Letter 262- December 15, 1945

December 15, 1945
Giessen, Germany (Hesse)

Dear Mudder and Dad,

I really don’t feel like writing tonight but on the other hand I haven’t written in so long that I’ll feel like a heel if I don’t write. The entire situation boils down to the fact that I’m not getting any mail. Some of the boys haven’t had any mail in 9 weeks now and that is pretty bad. The Captain has written letters to practically everybody in the ETO trying to get a lead on the stuff but as of yet we’ve had no results. I guess that somewhere they don’t even know that there is a 1297 LSC. I really haven’t the slightest idea what’s going on but I do know one thing and that is that I don’t like it.

There’s one bright spot in this letter, however, and that is that to date I’ve received three packages from you. The only reason that I got them is that they were mailed to my old address in the 100th.

Talking about the old outfit reminds me. This town of Giessen is almost a 100th Div. camp. It seems that everybody who has shipped out of the outfit has sooner or later come to this hole in the wall. The other day I bumped into my old battalion commander, Col. Zehner. The first thing he said to me was “How in the hell did you ever get into this hole?” I guess we all have the same opinion regardless of our rank.

I went to the movies again tonight and saw “Uncle Harry” which was nothing exceptional. I thought that the cast was good but as usual Hollywood did things to the damn plot that made a mess out of it. About my only entertainment around here is the blooming movies so I wish they’d get something I could enjoy. Right now I am listening to the “New World Symphony” on the radio. Now that we have a radio here it’s a little less boring.

Here’s something that I hesitate to tell you………………….I’m still hesitating. No, on second thought I won’t tell you. I’m a cad, what? I will tell you about something that’s a little more certain, however; and that is that I’ve been put in for a rating. The captain has been hinting around about it for a week now and today he made it clear that I would go in for it. I’m not depending on it though. I’ve had too much experience with Bronze Stars and things. Anyway keep your fingers crossed and I may be T/5 or Cpl. Taylor one of these days. Not that it makes a helluva lot of difference. After having been in combat stripes don’t mean a damn thing among a group of men. Other people, however, believe that a person must not be much of a man unless he has his honor and courage stuck somewhere on the outside where it shows.

Well, here it is almost Christmas---nuff sed.

The replacements are pouring in but as yet we haven’t received any. Today I was driving along and picked up a couple of G.I.’s. As always my first question was “Well, when are you boys going home?” One of them says, “Christ, we only just got here. How many days have you been over here?” That stopped me cold. I mumbled something about as long as I can remember and went back to my driving.

That’s about all for tonight. I sure hope to get some mail before long so I can have something to write about.


Best Love,
Bill