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Saturday, October 26 I awoke feeling much better but not completely well. I am not hungry and fear I have to inform the doctors of my condition and that they will send me to some hospital. I feel very weak but would regret missing this battle, which is supposed to be terrible. I received orders to accompany Sergeant Schwarz in search of a command post for our colonel. I prepared my backpack, bid my friends farewell, and set out to look for the sergeant. I hope to see my buddies soon unless a shell comes between us. I am going where many shells are dropping. No doubt about that. I was concerned about our assignment because we were expected to complete it alone and on foot, but things turned out differently. We were assigned a Ford truck because Lieutenant Williams was accompanying us. The short ride gave us the opportunity to witness the usual littered equipment belonging to soldiers who had fought and possibly died. We also saw other fresh battlefield signs of fights to the death. Cannon, rifles, and machine gun ammunition , as well as blankets, clothing, and entire backpacks belonging to the enemy and our soldiers were scattered all over the place. They had also discarded hats and shoes. Despite everything, we were pleased to see that our soldiers had forced the enemy out of their invincible trenches. At what price? We do not know and this matters little since we have achieved an honorable victory. We also saw unburied German corpses before arriving at our destination . Many of them were decomposing. When someone pointed out a dead German soldier on the road, our officer replied, “I couldn’t care less if there were ten thousand of them in the same condition.” We said nothing. Men reason in so many different ways. Five Days and Nights in a Foxhole in Romagne 246 247 Five Days and Nights A heavy artillery bombardment began when we reached Romagne. All we could see was roofing material flying all over and solid rock walls collapsing. The slamming sound of the explosions was like a sack of metal dropping from high above. This was followed by the whistling sound of metal shards flying out of the black smoke. We said nothing as we found cover in the gutted buildings and waited for the final moment. I do not know if we feel fear, rage, or simply desperation as we witness the destruction by a seemingly invincible enemy. The bullets did not all miss their mark. Many found their targets among us, as we huddled together. Many of our artillery emplacements and machine gun squadrons were outside the village, but they were silent as ordered. Some soldiers drank wine from their canteens to drown their sorrow and fear. This means that death is very close, although we are still not in actual combat. Real combat, as someone has accurately noted, is like hell on earth. Our officer accompanied us until we reached a little village. The sergeant and I were told to move on. We waited for a pause in the bombing and then went our way. We finally reached the train station, the place we are to hold for our colonel. It has a solid foundation that can clearly help to fortify our position. The interior walls are massive and well-built with metal and cement. It currently houses a Red Cross hospital that we need to relocate before we use the structure. There was nothing to keep us from sleeping there. As soon as nightfall arrived, we began to witness the agony of war. The wounded started to arrive, and since the operating room was next door, we heard screams that were loud enough to keep a drunk awake. Whether we wanted to or not, we had to witness everything as our bed was at the entrance of the hospital. Sunday, October 27 We woke up alive and well, and for this I thanked the heavens. We may have made it through the night, but we did not sleep well. The sergeant and I had to share a bed due to the lack of space. Even in the middle of such calamity , we cannot keep from being selfish and self-absorbed. While preparing our bed, the sergeant said, “This is the first time I will be sleeping with a stranger.” I quickly responded, “Misfortune has forced me to lie down with many Germans .” The sergeant is of German descent. We looked for...

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