The War Comes to Plum Street

12. We’ll Meet Again, 1945

12. We’ll Meet Again, 1945 AS MAY BEGAN, the headlines in the hometown paper got larger and longer. President Truman announced on the 2nd that all the German forces in Italy and southern Austria, totaling nearly a million men, had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. Hostilities came to a conclusion in these areas, ending the bloodbath for Allied forces that had continued every day of the campaign up the Italian peninsula. Italian partisan forces found Mussolini and shot him, then hanged his body upside down in a public square in a northern Italian town square where residents could pay their respects. Most spat on the body. Reports and rumors flew that Hitler was dead but could not be confirmed. On Friday, May 4, banner headlines announced the surrender of the German forces in Denmark, Holland, and northwestern Germany. The U.S. Fifth Army, marching north into the Alps, linked up with Patch’s Seventh Army at the Brenner Pass south of Innsbruck as the remaining resistance began to collapse. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners staggered the capacity of the military police and guard units to cope with them. Finally on Tuesday, May 8, the paper proclaimed what had been on the radio for hours: The Germans had surrendered unconditionally and the last hostilities in Europe were to end at 5 P.M. that day, with an afternoon V-E parade in New Castle beginning at the courthouse and church services to follow. On the same front page was the news that Pvt. Max Leisure, one of the We’ll Meet Again, 1945 273 seven Leisure sons in the service, had been killed in Germany, making him the second of the Leisure boys killed there in hostile action. Many New Castle businesses placed ads in the paper over the next days celebrating the victory, but calling for continued all-out effort on the home front to finish the Japanese. On that day there were sons and daughters of Henry County scattered across every theater and battlefield of the war. Another Cause for Celebration on Plum Street With partial euphoria in season in New Castle, Marie sensed that it was time for her to deliver. As with Gemma, Ethel was at the Clinic to keep an eye on Marie and work at the same time. After laboring with some difficulty for thirty-six hours, Marie gave birth to a baby son she named David on May 9, 1945. Jess sent a wire to Orville, stationed in the Philippines, that he was a father. When Marie came home a week later, both she and Gemma knew it was time to begin looking for another place to live. Neither knew when her husband would be home, but even the larger house at 1828 Plum Street was crowded now. Housing was scarce everywhere, and New Castle was no exception. Gemma began looking early in the summer, and Marie did the same as soon as she was able to be out and about. The ration books for the two babies helped at the dinner table. On May 10, the War Department announced its discharge point system for determining the order in which men could return home from the European theater. Soldiers who had fought in North Africa and Europe were exempted from service in the Pacific, but the ones who had served only in Europe, no matter how long, were eligible for shipment to the Pacific if needed. Any soldier with eighty-five points was to be shipped home immediately. Soldiers received a point for each month of service, an additional point for each month of service overseas, five points for each award of combat decorations, and twelve points for each child under the age of eighteen (limit of three). Those who attained eighty-five points would be released unless their presence was considered vital. Officers would be released at a slower rate than enlisted men because of their responsibilities and duties. 274 The War Comes to Plum Street The army expected two million men to be released in the coming twelve months. This good news did not extend to the men already headed for the Pacific theater or expected to go there. Among these was Ed’s friend Harry Ridout, a medic who had seen wounds and death all across Europe. Ed learned that after some rest and relaxation Harry would be going to the...