April 8, 1945
Dear Folks,
Today is one Sunday that actually does seem a little like Sunday. I didn’t get to go to services this morning and I hated it but, but - We’ve been getting all K or C type rations and this noon we got a hot meal and even though it wasn’t a feast it helped out in making the day more enjoyable. I suppose that the weather being such a nice spring day is what makes it seem Sundayish.
I remember last Spring in Georgia one Sunday of telling you that I would like to be out kicking around in the woods somewhere around Orestes with Richard and Jim. Well this is another day I could enjoy just that. Of course, just thinking about things like that makes a funny feeling inside of me. Boy it will be great to be home again and be able to spend at least part of your time enjoyably. You see plenty of sights here, and once in a while, like today, get most of a day off, but some way you don’t get any great thrill from it.
4/10/441[sic]45
If I am going to get this letter sent at all I am going to have to admit that I didn’t get it finished as soon as I should have. I got stopped or just sort of run down temporarily and never got started again. But since then I’ve got three letters from you so now I do have just a little to write about in answering them. Thanks a lot for the pictures. I am going to keep the one of Jim but of course the snowman will have to go. I had thought about Jim’s playing basketball but I don’t believe I had even tried to imagine him in a suit. He sure has quite a sturdy build and I can see quite a change in his size during the last year. I recognized it was Big Jim right off but he has grown up quite a bit.
Boy Richard can do rings around me now on the typing. I never was able to type that neat a page and it’s been a long, long time now since I even touched a typewriter.
It almost scared me when you mentioned how near school was out. I guess I just hadn’t given it a thought. Time really does fly.
I’ll stop now and then be sure to get it sent. God be with you all.
Love,
Donald
Year: 1945
Germany
April 6
(I think)
Dear Folks,
If you remember from last winter how long it would take our mail to catch us whenever we’d move, you’ll understand thoroughly why it is habitually slow now. It’s been several days now since I heard from you and as usual I begin to get anxious. Not worried because that wouldn’t even do any good but just anxious to hear.
I got the box of souvenirs (junk) started that I spoke about in the last letter. In the last couple of weeks I could have picked up a million things and I have said that I didn’t want a thing from over here. But it would be a shame not to have one single trophy. Of course, we aren’t allowed to take any civilian property because that would be stealing but practically all captured military equipment may be sent home. Lots of fellows send rifles but unless I change my mind I want none of these. Pistols can’t be sent because of laws concerning them in the States. As you can see most of the stuff that you could and would want to send is worth very little except just for its souvenir value.
Now my stuff: the medals and knife are from prisoners we took and the flag is from the house (in a town our outfit captured) of an ardent Nazi. The house seemed to have been some sort of a military headquarters. The knife may not seem like a military article but we take knives of all kinds from prisoners just for safety sake. This little knife reminded me of my pearl handled knife that I lost while serving in the army. It’ll serve me the twofold purpose of being useful as a pocket knife and also be a trophy. It’s just about the right size knife to carry to school. I don’t believe I would have taken three times its value for my other little one just for that reason. After I had my package wrapped I found a medal just like one of those I had intended to send. I couldn’t be sure whether it is the same one or one like it. Several of the fellows had them. Just in case I missed wrapping it up, in the first attempt, I am sending it in this letter. If it turns out that I have actually sent two, Jim can have one of them.
Hope everything is OK back there. God be with you all.
Love,
Donald
Categories
April 1, 1945 (Easter)
From 346th Infantry:
The Regiment spent Easter Sunday in the vicinity of Kraftsolms, Germany, mopping up trapped German remnants. Many prisoners were taken but no valuable information was gained from them. Only resistance encountered was put up by SS men although PW figures showed that even they gave up when the odds were against them.
The next five days were spent in mopping up operations and a move to a new assembly area at Heringen, Germany. No enemy resistance was encountered on patrols.
April 1, 1945
Germany
Dear Folks,
Happy Easter! If for no other reason this has turned out to be a pretty happy Easter for me because I got four letters from you this evening. They were from March 12 to 19 so you know what was happening along about that time. When I was reading them I thought of a whole “encyclopedia full” of things I wanted to say to you. So before I go any further I am going to go over them again and underline anything that brought an idea to my mind this afternoon. Maybe that way I’ll get you told at least part of what I wanted to.
