad enough to have warranted having his heart checked with an electrocardiagram. When I read your first statement about his being taken to the hospital, I was really concerned, dear, because a coronary attack often simulates a gall-bladder attack, and vice versa; and I know Irv has been working quite strenuously. I was put at ease, though, when you wrote that he had returned home the next day – because had it been his heart, he would never have been allowed home so soon, as you know – of course. I hope he takes care of himself.

It’s swell of you to be so considerate about my mother, darling, and you do understand her. I could see that when you wrote about not wanting to call her the day Lawrence left because it might make her cry. She’s so darned sensitive; I wish there were some medicine available to make her a little less so; she’d be much better off, but I guess you can’t change her. I hope Law gets into the habit of jotting home a note frequently. It will make her feel a whole lot better.

What a question you ask – am I glad we became engaged? You ought to be spanked for even thinking it, darling. You know how happy it made me – and how happy it has kept me. I’ve told you before dear and I’ll tell you again; I consider myself the luckiest guy around – being engaged to you; you just can’t possibly realize what it has meant to me. I’ve been blue and down in the dumps a good bit – I suppose – but always I can see a silver lining when I realize that after all – regardless of anything else – I have you to come back to. That always changes the whole picture and I can then damn the Army, damn Army medicine – and feel that with you to help me – I’ll be able to tackle our future – one way or the other – after the war. Without that thought, sweetheart, believe me when I say it – this war and my set-up in it, would be completely unbearable. You – and only you, dear, make all the difference in the world.

That’s all for now, darling, I’ll have to take care of a couple of things before chow. Regards and love to the folks; Pete – whom I saw yesterday – sends his best regards, too – by the way. So long until tomorrow, dear –

All my everlasting love,

Greg.

* TIDBIT *

Armistice Day 1944

From the National Archives and Records Administration's Series: Motion Picture Films from "United News" Newsreels, compiled 1942 - 1945, comes this video.

10 November 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

10 November, 1944       1910

Dearest darling Wilma –

Well – after chasing around another day, here I am free for awhile and trying to relax by writing you, dear. It seems as if I’ve been jumping around quite a bit the past 36 hours or so, but I haven’t really traveled very far at all. I was again at A battery today and once more I didn’t get going until fairly late in the a.m. due to sick call and civilian patients. The latter are really keeping me busy, dear, and I’m seeing everything from impetigo and eczema to streptococcic sore throats and the hives. It’s welcome, for a change, too – and I’m beginning to feel like a doctor once again. But it’s odd how the minute you start practicing – so soon do you start doing night work. Last night I got into bed a little after 2100, listened to a program and a half and then started to drop off to sleep when someone began to ‘bang’ at the door, and sure enough it was a call for me. My first reaction is “the hell with them,” but dammit – I weaken right away. So – I dressed and went out and what a lousy night it was! I saw a woman who had had a severe chill and with no apparent cause; temp and pulse were normal and yet she didn’t look quite right. By the time I was through asking her questions, examining her and then getting some medicine for her – it was just after midnite, darling. Now – see what you’re in for? And I don’t even get paid for it, either – although my patients have given me all the butter and eggs I can possible eat. My ‘mother and baby’ – by the way – are doing fine and today I saw my name as the delivering doctor – on a German Birth Certificate. The boy will be named – you guessed it dear – Fritz.

I got one letter from Lawrence, today, the only letter I received. He wrote me all about his set-up and it sounded really good. I wish it could be longer than 7 weeks. I just happened to realize that a good friend of mine – a former 438th officer – and now a Capt in the Medical Administrative Corps – is at that hospital and I must write Lawrence to look him up. You were right in remarking in one of your letters that Law is a hard person to know; he is that; – but when you know him, you can’t help liking him because he’s as straightforward and honest as they come. As for the similarity in voice and manner between us, I don’t know. Off hand I’d say he’s more of a gentleman than I am.

