Camp Chicago, France
November 30, 1945
Dear Mother & all,
I had begun to wonder if we were ever going to get out of
Germany. Just as we started to leave to come down here – our orders changed at
the last minute and we were delayed for ten more days or else we would have
been on the boat now. Boy it was snowing like the devil the night we left
Nuremburg. Every time the train stopped, we would jump out and throw snow balls
at the German civilians. It wasn’t too bad coming down in those box cars this
time (40 & 8’s) cause we put stoves in them and built bunks just before we
left. Guess we would have froze if we hadn’t. Anyway it wasn’t bad coming down
and we had a lot of fun. These French would buy the shirt off your back if
you’d sell it to them. It seems funny getting back into France. We could all
speak the German language pretty well when we left and have forgotten most of
our French. We didn’t have much time to learn to speak the French when the war
was on. Come to think of it, we were in Germany a year – liking a week.
This is a big camp here – mostly all tents. It is fixed
up something like the camps back home and isn’t so bad. We have stoves and cots
in our tents. It isn’t as cold here as where we were back in German, but cold
enough. It was foggy when we came to France and that was when we left and guess
it always will be. There are big recreation buildings and theaters here and
even places to buy ice cream, candy, cakes, etc. The prices are just a might on
the high side though. The ice cream is 48 cents a dish and it is about like
sherbet but we think it is pretty good. The cakes are good too. They are
fountain cokes – 16 cents a glass and damn little ones at that. Oh well we can
stand most anything now - - even this damn guard. Guess you know how rough that
is one a cold night Dad? Well I am guard now but I wouldn’t stay out in the
cold for the general himself. I decided it was a good time to write letters. It
is after twelve now so it is December 1st. This is my last relief. I
pulled my last two hours guard in the kitchen eating pork chops with the cooks
– we are old buddies – the cooks are me. For good I think from the looks of me.
At one time just about the time the war ended I was down to 191 pounds but now
I weigh 230. Do you think Rosalie will still have me?
It isn’t certain how long we will be here yet. We are
supposed to sail sometime between the 8th and the fifteenth of
December but you can’t never tell. We won’t be home by Christmas but we are all
planning on being there by New Year’s so that won’t be so bad. I think I will
be discharged at Ft. Bliss, Texas there at El Paso. That won’t be bad. If it
isn’t there it will be at Ft. McArthur, California. We won’t be here very long
cause they usually shoot the troops out of here pretty quick.
Mama get Rosalie a Christmas present for me cause I’ll be
too late. I just wrote to her. I won’t write anymore letters to either of you
after this one. I am swearing off writing. Darn I got a shot today and my arms
is sore. Don’t think I have many more left, they have shot me for everything in
the books. Ha.
Don’t feel bad cause I’m not there for Christmas cause
I’ll be happy as you if I’m on my way. I’ll just wait and wish you all a happy
Christmas when I get there. Hope you are all well.
Love to all,Your son,
Max
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