I guess the best way to start would be to say that I wish as much as you do that I could have had the angel food cake for Easter that you wanted to send. The Lord willing next Easter you can bake an angel food cake and we’ll eat it together. What say we make it a date.
No doubt I had about the same feelings that you did concerning Richard’s turn of affairs. I had hardly even thought of it turning out this way so it did sort of surprise me. I expect that I am gladder than any of you that he was rejected but I know or can guess how he feels. I had told one of my buddies about Richard’s time coming up and as I was reading the letters I told him how it turned out. He said that I should say “Hi 4F” and if I were, I no doubt would do so. I expect that a little kidding would do as much to relieve the tension as anything else. I trust your judgement but since things have turned out this way think it over carefully before you break your neck trying to get into any thing military. I believe the Supreme Being has something planned. Whether it be right or not, but in thinking about what to do in the future, don’t forget that continuing your schooling is one possibility.
Now that it has been brought to my mind I do remember a little something about Richard’s ribs. But I would have had even less reason to be thinking about that than you would. No one told me how Eulan came out on his examination.
I wonder if March went out like a lamb for you. I guess the nice weather is the reason things are going so good over here. It made me proud to know that some of our news was getting back home. I can't claim to have personally been in the taking of Coblenz but I was at that time just a little ways up the Moselle from there.
You did guess wrong though about my being in the Saar again. I have never been back there. I’ve really had some experiences this last week that I don’t suppose I ought to tell you about yet. I’ve got a couple of souvenirs that I’ll send home but I’ll tell you about them later.
Do whatever you think best about putting in the Tribune about my Silver Star. Don’t misunderstand me but you have my permission. (I wouldn’t want anything big though).
I think I have explained in another letter about the money you didn’t know how to dispose of. It’s just what’s not taken out of my pay in allotments that I can’t use here. I am sending thirty dollars out of the money I drew today. It’s not a hard and fast rule but I expect most of it should go for bonds. I do want you to feel free, though, at any time to use what money I send home for anything else you deem wise. It’ll be alright if you want to accumulate it and buy bonds of larger denominations. But of course don’t hold it for six months or anything on that order because it can be accumulating just a little interest. Sometime if you want to I would be interested in knowing just how I stand financially.
Now that you have asked about the popcorn in my Christmas box I’ll have to tell you. As you know I got it just after we got on the boat coming over and of course there was no way to make use of it then. Well things will happen and as I remember the sack got broken or someway it got spilled before I ever got it popped. A little popcorn might be an idea though for something to send me now. Those packages really are a blessing.
I’m glad mother mentioned about the cigarette situation. We do get them but that’s still no reason why I must smoke them. You needn’t worry about that end of the story. If my cigarettes get used someone else uses them. You are right though about using them for money. We do use them to trade sometimes to the civilians for something they might have to eat. Not that we’re hungry but it’s a lot of fun just to fry an egg or cook something for yourself. I think the greatest use for them, though, is when someone is lucky enough to get a pass to Paris. They go like hot cakes back there. Incidentally I think I’ll be getting one of those passes one of these times.
While I’m on the subject: I really do thank the Lord for strength to resist temptations, or perhaps rather, to resist occasional scoffings. As you perhaps know the Germans are great for alcoholic drinks and it’s not occasionally that we come onto them. The drinks (just as the smokes) don’t tempt me in the least but you can guess the rest of the story. With it so easy to get, people are apt to say lots of things without thinking. God has been very good to me.
If you (the mothers’ club) are having to send Wendell cigarettes I sure wish he could have mine. Our company has had the pleasure recently of freeing a great number of French, Polish and Russian prisoners of war. Boy that is really a happy experience. Those boys are just so excited they can’t contain themselves. One outfit had an experience the other day that I’d like to be in on one of these times. That is the liberating of some of our own boys from the Germans. I guess the height of my ambition would in capturing the prison camp that Wendell is in. Wouldn’t that be something to remember.
I am thankful that your prayers are still with me. There is no doubt in my mind about their value. As mother wrote recently “May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another.”
