19 June 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 513 % Postmaster, N.Y.

19 June, 1945      1000

Reims, France

My dearest sweetheart –

Let’s see – I last wrote you on Friday the 15th and this is Tuesday. We left Leipzig at 0800 in convoy and did about 200 miles along the Autobahn. We stayed for the night in the outskirts of a town named Giessen. The outfit pitched tents in a large field – but a couple of us went into the nearest village, saw the Burgermeister and got a nice clean bed for the night.

Geissen, Germany today

We left early the next day – that was Sunday and kept traveling west and a little South. We passed Frankfort on the Main, then Mainz, crossed the Rhine below Mainz and then the Moselle at Trier. This all was very beautiful country and the ride was enjoyable. We did more than 200 miles the second day.

Before hitting France – we passed thru a delightful small country – Luxembourg – and the City of Luxembourg is one of the prettiest I’ve seen over here. Well – we finally got here to Reims, dear, and not to Chalons – as I had written you. We got our mission too – and we’re not too pleased, although no one can tell what’s what – these days – anyway. We are to become M.P.’s!! – not the medics of course – although we still stay with the outfit. We live in a tent city here in Reims for about a week – while the men take a course in M.P. duty – and then – as orders read now – we go to Nancy – for our Hq – and in addition – we cover the cities of Metz, Dijou and Epernay i.e. – there’ll be a battery in each city. Now, what do you think of that, darling? How long it will be – no one knows right now – of course – but there are other Cat. IV outfits doing the same thing. It seems that the mechanism of getting all men in the outfit ready for eventual discharge – takes time. Newer men, replacements – etc. – with fewer points, have to be weeded out and the outfit – filled with high point men. Then – when this is done – the outfit is ready for sailing home and discharge en masse upon arrival.

Tent City at Reims - June 1945

Where I come into the picture, sweetheart, I don’t know. It seems as if my chances of being dropped out of the outfit are about 50-50. If I’m dropped right away, the chances are I’d be added to an outfit going to the States and then to the Pacific. If I stay on here and am overlooked, because the outfit is small and easily forgotten about, I’ll build up good time, and even if I’m eventually separated – I’ll have a pretty good background by that time – against going to the P.T.O. And do you want to know how I feel about it all, darling? I’ll tell you. Despite the fact that I hate the thought of the Pacific – I’m so fed up, and bored with all this, I’m so dreadfully homesick for you and my family – that I’d gladly settle right now for a trip home for 30 days – even if the penalty were the Pacific. I’m terribly blue right now, sweetheart, and I miss you fiercely. Each day now seems endless – and I just don’t know where I am or fit in the scheme of things. This mood will pass over, I know, and I’m sure that as I look back at things later on – I’ll realize that this all was for the best. I’ve been pretty lucky so far and I guess I’ll just have to hang on to that a little while longer.

We won’t get mail for some time, I guess – but our official APO is now 513. I’d love to hear from you soon, but I’ll have to wait – just like everyone else does. I haven’t had a chance to see much of the city yet – but I will. The Cathedral here is one of the world’s most famous.

Reims Cathedral today



Reims Cathedral - June 1945

I’ll stop now, darling, and write tomorrow. I’m still a little tired from the long trip. Be well, dear, and remember always – how much I love you – and I hope that makes you feel just a bit better. I do love you and strongly and constantly and I always will, sweetheart.

So long for now and love to the folks.

All my deepest love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

Reims Cathedral

From the online Encyclopedia Britannica comes this.

Reims Cathedral, also called the Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Reims, is located in the city of Reims, France, on the Vesle River east-northeast of Paris. Reims was the site of 25 coronations of the kings of France, from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825, including the crowning of Charles VII in 1429 in the presence of Joan of Arc. The cathedral, which was begun in 1211 under the auspices of Archbishop Aubry de Humbert and designer Jean d’Orbais, was modeled on Chartres Cathedral (begun about 1194) and was intended to replace an earlier church destroyed by fire in 1210. The main construction was overseen by four different architects and lasted some 80 years; expansions and decorative work continued on the church for centuries.