So if we were married, dear, you’d know how to track me down, eh? I guess there’s no sense then in trying to dodge you, darling. You’d only track me down anyway; I surrender dear! I was glad to read also that you find my stationery clean, sweetheart. It’s sometimes so darned dark here that I can’t see what a sheet of paper looks like when I’ve written on it; I’ve never noticed the ‘grayness’ of your paper, though. And I’m glad to read that your mind is thinking along the right lines, too, e.g. thinking and planning where those English prints would go on a wall. I got 3 swell prints, unframed, in France; I don’t remember whether I ever told you about them or not, darling. I’ve got them in a portfolio and never found a suitable way of sending them home. They’re not very much, anyway, merely a souvenir from Carentan. There are two small outdoor scenes and one – the Cathedral at Rouen – as I remember it; I’ll try to hold onto them.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
 

Well, Sweetheart, I’ll stop now, write home and also write Lawrence. Then I have to censor some mail and check a few records in preparation for tomorrow’s reports. So again, dear, accept my deepest and sincerest love, be well, give my regards to the folks and continue to be as sweet as you are. For now, so long – and remember – my love is

Yours for always

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about the Explosion of the USS Mount Hood

Ammunition Ship USS Mount Hood (AE-11) was the lead ship of her class of ammunition ships for the United States Navy in World War II. Originally named Marco Polo, she was a cargo ship built under Maritime Commission contract. She was renamed Mount Hood on 10 November 1943, the first ship named after Mount Hood, a volcano in the Cascade Range in Oregon. Exactly one year after being renamed she was gone.

Launched on 28 November 1943, she was commissioned on 1 July 1944, with Harold A. Turner in command. Following an abbreviated fitting out and shakedown period in the Chesapeake Bay area, ammunition ship Mount Hood reported for duty on 5 August 1944. Assigned to carry her vital cargoes to the Pacific, she put into Norfolk, where her holds were loaded. On 21 August, she departed for the Panama Canal, transited that system of locks and lakes on the 27th, and continued on, independently, toward what would be her ultimate destination, Manus, the largest island in the Admiralty Islands, Papua, New Guinea. She arrived in Seeadler Harbor, 22 September, and commenced dispensing ammunition and explosives to ships preparing for the Philippine offensive.

USS Mount Hood

At 08:30, 10 November 1944, a party consisting of the communications officer, Lieutenant Lester H. Wallace, and 17 men left the ship and headed for shore. At 08:55, while walking on the beach, they saw a flash from the harbor, followed by two quick explosions. Scrambling into their boat, they headed back to their ship, only to turn around again shortly thereafter as "There was nothing but debris all around..."

USS Mount Hood Explosion

Mount Hood, anchored in about 35 feet (11 m) of water, had exploded with an estimated 3,800 tons of ordnance material on board including bombs, projectiles, fixed ammunition, rockets, both bodies and motors, smokeless powder, aerial depth bombs, and nose fuses. Torpex-loaded depth bombs were apparently coming aboard. The initial explosion caused flame and smoke to shoot up from amidships to more than masthead height. Within seconds, the bulk of her cargo detonated with a more intense explosion. Mushrooming smoke rose to 7,000 feet (2,100m), obscuring the ship and the surrounding area for a radius of approximately 500 yards (500m). Mount Hood's former position was revealed by a trench in the ocean floor 1,000 feet (300m) long, 200 feet (60m) wide, and 30 to 40 feet (9m to 12m) deep.

The largest remaining piece of the hull was found in the trench and measured no bigger than 16 by 10 feet (5m by 3m). No other remains of Mount Hood were found except fragments of metal which had struck other ships in the harbor and a few tattered pages of a signal notebook found floating in the water several hundred yards away. No human remains were recovered of the 350 men aboard Mount Hood or small boats loading alongside at the time of the explosion. The only survivors from the Mount Hood crew were the junior officer and five enlisted men who had left the ship a short time before the explosion. Two of the crew were being transferred to the base brig for trial by court martial; and the remainder of the party were picking up mail at the base post office. Charges against the prisoners were dropped following the explosion.