Love, Donald
Categories
Germany: April 1945
The following is the official “After Action Report” for the 346th Regiment, April 1945, from the 87th Infantry Archives
This letter is not from Donald, it’s from a Pvt Chas (Charles) Johnson who was probably also from the Orestes area and seems to have been in the same area of Germany at the end of March. This is probably the same “Charlie Johnson” who married Donald’s cousin Janette (see April 9, 1944 letter).
“East of the Rhine” would indicate that this is after the Rhine crossing. He mentions Donald.
March 29, 1945
East of the Rhine
Hello Folks,
Hope this finds you well and enjoying yourselves. All is well over here. Has been raining a bit today. But has been nice till now. Received your letter today - was mighty glad to hear from you. As yest I haven't seen Donald but am hoping to see him before long. He is close to where I am at. I am with the 1st Army and the 9th Division. Have been close to where he is at. Till later. Good Bye & God Bless to All as Ever.
Charles
Categories
March 29, 1945
March 29, 1945
Dear Folks, Germany
I hope you’ll forgive a V-mail this time. If you’ve been reading the papers or otherwise getting the news you’ll understand why I feel lucky to even get this kind of a letter written. Things are moving faster now than I would have ever believed possible an couple of months ago. Even the infantry has to be motorized for an affair like this. We just couldn’t keep up on foot. You wouldn’t have to use much imagination to guess about how well our mail is keeping up with us. We’ve received mail about once in almost a week now. I was lucky that one time though and received a package from you. (Feb 23, I think). I needn’t tell you that it was really welcome. You sent me one thing that I’ve been intending to ask for but don’t think I ever did. That is handkerchiefs. You know how easy it is to ruin them. Send very cheap ones. I don’t care if they’re even made of old feed sacks. But I could use one every week or so. They can be sent in air mail letters.
Loads of love, Donald
From 346th Infantry:
CROSSING THE RHINE: Training schedules were set up with special attention given to practice in river crossing. On March 23 the Regiment moved to a new assembly area near Oppenhausen, Germany. Company K joined Task Force Sundt, commanded by Lt. Col. Sundt for the purpose of clearing the area East of the Rhine River and spearheading an attack with the armor.
At 0200 hours the morning of March 26th, the Regiment crossed the Rhine at Boppard and moved to an assembly area. The attack continued with light resistance, and the towns of Kehlbach, Singhofen, Frucht, Kondorff, Biebrich, Schonborn, Attenhausen and Birlenbach were captured. The First Army was contacted at Diez near Limburg. The attack was now rolling forward like the Johnstown Flood. Progress was temporarily stopped by the roads being blocked by elements of the Ninth Armored Division and resulted in the entire Division assembled near Kraftsolms to wait until the transportation problem was cleared up.
March 27-April 1, April 10-20, 1945
At the end of March, K Company was attached to Task Force Sunde
Following the crossing of the Rhine River, German resistance crumbled to such an extent that it was essential to form a hard-hitting, fast moving armored unit to reach into the German rear areas, disrupt communications, cut up German administrative units and installations. Such a force was organized and placed under the command of Lt. Colonel Harold S. Sundt and was to be known as Task Force Sundt.[…] Units comprising the Task Force were the 607th TD Battalion, less A and C Companies, plus Company A of the 735th Tank Battalion, the 87th Reconnaissance Troupe, K Company of the 346th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Platoon Company C of the 312th Engineer Battalion and supported by fires from the 155 mm howitzers of the 335th FA Battalion. The Task Force was divided into three hard hitting companies plus a CP group. Each company consisted of a platoon of tanks, platoon of TD’s, platoon of infantry, riding on the armored vehicles, and a platoon of the 87th Reconnaissance Troupe. The CP group contained the remaining forces. It crossed the Rhine at Boppard on a pontoon bridge and assembled six miles to the northeast at Dachsenhausen which was the limit of the Division advance.
The Task Force’s first objective was Nastatten, 12 miles southeast of Boppard. At 0545 March 27th the Task Force took off for Nastatten, the plan of attack being to advance along the high ground to Ruppertshaffen. and thence to Nastatten. By 0830 the Task Force had reached Ruppertshaffen, three miles west of Nastatten, where it assembled and regrouped.
