[From 346th Infantry: “… On the 26th (of November) we loaded on the ships that were to take us across the English channel. The crossing was uneventful. The Regiment lined the rails of the ship that had carried them across the channel and gazed out into the clear night at the bombed-out shores of Le Havre, France. It was the 28th of November, 1944, “D” day for the 346th Infantry’s personnel invasion of the European continent, just 175 days after the first Allied Invasion force had hit the Normandy Beach. ASHORE IN FRANCE – The harbor was filled with the hulls and masts of sunken ships, and rumor had it that mines still made passage to shore dangerous. But a short time later LST’s bumped the beach and the 346th had arrived. Tugging at heavy duffel bags, the men scrambled up a slight hill and assembled for what-ever was to come. And it came. A long eight mile hike with full field equipment. At the halfway mark rain began to fall and the morale dropped with it, reaching a new low when the column stopped in the middle of a muddy field-the bivouac area.
After a session of fighting insomnia brought on by mud and cold, the troops moved by trucks to the Red Horse Assembly Area located some five miles south of St. Saens, France-another open field. But by now the sun was shining and the ground a little drier, and there were pup tents with straw floors.
The grapevine spread the news that it was just a matter of days before the Regiment would hit combat so the men spent the next few days writing letters, cleaning weapons, and thinking.” ]
Donald arrived in France.
This scanned this in color because it is on different, rougher and heavier weight, paper than the previous
Nov. 29, 1944
France
Dear Family,
It looks to me very much like I’d better grab this opportunity and get a letter written. We’ve no way of sending out mail yet so you’ll understand if I have to hold on to this for a few days before I get it mailed. From here on I’ll do my best to write you but don’t expect letters very often. If the letters I wrote in England have arrived or ever do arrive you’ll understand that I’ll write every chance I get.
I can not say about France what I did about England. I’ve seen just the opposite of interesting and pretty sights. Although what I’ve seen so far is likely very insignificant compared with the whole, it’s enough to make you wonder about how civilized we are. Just seeing some of the destruction makes you wonder if we will have gained much when the war is won.
Before we left England, we were given ETO (European Theatre of Operations) ribbons so I’ll have something to show off when I get back. They don’t mean much here but of course sometime we’ll be proud of them.
It looks to me as if my days of being a garrison soldier are over. Right now we’re living in pup tents and it may not be long before we’ll have to get along with even less than this. We have sleeping bags and as long as we’re able to use them, we can get a very decent night’s sleep. I’m thankful for what I have and am not worrying about what I haven’t.
I am praying that the best will come out of all of this but I am not worrying about what hasn’t happened and very likely won’t happen. I appreciate the fact that you too are praying but please just be concerned about me and do your worrying about something else (or don’t worry at all).
I hope it won’t be too long before mail comes through. I can see that a letter is sure going to mean a lot more than it ever has before. So whatever you can contribute along this line will be appreciated. I get a great kick out of imagining what must be going on at home. I have come to the conclusion that it’s better psychologically for me to think of myself as imagining about home rather than wondering. That way you can keep up even though letters don’t arrive so often.
I am well in body and oppressed in spirit. Hope you can say the same. May God’s richest blessing be upon you.
Love, Donald
This is the letter I mentioned in the V-mail. I’ll send it more because I have it written than because it contains anything new. I guess there is no real news to tell so I’ll just say that I am still alright
Your son & brother, Donald