Reims Cathedral incorporated several new architectural techniques, notably bar tracery. It has a total finished length of 489 feet (149.2 meters)—about 26 feet (8 meters) longer than Chartres—with an interior length of 455 feet (138.7 meters) and a nave reaching 377 feet (115 meters). The twin towers in the west facade have a height of 266 feet (81 meters). The chevet (eastern end), with its five relatively large chapels, is nearly the same width as the transept (201 feet [61.3 meters]), giving the cathedral an unusually compact, unified appearance. This unity is emphasized by the use of nearly identical window types in the aisle and clerestory stories, as well as the complementary rose windows in the west facade and central portal and those in the transepts’ facades. Reims is richly decorated with elegant masonry sculpture (particularly the exterior) and exceptional stained-glass windows, making it one of the artistic masterpieces of the French High Gothic period.

The cathedral’s historic site, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991, includes the former Abbey of Saint-Rémi (begun about 1170 and containing the remains of the 5th–6th century archbishop St. Remigius) and the archiepiscopal Tau Palace (reconstructed in the 17th century). Restoration was undertaken in the 20th century after the cathedral was seriously damaged by shelling during World War I.

18 June 1945

No letter today. Just this:

Here are some photos Greg took on the way
from Leipzig to Reims, 16-18 June 1945


Mainz - June 1945


The Rhine at Mainz - June 1945


The Rhine and the Moselle Meet - June 1945


Village near Trier on the Moselle - June 1945


Village along the Moselle - June 1945


Railroad Bridge thru Luxembourg City - June 1945
and now (below)



Luxembourg - June 1945
and now (below)



Luxembourg - June 1945
and now (below)



* TIDBIT *

about Too Much of a Good Thing
"The Clap:" Then and Now

On 18 June 1945 TIME Magazine, (Vol. XLV, No. 25) published this article concerning the new use of penicillin to treat gonorrhea.

Medicine: Quick Cure

Not so long ago, "the clap" used to be considered "no worse than a bad cold." Thanks to this cavalier attitude, many a child has become blind, many a woman made sterile, many an, oldster made insane. Syphilis killed its thousands, but gonorrhea crippled its tens of thousands.

Ever since penicillin's potency against the gonococcus was discovered, health experts have hoped it would eventually provide a quick treatment that a doctor could give in his office. Hitherto gonorrhea patients have had to be hospitalized (expensive) or treated repeatedly (difficult because many are too irresponsible to keep appointments).

Using penicillin dissolved in water, treatment was gradually worked down to three hypodermic injections two hours apart. Then came the discovery, announced last year (TIME, Sept. 11), that penicillin mixed with beeswax and peanut oil is disseminated slowly through the body, keeping the penicillin content of blood high for hours. The Public Health Service acted swiftly. To 137 doctors throughout the land went instructions and the penicillin mixture with the request that they try single injections of 200,000 units (2 cc.) on as many patients as possible and report the results. Back came results on 1,060 cases: over 91% apparently cured, regardless of sex, color or stage of the disease. Many of the failures were cured by a second injection. The rest were re-treated — and nearly all cured — by slower penicillin methods.

Note: Penicillin is also effective against syphilis (TIME, Oct. 25, 1943). Standard treatment with arsenic compounds used to take months or years. Penicillin treatment is a matter of weeks.

Sixty-seven years (less 12 days) later, from the World Health Organization's web site comes this article about how some gonorrhea is now resistant to all known drugs once used to kill it.

WHO: Urgent action needed to prevent the spread of untreatable gonorrhea

6 June 2012 | Geneva -

Millions of people with gonorrhea may be at risk of running out of treatment options unless urgent action is taken, according WHO. Already several countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom are reporting cases of resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics – the last treatment option against gonorrhea. Every year an estimated 106 million people are infected with gonorrhea, which is transmitted sexually.

“Gonorrhea is becoming a major public health challenge, due to the high incidence of infections accompanied by dwindling treatment options,” says Dr Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, from the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at WHO. “The available data only shows the tip of the iceberg. Without adequate surveillance we won’t know the extent of resistance, and without research into new antimicrobial agents, there could soon be no effective treatment for patients.”

In new guidance issued today, WHO is calling for greater vigilance on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatment regimens for gonococcal infections. WHO’s Global Action Plan to control the spread and impact of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhea also calls for increased monitoring and reporting of resistant strains as well as better prevention, diagnosis and control of gonococcal infections.

Health implications are important

Gonorrhea makes up one quarter of the four major curable sexually-transmitted infections. Since the development of antibiotics, the pathogen has developed resistance to many of the common antibiotics used as treatment, including penicillin, tetracyclines and quinolones.

