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31. Departure
- State University of New York Press
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31 DEPARTURE Sergeant Louis Thompson of Crookston, Minnesota replaces Sergeant Morivant as the operations NCO; Morivant is ordered back to Division. The new arrival is distinguished by his good habits: he neither smokes nor swears. Corporal Norman Cady of Bakersfield, California reports for service as a driver; he has been sent to us from a disbanded DP team, arriving with the news that we are one of the more permanent teams because of our fine record. With our customary cynicism, we interpret this to mean that we will probably be recalled tomorrow. Two hours later Rosenbloom receives orders to report back to the 6Jed Division for reassignment! HQ is stirring and we speculate on what may happen. Obviously , combat DP teams are no longer needed; civilian United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration units are well qualified for most jobs, except perhaps for a few special installations like the one here. If we are shipped out, will we be returned to our old outfits? Or sent to new ones? Or redeployed to the Pacific theater where the fighting against the Japanese continues unabated? Or assigned to occupation duty in Germany ? There is unanimity on the need for occupying Germany : everyone here agrees that it should be policed for a long time. Everyone also agrees that it would be very nice if someone else did the occupying. Another possibility is that we might be sent home! And discharged! We prefer to dwell on this delightful contingency. Now, to give us something concrete to discuss and to improve our arithmetic, the Army announces that 400,000 men are going home, to be selected on a point system. Points will be awarded to each soldier-one for each month of service, six I 235 for overseas duty, five for each battle campaign, and others for children and decorations. Almost immediately an odious officer I know cables his wife to adopt two children. Rosenbloom packs rapidly-orders still carry a note of urgency . Handshaking, quiet farewells, and he is gone. Some of the Army medical officers on the "permanent" camp staff are also leaving, including my poker-playing companions, which means I will have more money available. A young infantry officer from New York, Lieutenant Edwin Smolen, arrives to replace Rosenbloom, but because he has not previously worked with 0 Ps, I am appointed to be acting head of internal administration. And special orders arrive for me, announcing my promotion. I am now a captain. (This has nothing to do with my temporary assumption of command.) I am happy to receive this, for it is overdue, although nobody's fault because I have been placed on temporary duty several times, once for six months, and such assignments interfere with seniority. Major Green finds a set of captain's bars for me from one of the officers who has just received his majority; they are not very shiny, but I like them. Then the telephone begins to ring-friends asking for Captain Smith, social calls to accustom me to being addressed properly. Communique No. 32, dated June 6, from the Central Press Bureau takes full note of these changes. A full meeting of the IPC was held this morning. First Lieutenant Charles Rosenbloom, camp commanding officer ... is going away.... [He] came here on the first days of our liberation. The situation he found was tragic . . . the IPC was in difficult [straits because it had not] yet established contact with American authorities. Great problems needed solving. This work was immediately taken in hand by Mr. Charles Rosenbloom and he came through with great success. Charles has a great capacity of recognizing the people and a greater psychological ability of penetrating into the masses. We collaborated with him on a spirit of friendship and brotherhood. We found him everywhere and at all times. Night and day this son of the noble and generous country of the United States was ready to help us.... We 236 I The Turning Point regret his departure. It seems that we have known him for many years. . . . But other work calls him and he must leave. We all wish him a happy journey.... Captain Smith and Lieutenant Smolen have already taken over his work. They were present at the IPC meeting and introduced. We know well Captain Smith. He is from the "old stuff." ... The German Committee calls witnesses to give evidence against ... to the Minister of Justice, dungeon house, or to the German Committee, barracks No. 241. I have mingled emotions about...