The General and His Daughter: The War Time Letters of General James M. Gavin to his Daughter Barbara

10. Cracking the Siegfried Line - Germany

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ★ c h a p t e r t e n ★ ........................................................... cracking the siegfried line — germany Having once again proven themselves as aggressive and highly successful ground troops during the Battle of the Bulge, the 82nd Airborne Division was thrown into the Allied assault against Germany’s western border defenses. The attack jumped off early on January 28, and though progress was slow due to waistdeep snow, below-freezing temperatures, and German resistance, the Division penetrated into Germany on the morning of February 2. ★ ★ ★ February 3, 1945 Dear Babe, Back in Germany again, this time the hard way. Difficult to say really which is the harder way but this did not seem very easy, certainly not to those that we have left by the wayside. I am very glad to have had several letters from you lately. There has been some mix-up and some recent letters were in transit over two months. Xmas must have been a lot of fun. We have been very busy lately, far too much so I guess. Consequently I have not had the usual opportunities to write. This I intended to be just a note to let you know that all goes well and I am afraid that it will have to do as that. Love to everyone, Pappy On February 10, the 82nd reached the western bank of the Roer River. It had been anticipated that the Division would be ordered to force a crossing of the river—instead they remained in a static position, much to the chagrin of Gavin who understood that his airborne troopers got ‘‘furious, impatient and finally disgusted with the vacillation and delay in getting going in a ground fight with ground units.’’1 ★ ★ ★ February 11, 1945 Dear Babe, Just received your Valentine, very nice and most thoughtful. I haven’t written as often lately as I normally like to but things have been pressing. I will be glad to get a breather, I hope next week or the week after to get a chance to get a bath and maybe take some time out. All is going well and the boys are fighting marvelously but it takes lots of work and I suppose worries. The german civilians are a stoical group, reserved, quiet, and well-behaved. It is perhaps as well since few of us now are in a frame of mind to show much patience with any misbehavior. A great deal of our snow of last month has melted leaving everything covered with mud. I wear an old jumpsuit and shoepacs [insulated rubber boots] day in and day out, presenting not a very good appearance at higher headquarters. I don’t know how some of these generals that I meet keep so clean. Only way that I can figure it is that they do not spend much time in the front lines. I still like to spend a lot of time where the fighting is close just to keep my hand in. It’s a good idea because I usually end up as a squad leader with more krauts than my own around for the first few hours in an airborne operation.2 Besides, after a while one finds that a bit of excitement is a necessary daily ingredient of one’s sustenance or something. But it all makes the time go by and brings the war nearer to its certain conclusion. I had a short visit from Fulton Lewis [a radio broadcaster and news commentator] yesterday. He promised to call when he returned to Washington . He is a very nice man to talk to, very intelligent and a pleasing personality. I am pleased to learn from your last letter that you are moving to the Wyoming [an apartment building]. Be sure to send me your correct address . Also your phone number. Love to everyone, Pappy p.s. Please be my Valentine ★ ★ ★ February 14, 1945 Dear Butch, The enclosed [newspaper article] reminded me of a letter that I wrote you on the same subject during my stay in Italy. Quite a hazardous business , that of negotiating the narrow byways of the Italian villages. 158 : The General and His Daughter I have received several letters from you in the past few days which is commendable. I will have to think up something as a reward. I have inquired of the tailor in London who is making your kilts but evidently the British army still has...