USS Mount Hood Cemetery in Manus

The concussion and metal fragments hurled from the ship also caused casualties and damage to ships and small craft within 2,000 yards (1,800m). The repair ship Mindanao, which was broadside-on to the blast, was the most seriously damaged. All personnel topside on Mindanao were killed outright, and dozens of men were killed or wounded below decks as numerous heavy fragments from Mount Hood penetrated the side plating. 82 of Mindanao's crew died. The damage to other vessels required more than 100,000 man-hours to repair, while 22 small boats and landing craft were sunk, destroyed, or damaged beyond repair; 371 sailors were injured from all ships in the harbor. After only a little over four months' service, Mount Hood was struck from the Naval Register on 11 December 1944.

Damage to USS Mindanao after USS Hood exploded

Although some eye-witnesses reported seeing a Japanese sub send a torpedo and some reported seeing a small Japanese plane drop a bomb, the Navy's official report following an investigation into the explosion and the reasons for it pointed to the following unsafe procedures and practices:

(A) That ammunition was being roughly handled in all parts of the ship.
(B) That boosters, fuses and detonators were stowed together in one hold in a manner contrary to regulations covering the transportation of military explosives.
(C) That broken rockets from which some powder was spilled had been stowed in two of the holds.
(D) That safety regulations for the handling of ammunition were not posted in conspicuous places throughout the ship and there was a general lack of instructions to the crew in safety measures.
(E) That pyrotechnics and napalm gel incendiaries were stowed in an open wood and tar-paper hut on deck under hazardous conditions near the hatch to Number Four hold.
(F) That there was evidence that fuzes, detonators and other ammunition were accepted on board which were definitely defective and should have been destroyed or disposed of by dumping in deep water.
(G) That fire hoses were not laid out. There was evidence that fire drills were infrequently held.
(H) That there was a lack of enforcing the prohibition of smoking in small boats alongside the ammunition vessel.

While "(G)" was certainly a breach in procedures, it is unlikely that fire hoses or previous drills could have saved the lives of those on board.

09 November 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

9 November, 1944

Hello darling –

It’s 1700 and I’ve just got back from a busy day visiting one of our batteries. I’d no sooner go out when I’d get a call to come back to see a patient; that happened twice; then I got a call to come back because some officers were looking over the house where I was billeted with a view to moving in. So I dashed back again to protect my rights – and succeeded. Everyone is trying to get indoors – and you practically have to stand guard – not to lose your ‘home’. I went back to the Battery again, but by this time I had lost all interest in inspecting and I headed back here. And my spirits picked up tremendously when I read your letter of the 26th, sweetheart. Your letters sure do give me a lift, dear, – and I thought you knew that. I love what you write, how you write it – and I guess – everything else about you. Will stop for now and try to write more tomorrow. Love to the folks – and so long for now.

All my deepest love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about What General Hodges was Writing

The snapshots that follow were taken from Normandy to Victory: The War Diary of General Courtney H. Hodges & the First U.S. Army, maintained by his aides Major William C. Sylvan and Captain Francis G. Smith Jr.; edited by John T. Greenwood, copyright 2008 by the Association of the United States Army, pp. 168-170.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

08 November 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

8 November, 1944       1040

Good Morning, darling!

Well – we’ve been getting short election returns on the hour since 0700 this morning and it looks as if our man made it. The last flash at 1000 conceded 36 states to Roosevelt and said that Dewey had already congratulated the President. I’m glad that all that is over with because I have a suspicion we’ll really get going now, dear. I think the majority of the soldiers wanted to see Roosevelt re-elected whether they like him or not.

