Thursday, November 4, 2010

Letter 274- February 6, 1946


Giessen, Germany (Hesse)
February 6, 1946

Dear Mudder and Dad,

Every time I write you a letter the entire situation has changed. Things are really beginning to pop here and it’s hard to say just what is coming next. Tomorrow they are coming around and ask all of those men with over forty-six points who will volunteer to stay over here until March 31. We believe that is what is wrong with our ratings not coming through. It’s one of those things where they say, “If you hang around a little longer the ratings may come through but if you leave now no soap”. Well, they know what they can do with their ratings. The sooner I can come home the better. This whole service deal has been a monumental piece of incompetence and inefficiency. I wouldn’t stay here a minute longer than I absolutely must. I must admit that I’ve had a good deal here inasmuch as there hasn’t been much Army to bother me but that doesn’t alter the situation one iota. When I get out of the army I think I’ll write a book about the whole thing.

This thing about the ratings is really dirty though. We’ve earned the damn things and we ought to have them. It takes the QM Dept. here just one day to put through their ratings but we’ve had ours in for over a month and one-half and still nothing. Actually while I’ve waited for one grade jump some other birds I know have gone up three grades.

As I told you in my last letter my trip to Switzerland is off. At first I thought I might be able to make it but now I know I don’t go since I’m not going to take a chance on missing the boat merely to spend a few more days in Europe.

I may be leaving for my shipping unit sooner than I have been led to think but at any rate I should be out of here by the end of the month. Of course that doesn’t mean that I’ll be home just like a flash. They say that it takes approximately eight weeks in all before I’m actually home in my own house. It won’t be too bad though as long as I know that I’m at least on my way.

They’re shooting me full of diphtheria shots now and they really make a guy feel lousy. Everyone here must take them so they must fear an epidemic of some sort.

This doesn’t make much of a letter but I’ve got a date for tonight??? So I’d better finish up now.

Best Love,
Bill

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