“We are very concerned about recent reports of treatment failure from the last effective treatment option – the class of cephalosporin antibiotics – as there are no new therapeutic drugs in development,” says Dr Lusti-Narasimhan. “If gonococcal infections become untreatable, the health implications are significant.”

Antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is caused by the unrestricted access to anti-microbials, overuse and poor quality of antibiotics, as well as natural genetic mutations within disease organisms. In addition, gonorrhea strains tend to retain genetic resistance to previous antibiotics even after their use has been discontinued. The extent of this resistance worldwide is not known due to lack of reliable data for gonorrhea in many countries and insufficient research.

Gonorrhea

Untreated gonococcal infection can cause health problems in men, women and newborn babies including:

• infection of the urethra, cervix and rectum;
• infertility in both men and women;
• a significantly increased risk of HIV infection and transmission;
• ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, stillbirths and premature deliveries; and
• severe eye infections occur in 30-50% of babies born to women with untreated gonorrhea, which can lead to blindness.

Gonorrhea can be prevented through safer sexual intercourse. Early detection and prompt treatment, including of sexual partners, is essential to control sexually transmitted infections.

17 June 1945

No letter today. Just this:

* TIDBIT *

about The U.S. Army Signal Corps and
United News Newsreels

Today's "embedded journalists" may certainly be compared to WWII's US Army Signal Corps photographers. From the Holocaust Encyclopedia on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's web site came this:

The US Army Signal Corps began in 1860, with the appointment of Dr. Albert J. Myer, a physician, as Chief Signal Officer. Under his command, the unit transformed sign language used to communicate with deaf persons into a semaphore system incorporating red and white “wigwag” flags. During the Civil War, the Signal Corps operated air balloons and telegraph machines. By the time the United States entered World War I in 1917, the corps had integrated the airplane and more advanced technology into its communications systems.

In World War II, the Signal Corps' size and role in military affairs increased dramatically. From a staff of 27,000 persons, it expanded to over 350,000 men and women by 1945. The need to coordinate swift and accurate communication for air, ground, and naval units required more sophisticated technology and services. The Signal Corps pioneered in the development of radar to detect approaching aircraft as well as mobile communications and deciphering machines.

In addition to its primary role in military transmissions, the unit also played a key role in producing training films for army and civilian personnel, and documenting combat missions. During World War II, noted Hollywood producers, directors, and photographers (such as Darryl Zanuck, Frank Capra, John Huston, and George Stevens) all served in the Signal Corps. They brought their talents in the motion picture studio to the field of battle, while dozens of others provided instruction to the personnel.

In the European theater of operations (ETO), Signal Corps photographers took part in the landings in North Africa, Italy, and later Normandy. On D-Day (June 6, 1944), members of the unit hit the Utah and Omaha beaches, forwarding the first film of the amphibious assaults to England via carrier pigeons. The Signal Corps subsequently documented every major military campaign in the ETO, producing millions of feet of combat film and hundreds of thousands of developed still images. From these sources, the Army supplied the news media in the United States and elsewhere with imagery of the war, using 24-hour air delivery service and later sophisticated telephoto electronic-transmission equipment.

In the course of photographing World War II, the Signal Corps also played a crucial role in documenting evidence of Nazi atrocities and the Holocaust. Many of the early still and moving pictures of newly liberated Nazi concentration camps were taken by Army photographers such as Arnold E. Samuelson and J Malan Heslop. A number of these images were later transmitted to news agencies in America and other countries, where they helped to inform the world about the horrors of Nazism and the plight of concentration camp prisoners.The US Army and the Allied military governments of Germany eventually used these photographs to confront German prisoners of war in the United States and the German population with the evidence of Nazi crimes.

From Ancestry.com's website comes this information about "United News" newsreels.

The U.S. Office of War Information (OWI) was created during World War II. Part of its role was to oversee U.S. propaganda and promote patriotism. As part of this role, the OWI produced 267 newsreels called the United News. These newsreels were shown throughout the U.S., but were targeted to overseas viewers. The reels were released in several languages, including German. However, they were primarily distributed to allied and neutral countries.

Newsreels averaged 10 minutes in length and consisted of U.S. military footage depicting allied military operations and other events from the home front. Much of the footage was taken by military combat photographers and is in excellent condition. Some of the better known WWII events depicted in these newsreels include:

• Marines Raise Flag Over Iwo Jima
• D-Day
• Japanese Sign Final Surrender
• Invasion of Sicily
• MacArthur Returns to the Philippines

Here is an example of a United News newsreel.

