August 18, 1945
Wabern, Germany
No. 47
Dear Folksies,
Nothing more than a thousand new things in the last few days, but what all those things are, or what they mean, you-tella-me!
Am at last off Receiving once again — back on the same ward I had when we first came up here, but, is it going to mean much? Are we going to continue to operate? If we are, how are we going to do it? If we aren’t, what’s going to happen to us?
Here are certain things that have occurred in the last few days…
Cressman was called down to the 7th Army Hdq. two days ago, returning with the info that he was being put on T.D. [temporary duty] with the 7th Army Hdq. to become the “Consulting Surgeon of the 7th Army”. Sooo, this A.M. Ralph left to go to Heidelberg – poor guy is going to have to live in style either at or across from the Hotel Europa. As it is only T.D., Ralph is still part of our unit and will not have his chance for going home jeopardized when and if that chance comes.
Letter from Sewell Brown a few days ago that was priceless. Apparently, as you probably know already, a goodly number of the 30th Gen’l gang was on the same orders as our group of Frank, Wally, etc. In fact, Sewell was on the same plane as Ed Lindner, Brodie, and some of the others. Then, the amazing thing was that on Aug. 8th, Sewell became a civilian! His descriptions of his home-coming, his “2nd Honeymoon” in Santa Barbara, and then his being startled by orders to Ft. MacArthur for “Separation” – the whole letter kept us in stitches that whole evening.
Came also, a letter from Mattie from their ranch in Eureka, saying that he had heard vaguely what had happened to all of us, but couldn’t or wouldn’t believe it until he heard direct from some of us. Nuts!! By now he either knows it from some other source in S.F. or—well it doesn’t matter anymore anyway.
These guys here (Maj. Mello acting C.O. still, as no Col. has showed up; and Capt. Hoffman, acting exec) got a bit skitterish for some reason or other a couple of days ago, and tho’t we ought to have more on paper, as far as the bus is concerned – so that if anything happened it would be covered as a strictly Military Vehicle. We had just the original paper Maj. Gish gave us on it and they didn’t think that was enough. Sooo, we decided to go into the Milit. Gov’t. here in Fritzlar and see if they would give us more authorization. Ralph, Hoffman and I went in to town yesterday and when we walked into the office, I almost flopped when I saw who was standing on the steps – the new Military Gov’t Officer for this whole area – none other than the guy who gave us the bus in the first place, Major Gish! He was glad to see me too and we expect him down for a meal in a couple of nites or so. He fixed the whole bus situation up nicely by registering it in his Milit. Gov’t motor pool and having it loaned out to us until such time as we leave or don’t want it. What a coincidence that he should have been moved up to this area, after being way down near Salzburg. In fact, when we left him there, he told us he tho’t he was heading home within a few days. Unfortunately for him, however, he was really fooled.
Loads of love,
.
