Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, May 4, 1945

Well honey from all appearances the war is very near an end today. Long columns of German soldiers and convoys are coming in on every road from every direction to surrender. At present they are giving up so fast it is impossible to get an accurate count. One city we pulled in this morning, the entire heart of the town was jammed with them and their vehicles. I watched one long group of them marching by following their vehicles, many of which are horse drawn, and wondered what they might be thinking. What was once a conquering army was now trudging by broken and beaten. Many of them, they aren’t even throwing in P.W. cages but telling them to go home, put on civilian clothes, and go to work on the farms. Of course they aren’t doing that with the fanatic SS - Troops. I think they will long remember these days, at least we hope as much.

Your new set up at work sounds swell and I am glad you like it better. I think it is always more interesting when you have   some responsibility attached to the work. It is always a little different than routine.

Regarding the pictures you received where I was holding the club, it was merely a walking stick. I don’t think anything was blacked out on the picture, it was merely poor printing. As I remember our C.P. Trailer was sitting in back of me and in back of that one of the mountains we came through, not too big are they? Directly in front of me was one of the Maginot Forts but of course it doesn’t show in the picture.

Honey, I don’t think I will request the Hershey bars for a while until I find out what direction we are going from here. It may be ages before they reach me by the way we are moving at present.

We are staying in a beautiful three story home, nothing elaborate but everything very nice. The old gentlemen who was living here with his family was formerly a professor of English History at Yale University and has also lectured at Harvard. Needless to say he speaks excellent English.

Well sweet, guess this is about all for now so will say Goodnite.