Here is this newsreel's description from YouTube:

National Archives and Records Administration - ARC 39071, LI 208-UN-164 - FINAL VICTORY ON OKINAWA--ALLIES INVADE BORNEO [ETC.] - DVD Copied by Thomas Gideon. Series: Motion Picture Films from "United News" Newsreels, compiled 1942 - 1945.

Part 1, Gen. Buckner observes artillery of the 10th Army and Navy planes blasting Japanese positions on Okinawa. Australian troops land on Borneo and Gen. MacArthur arrives. Navy torpedo boats assault a Borneo oil depot.

Part 2, sections of a floating drydock are launched in the U.S. and assembled in Pacific waters. A cruiser is repaired.

Part 3, Gen. Eisenhower, accompanied by Eleanor Roosevelt, visits F.D.R.'s grave at Hyde Park.

Part 4, the Queen Elizabeth arrives in New York with returning veterans.

16 June 1945

No letter today. Just this:

* TIDBIT *

about One San Francisco Conference Report

This San Francisco Conference Report, as it was heard over NBC on 16 June 1945, was posted on "Past Daily" from the Gordon Skene Sound Collection.

That post stated:

We were still less than two months away from the end of World War 2, but even in June of 1945 the movement was afoot to establish the United Nations as soon as possible. Held in San Francisco, the members of the U.N. gathered and got busy hammering out a Charter, trying to succeed where the League of Nations had fallen apart.

This broadcast from 16 June 1945, part of the NBC Radio Series "Our Foreign Policy", featured a discussion of the charter and the day's activities by Undersecretary of State, Archibald Macleish, and Dean of Barnard College, Virginia Gildersleeve, who was the sole female representative from the U.S.

Dean Virginia Gildersleve: “The Human Rights Commission is expected to draft a Bill of Rights for all mankind that will be comparable to our own Bill of Rights in our own Constitution. It will investigate abuses in this field, and do continuous research, and in general serve the conscience of the United Nations.”

The irony in all this is that Gildersleeve, as Dean of Barnard College, was adamant about preventing the number of Jewish students enrolling in the college. She was also adamantly against the formation of Israel. It would appear the concept of Human Rights applied to other countries and other people, not necessarily her.

And somehow a charter was adopted.

[Click below to hear the report from Past Daily]

Report From The San Francisco Conference – June 16, 1945
Gordon Skene Sound Collection.

15 June 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 339 % Postmaster, N.Y.

15 June, 1945       0755

Leipzig

My dearest sweetheart –

I’m off to an early start this morning because I have beaucoups things to do. We stayed at this C.P. for a fairly long time and as a result, we’re spread out – clothes, boxes, pajamas, bed-slippers – articles which we usually left packed away when we were moving rapidly, are all over the place now. I think there’ll be enough clothes left behind in France by departing troops to take care of all of France’s poorly clothed population. I know personally we’ll just have to leave a lot behind.

Tomorrow we have a rather early breakfast and then take off. The weather has been rotten here this week – but I’m hoping that it will clear up and warm up by tomorrow. It makes it nicer traveling.

And our mail situation seems to have deteriorated completely. Nothing at all has been coming in – and there’s sure to be a lapse now that we’re changing locations. I wonder if my mail has been reaching you regularly.

Say, dear, I was glad to read that you were doing a little driving. Could it be in anticipation of my return home? As I remember it, you were going to have your license before then – and you’d better keep your promise. As a matter of fact I don’t know whether I’ll want to do all the driving at first – or note at all. I’ve been chauffered around so long now, I’m getting used to having someone else do the driving. Army rules are still strict about officers not driving. I believe the reason is that in case of an accident – an officer can be held responsible and made to pay damages; a soldier cannot.

