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’d 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