Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, April 11, 1945 Dotan, Lisabeth Kohen, Ari Transcription and encoding Roberts, Lindsay A. Tylski, Ethan S. Weakly, Laura K. 2020 Nebraska Stories of Humanity University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
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 Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams April 11, 1945 Institute for Holocaust Education Clarence Williams Collection Folder 9, Item b English Stories Clarence Williams Dahn, Germany Worms, Germany Wertheim, Germany Williams, Clarence Williams, Gretchen Council Bluffs, Iowa Encoding Review Transcription and initial encoding Wednesday 11 April 1945 My Darling Wife —

I havn’t received any letters for three days now so am looking forward to tomorrow. We are on the move again so perhaps they havn’t caught up as yet. We are going deeper and deeper into Germany. May even have the privilege of visiting your Dad’s old native land. Ha! We have our station set up in an old railroad station at present and I am sitting on the porch writing you. Some of the boys located an old hand car and are riding up and down the track. Any thing for a change I guess. The captain remarked that if he asked them to do that they would probably complain like hell. We came through a town this morning where a German Hospital had been set up in a large building that had previously been a Prince’s home. We walked out in the gardens in the rear and it was really beautiful. The pansies were all in bloom and the lawns so nice and green. In the center of the spacious grounds was a small lake with swans and ducks swimming around. Some times it is hard to realize a country at war with all the beautiful things they have here. I should think they would be contented with what they have. Things here are quite different than France. Their roads are much better and their farm lands are well kept. I was amazed at the amount of farm land they have. I assumed it would be house upon house from the way they have yelled for more territory. Contrary to what they would have you believe in the states is the fact religion is very prevalent. Every village that we pass through, the church with its high steeple is the outstanding building in the town. Of course many of them are blown off by artillery as the German snipers use them and they are also used for observation. Remember when I wrote you about living in a very nice home belonging to a doctor, that was in Dahn, Germany. Since then we have visited several good sized cities including Worms and Wertheim. Also several I cannot mention. There is nothing like touring Germany in an ambulance. Well honey I really must close and get to work but will be thinking of you and loving you. It seems I miss you more in the evening and at night than other times as I lay awake and think about you and the things we used to do. Bye for now dear.

All my Love Clarence.
Pfc. C. O. Williams 37738878 Co A - 122d Medical Bn. A.P.O. #411 - c/o P.M. New York, N. Y.
Rec'd 5/1/45 U.S. Army Postal Service APR 14 1945
Mrs. C. O. Williams 1303 Avenue B. Council Bluffs, Iowa.
4-11-45 Passed by US Army Examiner 50819 Capt J L Martini 58a