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| PART 14 |
STAFF
SERGEANT HANFORD MAURICE RICE DIARY
December
5, 1944 (Tuesday) “I got 2 packages- one from pa and
one from Baby (Elnora, my sister-in-law). Had rifle inspection.
Raining again.”
December
6, 1944 (Wednesday) “Had a letter from Vicky and a card
from (Vicky’s) Aunt Hilda. I wrote several letters. Rifle
inspection. The (company commander) old man cut off his fingers.”
December
7, 1944 (Thursday) “I got a package from Vicky. Had a
picture show. Taking it easy. Learned a card trick. (I have had) six
months in combat today.”
December
8, 1944 (Friday) “I saw another show. I read a book. It
is snowing outside.”
December
9, 1944 (Saturday) “We are moving tomorrow to Aachen
(area) to attack. It is snowing hard and everything is covered with
ice. I sent a (pocket) watch home to Vicky."
December
10, 1944 (Sunday) “(We)
moved on trucks to the rear assembly area. Odom (got) run over by a
truck. Snow is all over everything. The wind is blowing and its real
cold.”
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Somewhere in Germany
Dec 6, 1944
Dear Mother,
Yesterday morning I received two letters from home and one from Pauline. As always I read your letters first which were dated Nov 18 & 20. In one you told me about Uncle Roy being so sick. I then read Pauline's! dated Nov. 21 in which she wrote how sorry to hear your Uncle's death and I could hardly believe it.
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Roy Moody Knight1889–1944BIRTH 23 JUL 1889 • Gray, Cumberland, Maine, USADEATH 21 OCT 1944 • Gorham, Cumberland, Maine, USA |
[Roy Knight was the brother of Uncle Charlie's father.]
It's interesting the letters were dated Nov. 18, 20, and 21. Roy definitely died a whole month earlier. I wonder if the dates were on the letters or if they were postmarked dates? Could the letters have been postmarked that many days after they had been written? If the dates were on the letters then it would mean Uncle Charlie's mother didn't want him to know his uncle had actual died but was just very sick.]
Sorry to here about Uncle Roy but as I wrote in a very short note to Aunt Annie, in a time like this the flesh will ask why but we must look up to Him for He knows what is best. Seems Uncle had about the same thing as Mr. Knowlton.
Sure glad to know that at last you have heard from me. There must be about eight or ten, maybe more, letters I sent in October. I sent two money orders for Christmas and sure hope you receive them in time.
Hope Dad is feeling better by now as in one letter you wrote he had a bad cold.
I am well except for another needle in the arm a couple days ago. You know there are so many holes in my arm arm now that I don't even feel the needle. Do you get what I mean - the holes are already there and they just can't miss one of them, ha ha.
That's a joke you two old hay seeders going to town and not being able to find the light switch. Tell Cora she couldn't help finding the starter button after all it's marked. (They used the car to go to town and couldn't find the light switch when they needed the lights on. Cora must have bragged she could find the starter switch, but it was marked so she should have been able to find it anyway.)
Maybe some day you can get the house fixed so heat will circulate around, making the front room warmer.
I wrote in one letter that I had received my request package. Maybe you will get the letter later.
Are they going to have fast time (day light saving time) all winter? Seems to me it would be okay during the long cold winter months as it would make the evening shorter.
Mail just came in and here is another letter from home, Nov 29 so that's not too bad. Seems to me you had received the money as you told of buying things and then trying to put ten dollars in the bank. Now look here that was Christmas money and I told you what you had left over was yours, to do what you liked with it, but first take out your ten and Eugene five. I'm going to send twenty-five dollars to put into the garage just as soon as I can get the money. It won't be much but will help out and give Eugene a little more for his tractor. (You need to remember the average cost of a new house in 1945 is $4,600 (over $8,000 in today's money). So twenty-five dollars will definitely help to make the garage larger to get his brother's tractor into it.)
If he wants a red and black shirt that's just what you get even if you do put a little more with it. I guess you will be able to do fairly well with the amount I sent. I am going to try to send a small souvenir to each one. I got them at rest camp. Whatever you have done sounds swell. What did you get for yourself? Said in the letter you liked it. (My uncle is not sending this money home to show off. He is remembering how poor they were when they were growing up and he is so pleased he can do all of this for his family he loves so much.)
Glad to hear Cora (a family friend) takes you out once in awhile and of course I don't like to say too much but use the car when you can - that is if you two go alone - ha ha. Talking about Cora and that guy, then what she said, well she's lucky because by the time I get home I won't be able to say that. You see I'll be so beat up and old I won't be any good --- hum ah ----
Well, Mother, given this the crop for now so will sign off.
Love
Charles
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Doesn't seem possible Uncle Charlie will be fighting again in just a few days after this letter was written. Battles that will kill so many, complete villages destroyed, and will create memories that will haunt both soldiers and civilians in so many terrible ways.
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| 106th Infantry Division American prisoners from 99th Division captured during the first two days of the battle, Dec 16-17, 1944. Many did not even make it to the prison camps, many more perished in the camps. |
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