June 15, 1945

June 15, 1945

Germany

Dear Mother & All,

             Here I am back in Germany again. We are just like a bunch of gypsies, here one day and some place the next. We are right where I said we were going - - - just south of Munich in the foothills of the Elps. I don’t know what the name of this little town is, it is just a wide place in the road. The country is really pretty here. Just south of us stands the big snowcapped tops of the mountains. It reminds me of the Graham Mountains at home. It seems like we are about that far from these. Boy I sure would like to go deer hunting up in those hills.

            I wish you could all see Munich. It is nearly like going through Los Angeles and a good two thirds of it is in ruins. It took us an hour to go through it and we were moving all the time. That place is really wrecked. It will take them years to build that back. On the way down here, we passed a lot of air field and there were hundreds of wrecked and burned German planes on the fields. Now I know why all the Germans say that “Allus Kaput” - - - meaning that all is gone now. Munich is the next to biggest city in Germany, Berlin first. Here close to where we are camped now, there is a whole German army. It is the 19^th German army and they are just sitting in a little town waiting to see what will be done with them. They wander around just as they like and ride up and down the roads in their vehicles just like we do. It sure seems funny to see them go up and down just as we do. To think about a month ago, if we had met like we do now and on a road, there would be one hell of a fight. It kind of makes me mad to see them wander about like they do. When they see us, they smile and some of them gives you a snappy salute. We just can’t hardly get over going up and down the street and pass them in their uniforms. A lot of them are getting their discharge now. That’s where they have it over us and may be the reason why they smile when they pass - - to think that the way is over for them and we are just half done.

            How is everything at home? I hope you are all well. I got a good sunburn on the last two moves. I am getting dark in the face like I was when I came in the army. I have been sitting around playing poker all afternoon. We haven’t got much to do here either. We are doing occupational duty now, just sitting kind of a military law here, and there isn’t any telling just how long we will be here - - so we are just taking it easy until we find out for sure what we are really going to do.

            Well I have got to get a letter off to Rosalie before it gets too late so I will stop for this time.

Love to all,
Your Youngin,
Max