I enjoyed your little card “Missin’ You”. I got a bit dizzy getting it unfolded correctly – but the sentiment was correct, dear, and thanks for sending it. Gosh this country hasn’t got a store in it where you could buy anything like a card with a little color in it – or just a card. I’ll really be glad to get out of here. It’s the drabbest most morbid place in the world – and I’m fed up with it. The whole of Europe is literally lousy and dirty – and the United States are really going to look good. It was the same in England – and the fact is there’s just no place anywhere – quite like America. This side of the world has taken quite a beating. A lot of things you see don’t get into the papers. The once proud super-race of Germans is quite the opposite now. Men, boys and girls gather around in front of the movie entrance and dive for the cigarette butts the soldiers throw away. These are well dressed people – and not hobos. At every meal there are dozens of kids and adults lined up near our garbage pails – yes, dear, that’s true; and when the slop is thrown in – they each in turn have a crack at it. Some of the bolder kids will ask the soldier to dump his mess kit with a little cereal left in it or a half-pancake – into the pail – and some of them do. It’s sickening – but I haven’t yet felt sorry for the bastards. There’s always a terrific scramble for the coffee grounds and the left over bread crumbs. It will be the same in France – and it’s the same in every country around Europe’s border. I’m sick of it – although I’m in sympathy with all the peoples except the Germans who obviously hate us and yet come begging. But boy oh boy! Are they ever scared of the Russians who, they know, will be taking over this territory soon. As tough as it is for them now, it’s going to be worse – because at least we don’t bother them.

Well – I didn’t mean to get started on such a sorry subject, sweetheart. Actually – despite my morbid feelings of the past few days, I’m very happy inside. The fact that I’m heading westward – even if I can’t make it home in one session – is a very enjoyable feeling. I love you so, darling – my one regret these days is that you have to go thru the uncertainty of waiting, waiting. But, sweetheart, I just can’t help it. We can find solace in the fact that the war is over, and I will be coming home – a little sooner, a little later – but I’m coming back. And when I do – our lives begin anew.

Gotta go – dear. Love to the folks and

All my deepest, sincerest love,

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about Navajo Code Talkers' Code


Navajo Code Talkers

Taken from the Official Site of the Navajo Code comes this:

It is the only unbroken code in modern military history. It baffled the Japanese forces of WWII. It was even indecipherable to a Navajo soldier taken prisoner and tortured on Bataan. In fact, during test evaluations, Marine cryptologists said they couldn't even transcribe the language, much less decode it.

The secret code created by the Navajo Code Talkers was a surprisingly simple marvel of cryptographic innovation. It contained native terms that were associated with specialized or commonly used military language, as well as native terms that represented the letters in the alphabet.

In a simple, memorable way, the military terms tended to resemble the things with which they were associated. For example, the Navajo word for tortoise, "chay-da-gahi," meant tank, and a dive-bomber, "gini," was a "chicken hawk," (a bird which dives on its prey). Sometimes the translation was more literal, as in "besh-lo" (iron fish) which meant submarine; other times it was metaphorical, as in "ne-he-mah" (our mother), which meant America.

English words that didn't have an associated term could be spelled out using Navajo words that represented letters of the alphabet. The selection of a given term was based on the first letter of the English meaning of the Navajo word. For instance, "Wo-La-Chee" means "ant," and would represent the letter "A". Other "A" words such as "be-la-sana" (apple), or "tse-nill" (ax), would also be substituted in order to eliminate excessive repetition, which might allow the code to be cracked.

Widely acknowledged to be instrumental in the success of every major engagement of the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, this brilliant code allowed embattled regiments of Marines to communicate quickly, concisely, and above all, securely. It saved countless lives and helped end the war.

A revised edition of the code was published on 15 June 1945. Here are some examples: the alphabet and the names of countries.

REVISED 15 JUNE 1945
(DECLASSIFIED UNDER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DIRECTIVE 5200.9)

