Pvt. W.D. Johnson Jr. 34945847
G. Co. 26th. Inf.
Apo # 1 c/o Postmaster
New York, N.Y.
April 4, 1945
Germany
Dearest Mom & Dad,
We got mail last night for the first time in several days and I got about five or six letters from you, Mom, as well as about the same number from Louise. Considering the speed at which we are covering ground I think it is remarkable that we can get mail as often as we do as it must be a real problem to get even ammo and food up to us.
We just got a Feb 12th Life Mag sent to one of the guys and I find the pictures of trench foot that were taken of this fellow Bowen who was at the 108 Gen Hosp in Paris at the time I was and I knew that Life photographers were making progressive pictures of his case. A good friend of mine, Grady Lemans of Nashville was in the trench foot ward and I visited him a time or two and got acquainted at the time with Bowen. That trench foot is something I hope I don’t ever get.
I wrote Louise a long letter today and got it mailed, but we are still stopped and I’m writing this so I can mail it next time we can get mail censored and posted. Anyhow, in my letter to Louise I tried to orient Louise on the general route I had followed over here in combat and I’d like for you all to borrow the letter and find the places on the map and that will save me writing all that stuff over again. Also my letter to Louise gives a blow by blow account of my Battle of the Lice. Most of the guys have them and it is impossible to avoid them considering the places we have to hole up in from time to time. I’ve laid down to sleep in places I practically knew were infected but was just too tired to care about it.
Mom, I gathered from your letters that you have an exaggerated idea of the hardships of war. It is tough sometimes but it isn’t all too tough. And a man can get used to anything. After you get used to being out in the weather and sleeping and eating at odd times, you don’t consider that it’s tough. It is just a matter of course. I can sleep on wet ground in a hole, on cement floor, and I’ve slept on coal piles in a basement, a potato pile in a basement. I’ve sat on manure piles while I ate; I’ve sat near dead Jerries and eaten. It all sounds rough to you but you get used to rough living and think nothing of it. I don’t catch colds from the so called “hardships” while in civilian life I’d probably catch pneumonia from 1/10th the exposure.
Heres a sample of a day – yesterday in fact – which will show you it ain’t too bad. Yesterday A.M. we attacked this town in the rain. The Jerries ran, and we captured a few. I didn’t even fire my rifle. (It isn’t always like that, of course, but we have taken several places lately without firing a shot. The day before we captured a town and didn’t have much shooting and we captured about 40 prisoners).
We always expect a counterattack so tho fairly wet we were placed in defensive positions on the alert. Yesterday we didn’t have to dig in – (the day before on the town we took we had to set a defensive ring of foxholes around the town and spend the day and night on guard in the rain in the foxholes) there were enough bldgs strategically ringed around the town so we didn’t have to dig in. We were placed in a super dairy barn. A couple of guys were put on guard. We found an attic in the barn with straw bunks where the Jerries had been staying. So we went to work in town “(indecipherable word ~ but perhaps “scavenging”)”! I found a lamp and some stove pipe. Another guy found a stove. The “patrols” finally returned and heres what we had in our attic room: A stove (knocked a hole in the roof and set it up) a fresh baked pie, a can of eggs, an accordian, lots of sausage, black bread, three bottles of wine and two bottles of engine oil (the guy thought it was wine) two jars of home-canned strawberries a jar of applesauce, a third of a pound cake, some salt, a sack of coal. So we set about getting dry between our turns at guard (two men on the alert at all times from each squad) and eating. We are never absolutely sure that our kitchen is going to catch up with us so we plan to live off the land till it comes up – hence our interest in bringing in food. Between my guard hitches and several hours delousing self and clothing my day was spent. I got a chance to crawl in a bunk about 10 PM. last nite, was called at 1 AM for guard, got back to bed at 4 AM and slept till 11 AM this morning. I missed chow but preferred to sleep. The lice have disturbed my sleep for several days so I was ready for sleep last nite after putting the damper on the little critters to which I am lately the unwilling host. We’ll probably go into the attack tonite or tomorrow again. We stay ready to move on 10 min notice and they never tell us what we are going to do. So, if we are here again tonite we have a warm attic room, crude but we have made it home in just the few hours we have been here, and no artillery is coming in and while the Jerries are just out there, they are not bothering us at the moment and all we’ve got to do is stay constantly on the alert and relax while we can.
So you see, honey, you don’t need to feel that the war is a horrible, nerve-wracking drudge all the time. After a fellow goes through enough of it to be calm and use the head under fire and after he learns to shed the horrors and not let them impress him too much and after a fellow finds that his nerves can stand the fear and suspense of the situations and can stand artillery, then he just slogs along, taking what comes and not worrying much about it. Thats all there is to it.
I want to tell you again, mother, how much your letters mean to me. They are so sweet and you just don’t know what a comfort they are to me. You are really a swell gal and you have my permission to start smoking cigarettes – if the supply in the states will stand one more addict.
The red cross kit I got when I came overseas was put up by a So. Carolina chapter. I also have a pair of wristlets I wear over my gloves that have been swell. They came from some Red Cross outfit. It’s a fine work and I’m glad you can take part of it.
I’m glad you all took Louise to the “St. Louis” show. She wrote that she thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dad, I hope you had a nice birthday. I thought about you and wished I could greet you in person.
Had a nice Easter card from Grandma and Dixie. Thank them for me. I am fine so you all don’t worry about me. Take care of yourselves and keep on writing and praying.
Love always
David