About Letter 287

After almost two and a half years of writing this is Bill's final letter home from World War II. Things have "all come about very suddenly. In four days we are supposed to leave for port, which means that within 15 days we should be aboard a ship." Bill notes that "generally it takes about a month in the pipeline but he is hopeful that "I may be in it in less than half that time."

About Letter 286

Bill tells his folks to stop writing him as "By the time you get this letter I should be well on my way home." A large shipment of troops are leaving port on the 28th or 29th of the months and Bill hopefully says "if I'm lucky I will be with that shipment." He is making the rounds of people he knows to tell them goodbye. The first thing that those who are German say to him is " I wish I were going too, you lucky guy."

About Letter 285

At long last Bill's name is turned in for redeployment back to the States. His 19 month overseas deployment will soon be over. The men in Bill's company celebrate the news by getting "high as a kite". The one exception is Bill, who doesn't drink. To his chagrin he is the only one sick the next morning. Disgustingly he exclaims, "Hell, if I knew that I was going to feel so bad this morning anyway I would have gone on a real toot."

About Letter 284

The word is that Bill's Labor Supervision Company is moving to Munich. He doesn't think it will have any effect on his homecoming. Giessen is having typical spring weather"you know, a half rain, half snow, all slop kind of weather." Yesterday a Jerry asked Bill if he could join the American army if there is another war.

About Letter 283

It's Sunday and Bill remains homesick and "on pins and needles" about word on his redeployment stateside. Taking Rosemarie's advice that "work is the only cure for the blues" he has saved up his workweek chores for Sunday. The food situation in the British Zone is critical with news that the rations are being cut by two thirds. Bill notes that "that is starvation and nothing else."

About Letter 282

Bill is dating Rosemarie, a student nurse at the POW hospital. Her father is head of the Physics Dept. at the University of Giessen. Bill reassures Mudder that "It ain't love". He says that she is nice, well educated and strictly on the "up and up." Rosemarie is helping Bill with his German and he with her English. Bill's redeployment date seems to be getting closer and closer, but nothing is definite. He alludes to a clothing shortage at home and says that "before I spend fourteen dollars for a shirt I"ll wear old burlap."

About Letter 280

In this extraordinary letter Bill gives Mudder and Dad a "dose of my philosophy" regarding post war politics and economics. He also discusses with some shame and disgust "a lot of things I've seen and done in this war that I've never mentioned to you because I thought that you'd rather not hear about them.

About Letter 279

Bill takes over First Sgt. duties for the Company which are mostly making out reports and answering the phone. "I think that I got the job mainly because I can spell better than the rest of the boys." He is now expecting to leave Germany no later than the first week in March. He wins a watch at the PX which "would cost about $30 in the states."

About Letter 278

Bill's father writes a letter to the Chief of the Postal System-European Theatre that has "precipitated a mighty upheaval." The men continue to await word about their redeployment status. Bill says he doesn't mind sitting around a little longer noting that "from all reports I've heard these camps they've set up in Bremen and LeHavre are the craps." Bill's truck is still on the "fritz".

About Letter 277

With nothing to do Bill is working on his German with Hans Hauser. He says that the 2 years of Latin he had at school is a help, but he continues to struggle speaking the language. He goes to the movies and sees "The Dolly Sisters" starring Betty Grable and John Payne. Bill opines that the plot was "the same old mush, but the photography was excellent."

About Letter 276

The last of the POW's have been discharged so the men are essentially out of a job. Bill's truck is "on the fritz again so I am not doing much of anything." News from home that "they are again clamping down on the rationing" triggers an analysis from Bill on postwar economics.

About Letter 275

At long last Bill receives his promotion to Corporal. There is talk of giving his unit a Polish guard company to manage. "Boy, I sure hope not. Those Pollacks are a bunch of trigger happy jerks." As a postscript Bill sends a photo of Hans Hauser, the German company interpreter. "He is 17 years old and came to the Wehrmacht 2 years ago."

About Letter 274

The trip to Switzerland is off. Bill does not want to risk "missing the boat" should his stateside reassignment come though earlier than expected. He continues to rail against the "monumental piece of incompetance and inefficiency" that he has experienced in the service.  With disgust he exclaims "When I get out of the army I think I'll write a book about the whole thing."

About Letter 273

Bill is leaving soon for a trip to Switzerland. "From what I've heard it should really be a swell trip. The trip will cost a flat rate of thirty-five dollars." According to the army point plan Bill must be waterborne by April 15th. The weather is "still incredibly mild with no snow and only a little rain."

About Letter 272

In a sign that the Occupation is winding down Bill's Labor Supervision Company gets the news that all non SS and Gustapo prisoners are being released, even Nazi Party members. He notes that "the people here are just beginning to realize how fortunate they are to live in the US Zone of Germany." The change in policy "confuses the situation in regards to our status" but Bill notes that no matter what "on the 4th. of April I will be eligible for discharge on both points and length of service.

About Letter 271

Bill earnestly argues the necessity of the Occupation. "I want to come home in the worst way, but others will have to fill my shoes. Most Germans realize that they have been so wrong in this war but there's at least one in four whose soul is so warped with hate that he has lost all sense of perspective. They are the dangerous ones. In fact they are the deadly ones. As a civilized human being I say they will have to be watched. As a soldier I say they should be exterminated."

About Letter 270

Bill has 47 points toward rotation home but with the newest changes in the schedule he doesn't expect to be on his way until mid April. He expresses his frustration with the point system but acknowledges the need for an Occupation force. Strikes at home continue to dominate the news. The weather in Giessen is quite a mystery with no snow or ice despite it being the dead of winter.

About Letter 269

Bill is more pessimistic than ever about getting home. "The way they talk I guess I haven't got much of a chance before May or June." He acknowledges that an an Occupation force is needed because "these people respect the force we maintain."

About Letter 268

After 8 months of Occupation Bill and his fellow soldiers are about at the breaking point. He encloses an article in "Stars and Stripes" reporting on a mass march and protest of 4,000 U.S. soldiers in Frankfurt. Bill is furious over comments in the New York Times that "soldiers are making unwarrented use of the freedom of speech in order to make their complaints." With disgust he exclaims "all these years we've taken the kick in the pants without much complaint; we won the war and saved their necks...and now he has the confounded gall to make a statement like that."

About Letter 267

Bill's transfer snafu is ironed out and he is back in Giessen after packing and being sent to Rodheim. With pessimism he notes that "with this strike situation the way it is in the States I guess nobody will be thinking much about the soldiers over here. Tonight he plans to see a show or "head out to the Red Cross for a cup of coffee."