ALPHABET         NAVAJO WORD                LITERAL TRANSLATION

    A                WOL-LA-CHEE                ANT
    A                BE-LA-SANA                 APPLE
    A                TSE-NILL                   AXE
    B                NA-HASH-CHID               BADGER
    B                SHUSH                      BEAR
    B                TOISH-JEH                  BARREL
    C                MOASI                      CAT
    C                TLA-GIN                    COAL
    C                BA-GOSHI                   COW
    D                BE                         DEER
    D                CHINDI                     DEVIL
    D                LHA-CHA-EH                 DOG
    E                AH-JAH                     EAR
    E                DZEH                       ELK
    E                AH-NAH                     EYE
    F                CHUO                       FIR
    F                TSA-E-DONIN-EE             FLY
    F                MA-E                       FOX
    G                AH-TAD                     GIRL
    G                KLIZZIE                    GOAT
    G                JEHA                       GUM
    H                TSE-GAH                    HAIR
    H                CHA                        HAT
    H                LIN                        HORSE
    I                TKIN                       ICE
    I                YEH-HES                    ITCH
    I                A-CHI                      INTESTINE
    J                TKELE-CHO-G                JACKASS
    J                AH-YA-TSINNE               JAW
    J                YIL-DOI                    JERK
    K                JAD-HO-LONI                KETTLE
    K                BA-AH-NE-DI-TININ          KEY
    K                KLIZZIE-YAZZIE             KID
    L                DIBEH-YAZZIE               LAMB
    L                AH-JAD                     LEG
    L                NASH-DOIE-TSO              LION
    M                TSIN-TLITI                 MATCH
    M                BE-TAS-TNI                 MIRROR
    M                NA-AS-TSO-SI               MOUSE
    N                TSAH                       NEEDLE
    N                A-CHIN                     NOSE
    O                A-KHA                      OIL
    O                TLO-CHIN                   ONION
    O                NE-AHS-JAH                 OWL
    P                CLA-GI-AIH                 PANT
    P                BI-SO-DIH                  PIG
    P                NE-ZHONI                   PRETTY
    Q                CA-YEILTH                  QUIVER
    R                GAH                        RABBIT
    R                DAH-NES-TSA                RAM
    R                AH-LOSZ                    RICE
    S                DIBEH                      SHEEP
    S                KLESH                      SNAKE
    T                D-AH                       TEA
    T                A-WOH                      TOOTH
    T                THAN-ZIE                   TURKEY
    U                SHI-DA                     UNCLE
    U                NO-DA-IH                   UTE
    V                A-KEH-DI-GLINI             VICTOR 
    W                GLOE-IH                    WEASEL
    X                AL-NA-AS-DZOH              CROSS
    Y                TSAH-AS-ZIH                YUCCA
    Z                BESH-DO-TLIZ               ZINC                  

NAMES OF COUNTRIES
    AFRICA          ZHIN-NI                     BLACKIES
    ALASKA          BEH-HGA                     WITH WINTER
    AMERICA         NE-HE-MAH                   OUR MOTHER
    AUSTRALIA       CHA-YES-DESI                ROLLED HAT
    BRITAIN         TOH-TA                      BETWEEN WATERS
    CHINA           CEH-YEHS-BESI               BRAIDED HAIR
    FRANCE          DA-GHA-HI                   BEARD
    GERMANY         BESH-BE-CHA-HE              IRON HAT
    ICELAND         TKIN-KE-YAH                 ICE LAND
    INDIA           AH-LE-GAI                   WHITE CLOTHES
    ITALY           DOH-HA-CHI-YALI-TCHI        STUTTER
    JAPAN           BEH-NA-ALI-TSOSIE           SLANT EYE
    PHILIPPINE      KE-YAH-DA-NA-LHE            FLOATING ISLAND
    RUSSIA          SILA-GOL-CHI-IH             RED ARMY
    SOUTH AMERICA   SHA-DE-AH-NE-HI-MAH         SOUTH OUR MOTHER
    SPAIN           DEBA-DE-NIH                 SHEEP PAIN

14 June 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 339 % Postmaster, N.Y.

14 June, 1945      0820

Leipzig

Good morning, darling –

The advance party has just taken off and we take off in 48 hours. Latest change was that we don’t actually go to Reims but to a place about 20 miles South – Chalons sur Marne. I don’t know how big a place it is – but it’s just as well, because Reims must be an awfully congested place right now. We passed Chalons when we came thru France, but we were through that area – and it’s a very pretty part of France.

Gee – our mail situation will be all fouled up for a few days I’m afraid. We’ll probably get a new APO number – although that doesn’t mean much. We’ve already wired ahead to the French base section advising them to hold our mail – but some will undoubtedly come all the way down here and have to follow us back. There was no mail at all – yesterday – and I’m so anxious to have some now. I’m anxious to hear from Lawrence – and also to hear about Ruth. Frankly, darling, I’ve been very uneasy about Ruth since I received Lawrence’s letter – and yet I think it’s right that he told me. I’m her brother, after all, and if there’s any worrying to do – I should do my share. Oh I know it doesn’t help – but that doesn’t change human nature. Today is Ruth’s Birthday and I do hope she’s home by now and doing well.

And Lawrence has me down, too. He’s undoubtedly going to the C.B.I. – or the Pacific Theater – and in either case – it’s a long long way from home. Gosh – if I have to go there – I’ll go whacky. I just have to get a job in the States.

