June 5, 1945
Somewhere in Germany
No. 37 (continued)
Dear Folksies,
On the 29th, we arranged all the PX stuff for sale the next day and also did a few odds and ends. May 30th – sold all our goods. May 31st got all the PX goods together to be sold to the gang at our new location, and came down here with the idea of selling our stuff to the bunch, going to Munich and getting a truck-load of beer for the men, and then returning to the Heidenheim area.
However, when I discovered that it was some sort of Corpus Christi holiday or some such, and the brewery was closed, there was only one thing to do and that was to stay down here overnight. This we did, and during that evening a new idea was hatched in the Col.’s mind. He decided to open up a new hospital section at our new location — a Convalescent Hospital, and he asked me if I would come down to run it with Pete Joseph. Soooo, the next A.M., after getting a truck load of beer started on its way to Heidenheim, I took one of the weapons-carriers from here and went up to get some of my clothes etc., carried a few messages to the other area, etc. and then turned around and came on back here to stay.
On the way back a strange thing happened. I was bringing down with me one of the lab boys to replace one of the boys who was already here and who was going to go home on the over-age deal, and who wanted to get to see Paris if possible, before leaving this continent. We were going along the autobahn when we noticed a plane that seemed to be having some sort of trouble and was swooping down and then up in a rather queer manner.
It was a Piper cub, so we weren’t surprised to see it start to land right on the autobahn a short ways ahead of us. However, one of the wheels must have locked, for the plane suddenly veered to one side, raised up on its nose with a crash and stayed there. I speeded up and then stopped by the plane along with numerous other vehicles that were going along there at the same time. The two men in the plane, a Major and a Staff Sgt. got out without aid, and though the Sgt. wasn’t hurt at all, the Maj. had a small gash on his head and was pretty groggy. I had quite a time convincing him that he should leave his plane in the hands of the Sgt. until someone sent a guard, and that he should come with me to some dispensary. Took him to one of the nearby outfits where one of his own medical officers took charge. That was our excitement and delay for the day.
Loads of love,
.