Yesterday was another quiet day here and I took care of routine duties most of the day. In case you’re not sure what those are, sweetheart, I’ll tell you. First of all – they are never the same. On the whole, though, when I am around it means supervising sick call, answering the phone a dozen times in the morning, telling this battery commander or that what is wrong with a soldier or where an injured soldier has been evacuated. Before I know it – it’s noon. In the p.m. I very often speak with the Colonel about some situation or other in one of the Batteries – concerning sanitation health and morale. For some reason or other he thinks I’m a good judge of the latter and he often asks me about that. In the late p.m. our daily S-2 report comes in and we study that quite carefully because it has a great deal of information on it these days. Then it is supper time and after that – either Bridge or a little reading. Last nite I read a Medical Journal and then got to bed early. My routine duties were never so organized as they have been the past several weeks – but that’s because we haven’t been tearing cross-country for some time, pretty soon though – I hope, dear.

We got no mail again yesterday and it seems as if they throw in a few bags here and there just to keep the boys satisfied. I’ve been rather fortunate, darling, but some of the other boys haven’t had a letter in days. I was sorry to read that Lois hadn’t heard from her husband in some time; undoubtedly she has by now – but they had some tough fighting down around where her husband has been – although I guess it’s tough everywhere.

Today marks one year since we left Camp Edwards and I’ll never forget how I hated to get on that train. We had turned in all our excess equipment, we had combat clothes and we knew that this time it was no false alarm; what I knew or felt more keenly was the fact I was leaving the vicinity of Boston, of home – of those I loved and I was truly unhappy. You and I were in – shall I say an awkward stage? I think we both knew then that we wanted each other – but time had run out too fast for us. It drizzled all the way down to New York and it was raining when we got off the train. Then with full packs and all, we had to hike about 2½ miles – uphill. We were a sad lot when we arrived. And then we really had a hectic week. We gave shots, did examinations, filled out blanks etc. We had that one pass to N. York and that was that. I sure wouldn’t like to go through all that again, believe me, darling – it was unpleasant. I’ll be very much interested in what my letters sounded like. All was a mess of contradictions and rumors; we could or could not do this; we could write this and not that; we couldn’t telephone, telegraph etc. I guess I broke about every rule in the Army books – but I was sure beginning to miss you, darling, and I haven’t stopped missing you for one moment since – and darling – I won’t stop missing you until that day I take you in my arms and say I’m back for good. All for now, dear, love to the folks and

All my sincerest love –

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about the 1944 Election Results

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE


As printed in The Miami Times on 8 November 1944:



The Facts

Nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt Thomas E. Dewey Party Democratic Republican Home state New York New York Running mate Harry S. Truman John W. Bricker Electoral vote 432 99 States carried 36 12 Popular vote 25,612,916 22,017,929 Percentage 53.4% 45.9%

Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by Dewey/Bricker, Blue denotes those won by Roosevelt/Truman. Numbers indicate the number of electoral votes allotted to each state.

07 November 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

7 November, 1944       1300

My dearest sweetheart –

I got two swell letters from you yesterday – the only two the medical detachment received – by the way – and I’m getting caught up now a bit on your mail, dear. I hope mine is coming through to you a bit better too. You remark in one of your letters that “so long for now” is a G-I expression, or so you believe. I’ve always used those words, dear, and I don’t think I picked it up in the Army – but I’ve been in so damned long now – I really don’t remember a good many things about my civilian days. Do you realize, sweetheart, that you have never known me as a civilian but only as a soldier? I wonder how you’ll find me? As a matter of fact, I wonder how I’ll find myself. I guess every soldier finds himself thinking about that. It will be strange wearing different colored socks, and a tie around our necks. It’s a year since I’ve had one on – except of course when we had a pass in England. And I’m getting a little tired of this damned brownish-green stuff we wear. Every now and then I open my val-a-pac and air out my pinks and blouse; it’s so darned damp here we have to watch out for molds. They sure look fancy compared to the way we look these days. Now how did I get started on that? I’ll be crying on someone’s shoulder if I don’t stop – and I don’t really feel that way at all. You’ll marry me in uniform too – won’t you dear? I really think that once we get back to the States we’ll be de-mobilized quickly anyway.

