PART 2
D
+ 106 to V-E: The Story of the 2nd Division
Eward
W. Wood
United
States Army 1945
The
2nd Infantry waged incessant patrol and artillery warfare with German
troops in the deep pine forests and ridges of the Schnee- Eiffel. By
day and night reconnaissance patrols roamed the forests seeking out
enemy positions. Ambush scouts pounced on unwary Germans. Combat
groups jabbed enemy lines and battled enemy patrols in a mine-strewn
no-mans-land. At night, German patrols made raids through gaps in the
lines that existed in the wide sector. In Schlausenbach, where the
9th Infantry Regiment Command Post was situated, the bell in the
steeple of a tiny 17th Century Church was used as an "invasion
bell" to warn Headquarters personnel of the approach of
infiltrating patrols. On at least one occasion its toll brought men
rushing out into the flickering glare of flares to defend the Command
Post.
The Diary of Staff Sgt. Hanford Maurice Rice who is in the Charlie Company of the
First Battalion of the U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment in the
2nd Infantry Division.
October
18, 1944 (Wednesday) “It rained all day. I got all wet. Our
(large fox) hole is pretty good. Good chow. 1st platoon got hit with
88’s (artillery) and rockets (Screaming Meamies).”
October
19, 1944 (Thursday)
“Rained all day again. Sgt. Cobb went to First Sergeants School. I
got the platoon (leadership) again. The (new 1st) Battalion
commanding officer inspected (us).”
October
20, 1944(Friday)
“Cut wood. Good chow. General Robertson came around with Col.
McKinley. No rain. No mail. I have a cold.”
October
21, 1944 (Saturday) “Fixed on our (large fox) hole all day.
Fire smoked us out.”
October
22, 1944 (Sunday) “I took a show in and Sgt. DeHarde
rejoined the company. I lent 100 dollars to Duffy to go to Paris.”
October
23, 1944 (Monday) “(German) flying bombs coming over (head).
I got a (Stars and Stripes) paper. We have plenty of chow. Got a pack
of cigarettes.”
October
24, 1944 (Tuesday) “Got some candy and chewing gum. (We)
killed a hog. Buzz bombs are still going over (head).”
October
25, 1944 (Wednesday) “I got a letter from Vicky. We are
laying barbed wire and fixing our (large fox) holes. (We put out)
more booby traps.”
October
26, 1944 (Thursday) “I got a letter from Hale (one of my
older brothers). I wrote Vicky to buy us a place. The mess sergeant
from D Company captured two prisoners. Lt. Hammet is going to Paris.”
October
27, 1944 (Friday) “(Our) chaplain was killed by (German)
artillery along with a pill roller (medic). Still good chow. No
mail.”
 |
| Schnee Eiffel Pine Forest |
Somewhere in
Germany
October 27, 1944
Dear
Mother,
When
writing my last letter I told you to be on the lookout for another in
a few days so I'd be sure to write so here goes for a few lines.
Still
seem to be holding unto good health and hope this finds everyone at
home the same. No doubt Dad will be better now that the colder
weather has hit the hills of Maine.
It
seems funny back in Normandy you could see no woods at all, the same
at Brest. I feel sure you must have read about the "hedgerows of
Normandy" {1} with
some of the hardest fighting in the world. What would you think of
fighting all day to gain five hundred yards or in other words three
or four hedgerows. Now things have changed for this country is more
open with no hedgerows and the land is rolling. You stand on top of a
hill and see small groups of pines {2}
from ten acres up. All
these trees have been planted years ago, some are large and tall
while others are small. It looks kind of pretty seeing these solid
patches of green. In some places these pines are beside or even in
the middle of hard wood growth such as oak or maple. All these
foreign countries keep their forests cleaned up and you never see any
brush laying around. They do all the small branches and twigs up in
bundles then stack them in a big pile which looks almost like a
house.
People
don't work the same as we do in the states. For one example instead
of a yoke for a team of oxen {3}
they still have two
chains hitched to the animal's horns as they did many years ago.
Jones
came up today with the cards [Richard
L Jones was a Gunner Corporal for the First Gun Section while my
uncle, Charles D Knight was Gunner Corporal for the Second Gun
Section in Battery B of the 15th FAB. My grandmother would send
postcards to Cpl. Jones at times.] and
said "now tell me the truth do you raise potatoes that size back
in Maine?" and you should see him laugh. I took a look at the
card, never said a word at first then took off my steel lid because I
told him it was beginning to pinch and asked him if he could see and
read. [Grammie
Knight must have sent Cpl. Richard L Jones a postcard with a picture
of one of our Maine potatoes.]{4}{5}
The
Krauts sure send over a lot of flying bombs. Couple nights ago it was
clear with a very small moon, while on guard I heard one coming very
low and did I get a good look at it by night with the flames shooting
from the rear. {6}
Who
should crawl into my dug out yesterday morning
– Zip,
said he had traveled farther than he'd figured when starting out. Had
to go right back as he was alone but heard that I was quite near (or
my outfit) and sure wanted to look me up. Told me he had a close call
the other day.
I
have seem one of those small newspapers Jean wanted you to send me
but never have received one yet. As I remember one could read it
without a glass.
Have
you got the radio going yet? I hope so as it will give a little
company.
No, Mother, don't send any underclothes as I can get them. I use gun
powder that is left over which makes a hot fire and you can boil
water in no time by throwing on a little grain of powder at a time.
It burns fast and hot with little smoke. In this way I keep the sweat
and dirt washed out so to heck with the grey color. Most of our
clothes are brown so they don't show up the grey when you do wash
them. I'm looking to the day I can put on one of those nice white
shirts you once did up for me. I remember how Helen would always
remark what a swell job you did with only old flat irons.
Gee, I sure have quite a few of your letters here to answer. Guess I'll
only finish a part of them this time. I received them all just before
and right after I wrote my last letter. No mail yesterday or to-day
for me but I'll make a guess they'll be some to-morrow. I know there
will be and I'm going to let you know if I'm correct.
That
was thoughtful of Mr. Thomas. I wonder what he was thinking of when
seeing my name. Some things burn me up but guess I won't say too much
as I've done my part. Guess the way some people look at things the
U.S.A. just couldn't go on if one man should die.{7}
Gee, we must be in a bad
state or predicament when there is no other man capable of taking
over the Ship of State.{8}
Oh oh guess I'll stop as
I wasn't going to say anything.
Guess
Eugene has some push to him as I notice he wants everything done just
right the first time. If he makes a few mistakes like your clothes
line and you don't have them where you should, well just make the
best of it as he'll get them if he said so. Do like I do, hang them on
a bush. Now don't you rub it in on Dad but tell him for me to have
some little junk pile or an old Model T {9}
around the place, now –
now I told you not to say too much. The darn thing ran after being
froze up all winter down in the field. ha ha
Must
close now it's 22:30 hours now and I can hear a little rain on top as
it drops from the pines. We had two good nights but the days were a
little cold, little cloudy, open and shut. Guess more rain on its
way. Don't forget Dad and Brother. Here is a poppy from France.{10}
Lots
of Love
Charles
THE NUMBERS BELOW CORRESPOND TO THE
NUMBERS IN THE LETTER ABOVE
No comments:
Post a Comment