Part 4
Staff Sergeant Hanford Maurice Rice Diary of the 1st Battalion of the 9th Infantry Regiment, Company C of the 2nd Infantry Division.
October
28, 1944 (Saturday) “(German) buzz bombs going over about fifty
minutes apart. Washed and shaved. It snowed during the night.”
October
29, 1944 (Sunday) “(It is) a beautiful day. The Jerries threw
rockets at us. We drew sleeping bags.”
October
30, 1944 (Monday) “Buzz bombs came over. We cut logs all day. I’m
going to Paris on Thursday. No mail. Plenty of cigarettes.”
October
31, 1944 (Tuesday) “Cut logs all day. Sgt. Cobb came back to the
platoon. Lt. Hammel came back from Paris. It is Halloween.”
In November, snow came, and the scene along
the front might have been borrowed from a painting from Gen. George
Washington's time of the winter at Valley Forge. Small groups of
soldiers huddled around fires that could be built by day, and guards
stood their posts in snow several inches deep. The forests rang to
the sound of axes, as the troops felled thousands of trees for
shelters. The Division proved rich in log cabin architects. Despite
the weather, most of the men lived comfortably. One company built a
day room and furnished it with decorations a patrol had seized in a
German hunting lodge in front of our lines. A Ranger Platoon, between
skirmishes with German patrols, lived in consummate comfort in a
cabin fitted out with curtains, window panes, a hand-painted lamp,
rug, tables, chairs, bunks, and even a doorbell- a bicycle bell
affixed above the entrance. The 38th Infantry built a log chapel on
the Siegfried Line. The big game hunters at the front shot deer in
the forest and treated their platoons to venison steaks.
[This was not the usual, but it happened at rare times.]
November
1, 1944 (Wednesday) “Cut logs all day again. It is cold and wet. I
have a bad cold. Sgt. DeHarde went to the 2nd Platoon.”
November
2, 1944 (Thursday) “I am on my way to Paris (France). We stopped at
Reims all night. We passed through Sedan and Cheatus Fierrey. (It is)
cold riding on the trucks.”
November
3, 1944 (Friday) “Got to Paris at 1:00 pm. (1300). Stayed at the
Grand Hotel. Swell chow and rooms. Just like Heaven. Had a shower,
shave, and a haircut.”
November
4, 1944 (Saturday) “Went shopping and rode the subway. Went to a
carnival and had my picture taken. I had my fortune told. She said I
would live through the war. Here's hoping!
November
5, 1944 (Sunday) “Left Paris at 12:00 (noon). Got to Reims at 5 pm.
(1700). Ate chow and went to a picture show.”
November
6, 1944 (Monday) “Left Reims at 10:30 am. Got to my outfit (Company
C) at dark. (It) sure is cold. It rained all day.”
Dear Mother,
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| German Gun Positions Schnee Eiffel |
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| Pages 78-79 2nd Infantry Division History |
Somewhere
in Germany
November
6, 1944
Dear Mother,
Here
it is in the afternoon and just think the sun has been shining for a
couple of hours but right now the clouds seem to be filling in, while
the wind continues to blow. Gee, we sure had plenty of rain last night
and early this morning. This dugout leaked a little but I have made a
small stove from an oil can so it's not too bad in here now. Sitting
near the entrance while penning these few lines.
Have
had a slight head cold for the pass couple days, sure felt mean,
seemed my nose would run away but guess with the army's sure cure for
anything from toe ache to dandruff (aspirin) I have broke it
up. Think I caught the cold after taking a bath then riding in an
open truck. It was a cold foggy day and I had on little clothing.
Received
three letters from home yesterday morning all dated about the same.
Mail has been slow but realize they are trying to get thousands of
Christmas packages overseas, which is a big job. Always enjoy the
clippings you send.
Hope Dad is okay after the his fall. How is he making it now that the cold
weather has come?
You
wrote about Clyde Sawyer's wife and it seems so hard to believe. Sure
I know him. Didn't he work at S.D. Warren?
Now
I wouldn't worry too much about Helen [sister] as
she will be alright. Maybe it will do her good. One thing she will be
able to see some of the world. Before you know it they'll be back.
Think how nice and warm it will be in Florida.
Sure
glad for Oappie that he has a chance to get ahead but remember this,
maybe he's in a place that he can. Yes I, agree you can hardly believe
it was in him as he was so easy going. Look at Warren and Michy, well
they got the breaks. Some day I'll try to explain it all to you but
for now all I want is to get this hell over with so I can start to
live once more, that is if I'm any good when this thing is over with.
You
see so many pictures of G.I.s going here and there, seeing things,
living in hotels, sending souvenirs home from different places, etc. but these are the large numbers of soldiers far to the rear of the lines of
battle that are required to keep a combat soldier going. It takes may
men behind the lines to keep one man going in the frontlines. These men
live a much different life then we do. After living in the woods,
fields, behind hedgerows, sleeping in the ground, seeing just your
own men and the damn Boche [a
German, especially a soldier] both dead and alive day
in - day out, night in - night out. One kind of grows half animal and
you just don't care what you do. As you said "God died to save
their souls." Yes that is true but I have seen plenty that if
their souls weren't right with God they have gone the other way.
There's only one way to stop this hell on earth, that is, show
the Krauts they're not the Master Race, get them or he'll get you,
make him learn the hard way.
[More
than 16 million Americans served in the armed forces during the war.
Fewer than a million ever saw serious combat. The infantry
represented just 14 percent of the troops overseas. But wherever they
fought – in North Africa or the South Pacific or Western Europe —
the infantry bore the brunt of the fighting on the ground — and
seven out of ten suffered casualties.
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/at_war_infantry.htm]
As
far what Pauline [ his girlfriend before entering the war] does or
what Eugene [brother] saw
and didn't want you to write, that is the least of my troubles or
worry. I even wrote and told her to go out as I was going to be free for
awhile after this thing is over with.
Say
when you write another letter leave off that new name you had for the
old hill. It kind of made me laugh but still what a note - what next
- hold everything maybe time will tell.
You
haven't any idea what Scott is in? Maybe someone can tell by his
address. By the way you wrote after hearing from Flavilla [sister] ,
he must have been at a hospital in England. Wonder now what he thinks
about the stunt he pulled?
I
have only received the one box of which I have already written you
about. Packages will soon be coming as they were sent a month earlier
this year.
Here
are a couple pieces of Belgium money, five and ten frank note (notice
it's frank in Belgium while it's spelled franc in French.) Five frank
equals eleven cents, ten franks equals twenty three cents. You'll
also notice the Belgium frank in American money is higher than the
French franc. [I didn't
find different spelling]
Yes,
things do change but if you wanted it first, well now it's yours. Why
in heck didn't she want one when you had three. That's just like her.
Oh well, it's all kind of people that makes the world go round. Let
Waneta [sister] read
this. I could say a lot but what good would it do, you know what I'm
thinking. [Since he says
to let his sister Waneta read this, I would think Charles is talking
about someone that his sister and mother knows.]
Guess
I'll close for now but want to remind you about having the radio
fixed so it will be of some company for you, Dad and Eugene this
winter. Good night to all.
Love
Charles
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Well,
in this letter Uncle Charlie is holding nothing back. I think his
head cold isn't completely gone. Whether it was the Germans, friends
at home, his "old" girl friend etc. he gave his feelings
with both barrels shooting. I think after being on the battlefield
for 153 days he has had enough of the war, people complaining etc. etc.
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