I forgot all about the statement of mine concerning AA and the Pacific, dear. I wrote that to your mother and apparently forgot to mention it to you. And it wasn’t just a statement by a yokel – it was made by the commanding General of all AA – who happened to be on a tour over here and visited our battalion. He ought to be in a position to know. There was a time in our early days in Normandy when we were all worrying about that. There was so little of the Luftwaffe around for us to shoot at we figured we might be transferred. But later on we started getting targets and the artillery and infantry have recognized our value, I think. I’m worried more about the possibility of Lawrence having to go to the Pacific theater. I shouldn’t like that at all.

I didn’t know Red Perkins – but it’s a sad tale just the same. It’s the same old story – the folks at home are the ones that catch the most hell. That thought, incidentally dear, has always worried me more than anything else since I’ve been a soldier, and more recently since I’ve been in a combat area.

Say – you were feeling pretty high one day at the office – weren’t you – and without liquor – I presume! The idea of telling me you have a “funny” feeling, etc. and then adding that you are not pregnant!! What a day and age! You know, dear, psychically – you might be – for – I can dream, can’t I? And that Ginsburg story! Never mind, nevermind.

Oh – I was glad to read you received the bracelet. I haven’t received your letter telling me you had received yours, but in a later letter you mention Eleanor’s receiving hers and then add that you like yours. I thought it would be too big – but the fellow who makes them insisted they are worn loose and almost over the hand. And about that German helmet – I should have thought of it myself. They’re not so easy to get now – as they were back in France when the Germans were falling back headlong, but I’ll keep my eyes open – and the 1^st one I get hold of, I’ll send to him.

That’s all for the nonce, sweetheart; I’ve got to see a soldier with a possible fracture of the knee-cap – so I’ll be off. Until tomorrow, so long, dear, love to the folks – and

My everlasting love is yours –

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about The 28th Infantry in the Huertgen Forest
6-12 November 1944

Perhaps the most comprehensive collection of materials concerning "The Battle of the Huertgen Forest" was found on the former "Scorpio's Website". Most of the following was extracted from various parts of that site.

Fighting on 5 and 6 November took on a confusing and fragmented pattern. Small unit engagements occurred in the zones of all three regiments. The 110th Regiment had settled into a battle of attrition with the enemy. Progress was impossible given the ferocity of the enemy resistance, the well-positioned obstacles, and the difficult nature of the terrain. Soldiers of the regiment dug in almost within hand grenade range of the enemy. Each day they received new orders to attack and each day leaders forced men from their holes. Within minutes, the advance would be halted and soldiers would return to their cold, wet foxholes. Such persistence almost completely shattered the offensive capability of the 110th.

In the north, the 109th was also subjected to strong German pressure, but managed to hold on to its positions. In this portion of the forest, it was difficult for the Germans to support their attacks with armor. The lesson for both forces was that even in this restrictive terrain, attacks without armor support had little chance of success. The Germans managed to briefly cut the only supply route into Kommerscheidt, but a small American task force of armor and infantry reopened the Kall Trail on the morning of the sixth. The situation for the 28th was growing worse by the hour. By now the regiments discarded all thought of counter-offensive operations, they were instead fighting for their lives. Incredibly, the division continued to order units to attack, few of which complied. Many of the infantry companies were now well below 50 percent strength.

The 28th had lost all offensive capability and was fighting to survive. The division began to push replacements forward; at the head of the line were the 250 soldiers that the division trained in October. Brought forward during the night, these frightened and inexperienced soldiers were put into foxholes with little or no training. As an example, on 8 November, the 2/112 (2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry), with an authorized strength of approximately 850, received 515 replacements. Even more incredibly, the battalion received the mission to attack on the following morning. It was impossible for any unit to accept such large numbers of replacements and remain an effective force. For the unfortunate replacements it was almost a case of murder. Many of them would be evacuated at each sunrise, victims of trenchfoot, battle fatigue or enemy fire.