I know it must be terrifically difficult for you now, sweetheart, waiting and waiting – now that the war is over and so many fellows are coming home. But hell – what good would just 30 days be? Boy – I’d like to have 30 days right now! The days are so damned long now – particularly since we’ve learned we’re to move. I’m so anxious to find out what our mission is and to get an idea how long it will take.

Yesterday was very windy and cool – but we played tennis in the p.m. – just to kill some time. And in the evening – we saw “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”. It was well acted and all that – but too drab, dark and morbid for my mood. I’d have preferred a lively musical.

Today, dear, I’ve got to start picking up the various loose ends and packing them away. Some things will have to wait until tomorrow evening. One thing I am not taking is the German Lexicon which is on my desk. I’ve had all of Germany and Germans that I ever want. For that matter – the same goes for the French and the whole of Europe. Now I have to brush up on the French again. Honestly, dear, this going in and out of a country is confusing and it’s difficult getting a sentence out straight.

I guess I’m kind of crabby today, sweetheart, but it’s because I love you so much. What I mean is that because I love you, I’m lonesome for you; and I’m lonesome because I have to be over here – and because I’m over here so long – I’m getting crabby. Well – I’ll snap out of it – but not really until the day I hit the States. I’ll certainly say a prayer of thanks on that day, dear.

And now – so long for awhile, darling. Hope to hear from you today. Love to the folks – and

All my everlasting love to you

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about a Burma Rescue

From the "India-Burma Theater Roundup", (Vol. III, No. 41, Delhi, Thursday, 14 June 1945, Reg. No. L5015), came this rescue story.

AAF USES HELICOPTER IN BURMA RESCUE

AAF HQ. - Capt. Frank W. Peterson maneuvered the helicopter through the maze of jungled Burma peaks and set the small ship down on a rough strip atop a razorback mountain whose sides fell off steeply to narrow valleys 2,500 feet below. Twenty-four hours later, after gas and oil had been air-dropped, he took off again, this time carrying a passenger: 21-year-old Pvt Howard Ross, ground observer at an isolated weather station outpost in North Burma who was suffering from a badly infected gunshot wound in his hand. This air evacuation mission, marking the first time a helicopter had been employed in rescue work in this Theater, climaxed one of the most amazing stories to come out of India-Burma.

The story had its beginning when, after the forced landing of a B-25 on an isolated mountain-top in Burma, it was determined that a helicopter would be necessary to effect the rescue of the bomber crew, none of whom were injured. The request was made by radio to Army Air Forces Headquarters in Washington. A crew at Wright Field, Ohio, was ordered to begin the dismantling of a helicopter and, working all night, loaded it upon a C-54 cargo plane by the following morning. meanwhile, Peterson, a Wright Field test pilot was ordered to accompany the engineering crew to Burma.

C-54 Skymaster

Four days later, the C-54 with its rescue mission cargo landed at Myitkyina, only to learn that the men they had been rushed overseas to rescue had already been evacuated. It was decided, however, to continue with the assembly of the helicopter as rapidly as possible in the event another emergency should arise.

Late that night, Lt. Leo J. Kenney, commanding officer of the jungle rescue unit, awakened Peterson and told him that a member of a weather station located high on a 4,700-foot mountain in the Naga Hills had accidentally shot himself. Infection had set in and, with medical aid 10 days distant by mountain trail, air rescue had to be attempted despite the inaccessibility of the station even to parachute jumping.

Assembly of the helicopter was rushed to completion the following morning. The afternoon was devoted to test hops, designed to take any kinks out of the aircraft. The following morning the rescue mission took off.

Assembling the Helicopter

Since the helicopter was not equipped with radio and Peterson and Lt. Irwin C. Steiner, another veteran pilot from Wright Field who accompanied Peterson, were flying over unfamiliar territory, the rescue ship was escorted by two L-5's piloted by T/Sgt. William H. Thomas and S/Sgt. Gibson L. Jones.

Four times, the helicopter became separated from its guide planes, a low ceiling having enveloped the mountain country. But each time the planes renewed contact. Once the helicopter made three attempts before finally topping a 5,000-foot mountain peak. Another time, the ship ran out of gas and had to make a forced landing on a sand bank in the Chindwin River, where Peterson and Steiner sat down and waited for fuel to be air-dropped from the L-5's.