The third Task Force Company, under the command of 1st Lt. Glen J. Doman, 346th Infantry Regiment [K Company], made the attack on the town at 0915. […] The infantry under 2nd Lt. Robert L. Picher, 346th Infantry Regiment, [K Company] swept through the town and cleared all enemy resistance […]
[…]
Captured enemy documents and statements of prisoners indicated that the area in the vicinity of Butzbach was an assembly area for stragglers of the Rhine defenses. Accordingly, on March 30 the Task Force received a mission of securing Hoch-Weisel, three miles southwest of Butzbach, and sweeping the woods to the north and west. At 0800 the 3rd Company moved there and the 3rd Reconnaissance Platoon and the Pioneer Platoon occupied positions between Butzbach and the woods to the west. The day was spent sending patrols through these woods. During the day the Task Force destroyed nine 20mm AA guns, eight 37mm AA guns on 21/2 ton trucks, one 40mm AA gun, three 105mm guns, seventeen 75mm AA-AT guns, four 88 AA-AT guns, and twenty-three vehicles. 519 prisoners were taken.
[…]
April 1st found all missions assigned accomplished, the Task Force dissolved and the Battalion assembled near Kleeberg. During the Task Force’s operation, it had taken 1485 prisoners and had advanced 76 miles.
From April 10th to the 20th, Task Force Sundt was reconstituted, again with K Company attached
The dash made by this 2nd Task Force Sundt netted 109 miles and 1344 prisoners in nine days. Once the break was made through the Jerry’s lines, the scene became a mad rush, fighting through or bypassing defenses – speed was the watchword. To stop was to be pinned down; to continue was to crush Jerry’s frugal attempts to delay and leave a string of dead Jerries and burning German vehicles behind. The Germans had pitted the 11th Panzer Division, the so called “Ghost Division” in the 87th Division zone to “stem the tide”, but to no avail. The speed with which the Task Force operated was too great to permit a defensive position to be properly set up. 2 tanks, 11 trucks, 4 half-tracks, 3 armored cars, 6 wagons, 3 tractors, 3 motorcycles, 3-75mm guns, and 1-105mm gun were destroyed in comparison with our losses of 1 tank, 2-M8’s, 1-M20, and 1 half-track.
March 23,'45
Germany
Hello People,
I don’t know how to start this letter. Perhaps after I once do get going I’ll think of something to say. I know if I could just remember anything that I have thought about to say in the last couple of days there would be plenty to say.
To start with I’ll tell you about the clipping I am enclosing. I don’t want to give away any valuable information but I think I can tell you that I was in that very house1This is clearly the story mentioned in the April 1945 clipping about his medal, from the Alexandria Times. That indicates that the newspaper story was based on an interview with his parents the morning the town was taken. Of course at the time we didn’t know the significance of the house but I know this is the one. We had a company CP (Command Post) on the first floor. Just as a matter of interest to you: I had my radio set up in the upper right hand window as you face the house. I later moved it to the window just below it (that is the room where the drug store is located). Also I remember that the engineers were using explosives to move a big tree that had been cut down across the road to block traffic. One of the charges blew the shutters off one of the front windows.
Well we’ve had it pretty easy for a while so I expect we’ll be doing something pretty soon. You can always expect something when things quiet down a little. Whenever that time comes when I can’t write for a few days you’ll know the reason.
I got a Vmail from you yesterday but it was older than some of the airmail letters I have received. I was in hopes that it would tell me what Richard found out but it didn’t.
I’ve been pretty lucky in getting to attend church services in the last few days. There were services that I was able to attend both yesterday and the day before. That’s like a lot of other things - when we are in a position to have services they try to hold enough to last for a while.
Let’s not cease to look up for His help. The Lord willing we’ll be seeing each other one of these days. He sure has given me a lot to be thankful for.
Love,
Donald
P.S. We are allowed to tell you that the 87th took Coblenz2Koblenz.
Germany
March 20,1945
Hello Folks,
I hope you get the letter I finished up this morning a day sooner by my cutting it short as I did. I wanted it to go out today and this one I can’t get started till tomorrow. You’ll forgive the abrupt way I ended the other one.
