Fighting Fascism in Europe: The World War II Letters of an American Veteran of the Spanish Civil War

5. The Siegfried Line and the Battle of the Bulge: Fighting in Germany and Belgium: September 15, 1944–January 26, 1945

5 The Siegfried Line and the Battle of the Bulge: Fighting in Germany and Belgium September 15, 1944–January 26, 1945 238th Engr. Combat Bn. APO 230, NY, NY Somewhere in Europe 15 September 1944 Hello Darling; Here it is the middle of September, and drawing on nigh to the big event—the birth of our baby. Probably by the time you receive this letter we will already be mama Ⳮ poppa. I’ve said it many times before, but it still goes, I wish I could be with you darling. I’m so lonesome and homesick for you. Each letter I receive from you is like being home for a few minutes. When I have to burn them for security reasons, it breaks my heart. We are in the home stretch of the war over here now. The sooner it’s over, the sooner we get home—we hope. As for the men just fighting to get home, that’s not true any more. It may have been the day we entered battle, but there has been a gradual transformation. At first, when buddies were killed and the fighting became real and personal there was blind hatred. Then as we progressed through France and then Belgium, the men saw what Nazism actually meant to the people. Most of them, in my outfit anyway, are conscious anti-fascists now. Now, with the Siegfried Line1 and Germany ahead of us, we are for the most part, eager to finish the thing off. 1 The Siegfried Line was the name for Germany’s fortified western frontier. 130 FIGHTING FASCISM IN EUROPE About my Silver Star, I understand it’s run into Army red tape. You see, the Silver Star, the DSC [Distinguished Service Cross], and the Congressional Medal are the three highest awards for bravery given by the Government. Well, we engineers were attached to an armored division at the time of the big breakthrough, and any award has to come through the commanding general of that division. Of course, right now, we are attached to some other outfit, and the armored division in question is in another sector of the front. Sooo. The general wants additional information, or maybe the t’s weren’t crossed properly, anyway, there’s a lot of new paper work that has to be done, and the whole thing has to be resubmitted through channels. Probably get the damn thing ten years after the war’s over. Well, take good care of yourself, darling. . . . I love you. Larry 238th Engr. Combat Bn. APO 230, NY, NY Somewhere in GERMANY!! 19 September 1944 My Darling; We’re in the home stretch now. This Siegfried Line is no joke, but we’re busting our way through. The last letter I wrote I had to dateline ‘‘somewhere in Europe ’’ for security reasons. The people here are no longer friendly. This is Naziland and they hate us. We are no longer ‘‘Liberateurs,’’ we are now ‘‘Invaders.’’ That’s O.K. with us, because the feeling is mutual. We’ve only seen the small border villages yet. We’re still fighting for our first large town.2 2 The town was Aachen, sometimes called Aix-la-Chapelle, located near the Germany-Belgium border. It was the first German town captured by Allied forces. Fierce fighting ensued and not until October 21, 1944 did the Germans surrender. THE SIEGFRIED LINE AND THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE 131 If the Germans decide to fight us all the way back (Something I doubt) we’re prepared to make all of Germany look like Normandy in France. I rather think, though, that organized resistance will collapse once we’re on the other side of the Rhine. . . . Today is the day before the deadline, and darling so help me, I’m a lot less worried about Jerry’s artillery than I am about you. Mentally, I’m already walking up Ⳮ down that hospital corridor . Jesus, I’ll sure have to sweat this one out. Be sure to take it easy darling and don’t strain yourself. ’Bye for now. Je t’adore. Your, Larry 238th Engr. Combat Bn. APO 230, NY, NY 25 September 1944 Hello Sweetheart; Here it is five days after our deadline, and I still don’t know whether or not I’m a poppa. You’ll never know how anxious I am about you. What a situation! Am I or am...