Up in the air once more, the helicopter climbed up over rocky peaks which jutted sharp above matted jungle, finally landing at the crude air-drop field near the weather station just before running out of gas again. The next day, nine days after engineers began disassembling the helicopter at Wright Field, Peterson flew the wounded man out of the jungle.

13 June 1945

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 339 % Postmaster, N.Y.

13 June, 1945      0825

Leipzig

Dearest darling Wilma –

How do you like getting the news straight these days, without having to search for hints? Or without having to wait until it was no longer news? Let me tell you, darling, it’s a heck of a relief to me, too, because I used to hate to live up to the letter of the law – but I guess the Army knew best. Anyway – now you can get it right off the griddle.

We leave for Reims on Saturday – the 16th – early a.m. and we take 3 days to make the trip. We stop the first night at Giessen – Germany – and probably camp out. The next stop is at Mainz – and we go through Luxembourg – getting a crack at one more little country over here. The next day – we should hit our destination. There’s still no news whatsoever of what our job will be when we arrive, although the advance party takes off Thursday, and will get all the details. (Excuse the variety in paper, dear.)

Now – here’s the big piece of news for this morning: we heard – practically officially – that this outfit will be or is – in Category 4. At war’s end – all outfits were to be classified into 4 Categories. I’m not sure of the actual classification but one Cat. was for outfits going directly to the Pacific, two – for shipment to the States and then to the Pacific, three – I believe – for Occupational Troops, and 4 – relax, honey – for return to the States to be de-activated, disbanded, broken up – with most of the men ready for discharge – and the others – assigned to replacement pools. For the individual enlisted man in this outfit – that’s a great piece of news. For me – I don’t know. If I continue to stay with the outfit – I’m adding on good time – and the chances seem pretty darn good that when we’ve finally broken up – I’d be reassigned to a job in the States. That’s what the Col. seems to think – and so do I. If I don’t – I’ll write the Surgeon General if I have to. If they’re all out of M.C.’s – O.K. I’ll go to the Pacific willingly. But if a lot of guys are still hanging around in soft spots – I want a crack at that, too. Right now, though, my chances look pretty good – and needless to say, Sweetheart, I’m tickled silly.

Another outfit in our AA group was put to Cat. 2 – but they happen to be a self-propelled outfit – which means their guns are mounted right on trucks – like tanks, whereas our guns have to be drawn by truck – and from what we gather – there’s little use for our type of outfit in the Pacific. So that little fact alone may have well been good enough reason for staying with the old 438th through all this time. I hope so.

One drawback, darling, is that they probably won’t rush us home and give priority to outfits headed for the Pacific. But things are really on schedule over here – and outfits are moving out right and left. Anyway – a couple of months or so will help my case. As of the 16th – it will be 19 months; I’ll have a stronger argument if I’ve been overseas 20 months or more. So – please be patient, dear, because when I do get home – I should stay. What we ought to do is get married during my leave, and then just be ready to go anywhere in the U.S. they send me to. That’s going to be a lot of fun, dear – and I only hope it works out as I visualize it.

I got a V-mail of 21 May yesterday, dear, from you – but I had already heard from you as of 1 June. But I do love to hear from you – of any date. Thanks for calling Mrs. Freeman. I wonder how he’s coming along. He never mentions a word about his condition.

I sent you another package yesterday, but I don’t think you’ll get much of a kick out of it. Oh – there’s a candlestick in it – that is nice – but I never was able to buy the pair. The rest of the package consists of maps – maps issued to me from all the way back in Normandy – for purposes of reconnaissance, where I had to visit the batteries, etc. It was very easy to get into enemy territory in those days if you didn’t have the enemy lines plotted in. They won’t mean much to you – but when I get home and we one day have plenty of time – I’ll be able to point out where we’ve been etc.

In case I forget to mention it – remember we’ll be on the road for 3 or 4 days – and that you can expect a gap after the letter of the 15th. But I’ll pick up where I left off – as soon as we arrive, sweetheart, because I sure do love to write you. I’ll have to run along now and do some work. Take care, darling, and be well. Love to the folks and remember –

I’m yours alone

Greg

MARCH TABLE FROM LEIPZIG, GERMANY
[Click to Enlarge]

Approximate Route from Leipzig to Reims
A=Leipzig, B=Geissen, C=Mainz, D=Bingen, E=Trier,
F=Luxembourg, G=Stenay, H=Vouziers, I=Reims