You can see in the other letter that I almost forgot that this is mother’s birthday, too. I just thought of it in time to mention it along the margin. I wish I had a birthday present to send. But what to serve as a birthday present is this. I want mom to wear the tiny pin or bar that came with my silver star till I get back. As I understand it, it is the part of the silver star I can wear after I become a civilian again. I’m sure it can be used for this other purpose, too.
It surprised me just a little to hear about the library work at school. I don’t believe that I even knew that Aunt Mary had the job. Hope mother isn’t trying to do too much by taking the job.
Boy I’d like to know the late news of Richard’s induction. I’ve read so often that most of the boys are being taken into the army that it almost has me worried. The Lord knows best so be thankful for whatever happens or rather has happened.
Daddy talks a lot lately about working in the honey house. I’d sort of like to see how the place looks now. As I remember it was just in the state of being planned when I was home last. And that reminds me of a request I’ve been intending to make for a good while. I left all of my pictures in my duffle bag and I doubt now if I’ll ever see it again. I’d like for you to send me some snap shots. The only one I have now is Richard’s senior picture. I received that after I hit combat. I’d also like permission to trim the pictures that I want to keep so that they will fit into my billfold. When you are taking pictures I wonder if you’d take one of Grandpa and Grandma Carver. I’ve never had a picture of them since I’ve been in the army.
Before I get completely off the subject of letters and get started on what I’ve been doing I want to thank you for something you’ve been doing. I really appreciate these little stickers you’ve been using with Bible verses on them. The including of scripture references does me a lot of good.
For the last few days I’ve been doing something just a little different. I’ll still have my old job but this will give me a chance to add a little to my knowledge and maybe help out a little. I am back at cannon company learning to be a “forward observer” (F.O.). The regular artillery always has a forward observer with the line companies and we even have an observer in our company for cannon company but I am learning the job so that I could take over in an emergency. To explain the terms a little: cannon company is a small artillery unit that is directly attached to our infantry regiment, and an F.O. is the observer who is right up with the fight where he can see the artillery is hitting and sends messages back telling how to adjust the fire. My other job will also come in handy along this line too. You can easily see that with the artillery pieces a long way back there must be some method of directing the fire. This will make just one more thing that I’ll have a little knowledge of. It’s almost like having a vacation by being back here, too, so I’m getting a little relaxation out of it.
Let’s keep looking up. God Bless you all.
Love,
Donald
March 17
Germany
Dear Folks,
Perhaps this won’t be mailed for a couple of days or so but I’ve just a little time now so I’ll write something or other. I say that because right now I can't think of enough news to really write a letter. I sure hope to be getting some mail one of these days and then at least I’ll have a letter to answer. There’ll be a little handful to read when I get them no doubt. I could almost get a little homesick right now trying to think what may be happening back there. Boy I wish this war were over and I could really be home. I guess that really will be a great day when I can hit the U.S. again. Being 7 or 8 hundred miles from home used to seem like a long distance but now I’d even be glad to be that close.
I guess one good we (those of us who really have seen things) are going to get from all of this is the ability to appreciate what we have. After really getting along on nothing for a while even bare necessities are sure appreciated. A chance to clean up and a place to lay down (even if it's only a corner of the floor with a blanket over you) makes you feel like a king. A real vacation at home is something to dream about. Just think sleeping as long as you want, eating all you want of really good cooking and in general just doing what you want to!
I can’t complain too much about the last few days though. We’ve been still enough that we can get hot meals and can sleep inside.
March 20
Happy Birthday Mother!
This is sure a spread out letter but I’ll get it sent before too much longer now. I finally got some mail yesterday evening. There were four letters from you Feb 23 to March 5. I don’t think I’ll have time this morning to answer them but I was happy to just learn a little about what Richard found out. He has now taken his examination and knows for sure about getting into the Navy. Of course, I’m interested in that. I also got your little box containing the pocket knife. I think I recognize it and sure hope no one sacrificed his personal knife just so I could have one. Thanks. I’ll finish up in the next letter.
Love,
Donald