Letter 225- August 9, 1945

Thursday, August 9, 1945
(Derdingen, Germany)

Dear Mudder and Dad,

Three nights ago I walked downstairs, dropped a letter to you in the mailbox, walked back to my squad room. Then I thought I was dreaming. The boys were standing about the room with mouths agape and issuing forth from the radio were the excited statements of an A.F.N. announcer. It sounded like the contents of an ordinary science-fiction magazine. “ATOMIC BOMB DESTROYS JAP CITY” . I don’t believe any of us believed it at first but as news flashes continued to pour in we became wild with excitement. It was really something. While we were still so enthused over our wonderful and terrible new weapon last night another excited announcer broke into a program to tell us the Russians had entered the war.

In 3 days, even less, the complexion of the war has gone from a hard fight ahead to the possible collapse of Japan in days.

During the years when Japan was committing such atrocities I often wondered when she would “pay the piper”. For her 2500 years of treachery she is paying a terrible price; Extinction.

The Seventh Army today suppressed the 100th Div. newspaper, “The Century Sentinel”. It was silly because everyone in the Div. knew what the contents were; our sailing date—between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1—Oct. 6 is the consensus of opinion.

Boy! Even as I read over the paragraph above the news came pouring in. At 11:00 some bigger news is supposed to come in.

I’m getting mail okay now, but you must be having a tough time of it. That little Combat Badge should be home by now.

I sure hope they don’t decide to send us to the Pacific via Siberia. I think some awfully morbid stuff, don’t I?

That’s all for now.

Best Love,
Bill

About Letter 143

Bill is planning to see an on post exhibit of a captured German 88 mm gun, considered to be Germany's most deadly weapon. He also plans to go to the cinema with Fred Roberts. It's foggy but Bill says "that's better'n rain."

Letter 143-October 26, 1944

October 26,

1944

(England)

Dear Mudder and Dad,

Haven’t received any mail from you for several days. I’ll probably get a whole lot of it at once again. I don’t like it but that’s the way it goes. This won’t be the long letter I promised last night but it’s this way. Fred Roberts is here and wants me to go over to the cinema with him. Also I want to see an exhibition of captured enemy equipment that they have on the post. I especially want to see the German 88 mm gun, which we consider Germany’s most deadly weapon.

The rain hasn’t been so bad of late. There’s a “hellova” lot of fog but that’s better’n rain. It’s still no good, however.

Well, Fred is here and he’s a pesting me to hurry so I’ll have to quit. This is no letter but you said to write even if only a word or two.

Best Love,
Bill