The enemy was not the only source of casualties within the 28th. The cold and wet weather, with temperatures hovering around freezing, took a terrible toll on soldiers. Trenchfoot and respiratory infection cases skyrocketed. Many soldiers were still without necessary cold weather clothing items such as overboots, field jackets, woolen caps, and long underwear. The continual lack of hot rations also damaged the health and morale of soldiers. Rations consisted of cold K-Rations or C-Rations and many soldiers ceased eating. The situation was much too dangerous to risk bringing hot meals or drinks forward. The soldiers were also unable to build fires, since their proximity to the enemy was sure to draw rifle and mortar fire. Less than a week into the operation the division was virtually worn out as a fighting force.

On the morning of 6 November, another infantry battalion collapsed. This time it was the 2/112th, defending an exposed position along a ridge near the town of Vossenack. The battalion had been subjected to almost continuous fire from German artillery for three days. Soldiers, most of them green replacements, had become so demoralized that leaders had to force them to eat and drink. Finally, they were pushed beyond the breaking point. Imagining themselves about to be overrun, first one soldier, then another began to head for the rear. The panic became overpowering for many of the soldiers. The efforts of officers and NCO's could halt only a small percentage. There had been no German counterattack, only blind panic. The 2/112th was left with only a thin line of resistance holding half of the town. An engineer battalion rushed in to bolster the defenses. The next morning the engineers attacked and within hours cleared the remainder of Vossenack of German resistance.

On 7 November 1944 the Germans struck the 1/112th in Kommerscheidt, protected from air attack by a steady winter rain. The defenders held firm initially, but gradually began to pull back under the weight of the German attack. The 1st Battalion conducted its withdrawal in good order and managed to reestablish a weak defensive line just outside the town. The panic that had impacted the other two battalions of the 112th did not occur in Kommerscheidt. In a pitched fight, the Americans knocked out six Panzers against three M-10s and two Shermans lost.

In the middle of the fight, an erroneous message directed Colonel Peterson to report immediately to the division command post, leaving Colonel Ripple in command. The regimental commander reluctantly left the position with two men and a jeep and started down the trail that led to Vossenack. At the bottom of the draw the party was ambushed. Colonel Peterson and Private First Class Seiler were able to get away only to be cut down a few seconds later. Colonel Peterson was seriously wounded. After being left for dead, he managed to drag himself out of the draw where he was picked up and carried back to the Division Command Post. When Cota saw Peterson arrive, exhausted, twice-wounded and semi-delirious, the general fainted. Here Peterson learned that the message he had received was not sent by the Division Commaner. Who sent the message was never determined.

By noon the Germans had reduced the village. Driven out, the last Americans, with only two tank destroyers and one tank left, narrowly held on to the woods line above the Kall Gorge. By the end of the day, the defenders had been pushed from the town. The following day, this small group of infantry and armor, along with other scattered elements still on the east side of the Kall River, withdrew to the west bank. This withdrawal effectively ended offensive operations for the division. The 28th division ordered further attacks in the zones of the 109th and 110th Regiments. The units executed the attacks with little determination and achieved nothing except to add to the division's casualty totals. Finally, on 14 November, the Huertgen ordeal came to an end for the 28th Infantry Division.

The second attack on Schmidt had developed into one of the most costly US divisional actions in the whole of the Second World War. In all, the 28th Division and attached units had lost 6,184 men. Hardest hit was the 112th infantry: 232 men captured, 431 missing, 719 wounded, 167 killed, and 544 non-battle casualties — a total of 2,093.

06 November 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Germany

6 November, 1944       1305

Dearest sweetheart –

We’re really missing all the pre-election ballyhoo over here and it’s already the 6th – with tomorrow the big day. I hope it will be Roosevelt because the German propaganda on the radio has been terrific, and if he should perchance lose no one would be happier than the Nazis who would certainly push the fact down our throats. It’s for that reason more than any other that I hope Roosevelt is re-elected. I think the conduct of the war would be little affected if Dewey became President, although Roosevelt is undoubtedly the stronger man for post-war days.

