Transcription
Passau, Germany
18 January 1945
Dear Family,
The joint is getting so crowded
that best I start calling everyone "Family."
Well, a lot has happened since I
last wrote to you. The first thing I
had better do is explain why I haven't
written. Well, I quit my job at Bn. Hes.,
because I expected to be leaving for
home. I wanted to spend my last
couple of weeks here with my buddies in
B Co. The day after I came back I
was given 5 men and told to take
over an outpost on the Austrian
border. The place was way out in
the wilderness about 40 miles from
Passau. I haven't been able to send
or receive any mail since I went
there. However, I'm back at the
company now.
I never enjoyed myself so much
in all my life in the army as I
did on that outpost. It was in a
town called Oberkappel, high up in
the Bavarian Alps. A small stream
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flowed thru the center of town. On
one side was Austria occupied by the
Russians, on the other Germany which
we got stuck with. Well, the Russians
were on one side of the bridge and we
were on the other. The first day there,
I took my camera and started over
the bridge to take some pictures
of the Russians. The Russian sentry
quickly told me that it was forbidden
to take pictures. In fact he became
very nasty about it. I decided the
best thing to do was to become just
as nasty. So, I stood there and took
all the damn pictures I pleased, while
the Russian jumped up and down and
waved his rifle at me. A few hours
later I had what seemed to be
the whole Russian General Staff pay
me a very formal visit and inform
me that I couldnt take any pictures.
I called up my CO about it and he
told me to take all the pictures I
wanted. So I filled up my camera
and went out and took some more
pictures, just to thumb my nose
at them, so to speak.
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The next day we chased a couple of
their officers out of Germany and
back to Austria which made them
like us even more. Then, to top it off,
that night one of my boys got drunk.
Under the Influence of the liquor
he got a crazy idea that he wanted
to have "fried Russian" for breakfast.
He kept saying "By God, Tighe, I'll kill
me a Russian tonight if you'll cook
him." Well, I quieted him down, got his
pistol and took the ammanition out
of it. Then we put him to bed. However
after we had gone to bed ourselves, he
got up, got his pistol and went after
the Russian. I don't know much about
what happened after that. However, from
what I can gather, he went over to
the border. The Russian's tried to stop
him by putting a tommy gun in his
belly. He whipped out his pistol, pulled
the trigger __ no ammunition. Then
with one hand he knocked the tommy
gun aside and with the other he
smashed the Russian in the face
with the pistol. He then retreated
to previousley prepared positions.
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P.S. I had another visit from the
General Staff next morning. So you
can see, my stay on the outpost was
not entirely uneventful.
While there, I went hunting every
day. The Bavarian Forest is famous
for its game and boy we had it.
My buddy and I went out every day
and tramped all ower the hills.
The show was over our knees but
we had boots and good warm combat
clothes. We never came back without
a deer. I got 7 and he got 8. Boy
I'm telling you we had venison steak
with french fried potatoes and onions
for breakfast dinner and supper. I
never did get sick of it.
Well that just about takes care
of my sojourn on the border. I am
having a lot of pictures that I took
there developed now. I will send them
to you when I receive them.
As you know the point system
has been changed and I am not
supposed to leave the ETO until
March. It made me feel pretty bad,
but what are you going to do about
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it. You can't buck city hall, I guess
I shall just have to wait. Some of
my friends want me to take a
discharge with them right here in
Germany and then work our way home.
They can do that if they want to. They
seem to think they can get home
faster. The paper says they need men
to work on the ships. I don't know.
I would have to think it over
first.
Before I forget it. I made a
horrible mistake about 3 weeks
ago. I sent two big boxes of
loot home but I addressed it to
1178 Columbia Rd. for some unknown
reason. So if it's not too late I wish
you would make inquiries concerning
them. One box was about 34" long and
about 5" wide. It contained a German
rifle. The other was about 26" long
18" wide and 18" high. It contained
German flags and an assortment
of other junk. Dout be afraid to ask
about the rifle. It is not forbidden
to send rifles. Pistoles and automatic
weapons are the only small arms which
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cannot be sent home. I hope you can
find them at the Boston Post Office.
Perhaps they haven't even arrived there.
However, if you don't find them don't
feel too sorry. It was mostly all
junk anyway.
Well, so long for now, folksies, I
will write again soon.
Your Loving
a) Son
b) Brother
c) Brother - in - Law
Oby
