Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, April 6, 1945
- Date
- Creator
- Williams, Clarence
- Format
- letter
- Category
- Stories
- Subcategory
- Clarence Williams
- Repository
- Institute for Holocaust Education
- Collection
- Clarence Williams Collection
- Bibliographic ID
- Folder 8, Item h
- Data URI
- soh.sto002.00077.xml
- Sender(s)
- Williams, Clarence
- Recipient(s)
- Williams, Gretchen
- Received at
- Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Correspondence Delivered Date
Friday6 April 1945.
Dearest Gretchen —
How’s my honey today? This is dark, gloomy, rainy day. Seems as though it can rain with very little cloud any more. I hope April here won’t be as rainy as in the states because we certainly need some nice weather here now to finish things.
A large percentage of our casualties the past few days have been Germans and in most cases they are pretty badly shot up. A few days ago we received a Dentist who stated Hitler had told them they would receive no medical care or money from us. May have been propaganda but he seemed surprised at the care he was receiving. Last night we received a German Officer and Private at the same time. They both had broken legs but the officer had been given ½ grain Morphine to kill his pain while the private had none. The officer told him to show no pain while sitting and splinting and it made us mad enough to kill him. The kid never let a peep out of him throughout the ordeal. Some one told the officer the Russians were in Berlin and he stated the Germans wouldn't quit regardless. He also said the Germans were almost in Moscow once but they kept on fighting. I am beginning to think the war will never end until every one of them are killed. We had a boy of fourteen yesterday who was injured and one of the boys asked him if he was going to fight for Germany when he got older and he immediately answered yes. Also said he belonged to the Hitler Youth Movement. Of course we are in the vicinity where Nazism began so all of Germany may not be the same. There are plenty of fanatics in this section of Germany and many of them organize suicide squads.
We had quite an experience yesterday when we moved our station to a new location. Had the building all cleaned and moved in our equipment and were just ready to go in operation when the Germans sent an artillery barrage of 88’s. They fell on all four sides of our house so of course we made tracks to the cellar. After the barrage let up we immediately reloaded our trucks and back tracked out of their range. Some one asked Captain Martin why we moved and he stated there wasn’t room for both he and the 88’s. I think the feeling was mutual among all of us.
Honey, you will never know how delicious those pecans were. I can’t think I have ever had any thing taste better to me. Also had some of the Vienna sausages this noon. Warmed them on the stove and ate them with crackers from our “K” rations along with some tuna-fish Cooper had received. Made a swell lunch with hot coffee. The nuts stayed crisp and fresh and tasted as tho they had just been roasted.
Well darling I havn’t any more news so will close for now but will be thinking of you. Didn’t hear from you yesterday but hope to have some mail today.
Bye for nowWorlds of Love Clarence.
Pfc. C. O. Williams 37738878
Co A - 122d Medical Bn.
A.P.O. #411 - c/o P.M.
New York, New York.