Yesterday, darling, was another quiet day and I remained close to battalion all day. I had a couple more private patients and a few of our own boys showed up for sick-call. My newly delivered mother is doing fine – as is the baby, by the way. In the p.m. Headquarters made another attempt to show “The Primitive Man” – and the projector was O.K. I got more of a kick out of the picture than I expected – it was just slap-stick enough to cause us to chuckle and it helped pass a couple of otherwise boring hours. The evening was especially dull – and I got into bed at nine; I was kind of tired from being up the night before on that delivery. I listened to the news and then heard a re-broadcast of a Charlie McCarthy program – and before I knew it – I was off to sleep – undisturbed except for one short interval.

This morning I was up early and almost went to Liege with a patient – but I sent my driver in alone. I thought I might look around and buy something but changed my mind when I heard what one of our officers had to say. He had just come back from a 5 day trip in which he went after our monthly liquor ration. He spent two days in Paris and raved about the city, its life, etc. I’ve heard that from several sources now and it must be true. All agree that London and New York have to take second place to Paris. But they have gone haywire on prices; cognac is 80 francs ($1.60) for less than an ounce, beer is 40 francs a glass, and goods in the stores are practically beyond reach. What makes everyone sore is that all prices in legitimate markets have been established or O.K.’ed by the Civil Government – under American control. They’re really racketeering – are the Frenchmen and I guess the way they figure it – it’s a long time between wars. Anyway – I sent all my last month’s pay home to be deposited – although I could cash a check if I had a chance to take off for a day or two.

Say – dear – I know I can’t stop you from worrying – but I don’t want you to worry about me too much. There was a time you wrote me that you didn’t worry, you had faith – and all would be all right. Well you better go back to that way of thinking sweetheart, because it’s healthier in the long run. I’m all right and taking good care of myself, and what is more – I plan to continue to do the same. I have faith, too, and what is also very very important, dear, I have a goal in life, I have something worthwhile to come home to – and I want to come home to that very very much; that makes all the difference in the world, darling, so just sit back and relax a bit – because all will be well some day and we’ll both have what we want more than anything else in the world – each other.

All for now, dear; my love to the folks and

All my everlasting love,

Greg.

* TIDBIT *

about Franklin Delano Roosevelt's
1944 Run for the Presidency

From The Miller Center at the University of Virginia's American President: A Reference Resource comes this summary of the Presidential Election of 1944:

In 1944, in the midst of war, Roosevelt made it known to fellow Democrats that he was willing to run for a fourth term. Democrats, even conservative southerners who had long been suspicious of FDR's liberalism, backed Roosevelt as their party's best chance for victory. FDR received all but 87 of the votes of the 1,075 delegates at the Democratic National Convention. The real intrigue came with the Democratic nomination for vice president. FDR decided against running with his current vice president, the extremely liberal Henry Wallace, fearing that Wallace's politics would open a rift in the party between liberals (concentrated in the northeast) and conservatives (largely hailing from the south.) Instead, Senator Harry Truman of Missouri, who had the backing of the south, the big-city bosses in the party, and at least the tacit approval of FDR, took the vice-presidential nomination.

Republicans nominated Thomas Dewey, the popular governor of New York State, chosen with only one Republican delegate voting against him. Dewey ran as a moderate Republican, promising not to undo the social and economic reforms of the New Deal, but instead to make them more efficient and effective. Dewey, like Willkie four years earlier, was an internationalist in foreign affairs, voicing support for a postwar United Nations. One of Dewey's most effective gambits was to raise discreetly the age issue. He assailed the President as a "tired old man" with "tired old men" in his cabinet, pointedly suggesting that the President's lack of vigor had produced a less than vigorous economic recovery.

FDR, as most observers could see from his weight loss and haggard appearance, was a tired man in 1944. But upon entering the campaign in earnest in late September, 1944, Roosevelt displayed enough passion and fight to allay most concerns and to deflect Republican attacks. With the war still raging, he urged voters not to "change horses in mid-stream." Just as important, he showed some of his famous campaign fire. In a classic speech before the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, FDR belittled the Republican attacks on him. In recalling the charges from a Minnesota congressman who accused FDR of sending a battleship to Alaska to retrieve his dog Fala, FDR had this to say: