Ray’s story:
Enlisted in the Army instead of the Navy
Along with Rex Bright, Kenny Thurston, Wayne Mitchener, we decided to join the military before we were drafted. We decided to join the Navy and went to the recruiter in Marion. He signed us up, we took the written tests and was told to report on a Saturday to leave for induction. When we reported we were told that there was a quota for enlisting in the Navy and he could not induct us because he had sent others who were closer to being drafted. Since I had already taken military leave from Delco Remy along with the others, we decided to join the army since there was no quota. Rex decided not to go. Wayne, Kenny and I went to the army recruiter on that Saturday, signed up and were to report on Monday morning at 6 am. We reported and off we went to Indianapolis to be sworn in.
Overnight at Indianapolis
We reported to the recruiter’s office on Monday morning. We were loaded on a bus (probably Greyhound) and sent to Indianapolis to take our physical exam and be sworn in. We did that and that evening were sent to the YMCA to stay overnight before being sent to our basic training assignment. Early the next morning we were loaded on a bus and sent to Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky located about 60 miles south of Evansville. The bus was over loaded, and I was standing the entire trip. There were no offers to trade off and let me be seated.
Written tests
We were given written aptitude and intelligence tests. I was told from the tests that I was qualified for Officer Candidate School. Another qualification was you had to be at least 19 years old. I was still just a few months past my 18th birthday.
Arriving at camp
We arrived at Breckenridge about 10 pm that evening. Everyone was tired and ready for a good night’s sleep. When we unloaded in front of the barracks, we were given a blanket and pillow with nothing else and told to find a bunk. Everyone sacked out. About 2 am I was awakened and told I had to stand fire watch. I had no idea what that amounted to. I don’t recall who took me to my assignment. Fire watch meant I was to stoke the coal furnace and hot water heater. All this was still in civilian clothes. Wanting to do the job properly I overheated the hot water heater and it spewed water everywhere. I had no repercussions and went back to bed when my replacement came.
Getting uniform
The morning after fire watch came quick. We were told to dress and line up in front of the barracks and roll call was taken. After breakfast we were marched to a building to get our military dress. First thing we were told to strip (remove all our clothes). Afterward we were lined up to get our uniforms. Each station we were given a piece of clothing. The person handing it out looked at the person and said this looks like it will fit. Everything did fit fairly well except my combat boots. They were too big and all through training I experienced blisters from my feet sliding back and forth in the boots. One of the new recruits who was from Kentucky sticks in my mind. His feet were so large they had no boots that would fit. He had to wear civilian shoes in training until the obtained his size boots.
Camp Breckinridge barracks
After our initial indoctrination and clothing issue we were taken to our barracks. It was located at the edge of the camp. I don’t recall the direction whether it was east or west end, but it was the far end from the camp entrance. We were told to empty the barracks of the bales of straw that were stored inside. It had been used by a farmer. After unloading the straw, we scrubbed the floors and got the coal furnace going. We were given mattress covers and told to stuff them with straw as there was nothing else for us to use. The first night was very cold being the end of January. The next morning came early as we were awakened by the cadre blowing a whistle and had to dress and fall out to the front of the barracks for roll call. My boots were frozen to the floor from the scrubbing water the night before. The barracks had holes in the siding you could stick your hand through. The latrine had rows of stools close enough together that you could hold hands with the user next to you. Needless to say, modesty went by the wayside. We still had our civilian clothes, and they were hung up on wall hangers the first night. One of the recruits had quite a bit of money left in his clothing and the next morning it was gone. Early lesson learned.
Food & the Post Exchange “PX”
Our food consisted of dehydrated potatoes, cold storage eggs, frozen chicken. Most items left over from WWII. Given healthy appetites it was common for someone to go to the PX after our evening meal. They would purchase ice cream, candy and whatever was edible for whoever had the money and was hungry. At this point we probably only had what money we brought with us.
Training & Cadre
We went through rigorous physical training as well as classroom training. Our first field Sgt was a man by the name of Pope. He was a WWII vet and fought in the battle at Bastogne. He was strong on preparing us for what was probably our future in Korea. We were taught to use almost every weapon available including bazookas, hand grenades, machine guns, mortars and bayonets. Classrooms were more about maintaining weapons and the rule of order. Class sessions were about an hour long. I was a smoker and at one point a fellow inductee suggested I used snuff during a class session since we couldn’t smoke in class. It was the longest class I ever had since the snuff made my stomach upset. Never happened again. One of our cadre (training instructor), was an 18 year old and he was full of himself. Needless to say, he was not popular. We spent several hours on the firing range using all kinds of weapons. The biggest problem I had was holding my water until we returned to our barracks. I was always cold beyond what I thought tolerable, but I survived.
In the field
At the end of training, we had to spend a week in the field living in pup tents and simulating battle conditions. I had guard duty one night and when my hour was over, I had to get my relief person out of bed to take my place. I got the guy awake and went back to my tent to sleep. He never got up and the next morning both of us were given the chore of digging a hole for garbage. It was a large hole. I learned not to rely on what I thought someone else would do. At the end of our training, we had to go through an obstacle course. There was barbed wire stretched a few inches above our heads as we crawled underneath. There were live machine guns firing with tracer bullets so keeping my head down was a must. The ground was wet and muddy and still spring like cold weather. We also went through a simulated village with houses, hunting simulated enemy. Our M1 rifles had live ammo in them but we were instructed to not fire them. As usual, one recruit didn’t follow instructions but there were no injuries. Another part of our training was to hunker down in a barrel that was sunk in the ground. We were in combat gear with helmets. A 55 gallon barrel leaves little room for even an average body. We were instructed to stay down as a halftrack (similar to a tank) was run over us. I recall very well the sound of the metal track from the vehicle hitting the top of my helmet. Two recruits died in the field frozen to death that winter. It was more than likely the coldest winter on record.
Dad & Mary visit
Dad and Mary came to visit on a weekend early in my weeks at Breckenridge. Mary had bake two pecan pies for me. I have always like pecan pies, but I don’t recall expressing they were my favorite. I appreciated the pies and the thought. I shared with some fellow recruits.
Mom & Virgil visit:
Mom and Virgil also came on a weekend to visit. I showed them around the base, and they stayed a good part of that Saturday. I don’t recall much about what we did but there are some pictures of their visit.
Jim Grindle & Rex Bright visit/town without a pass
Jim and Rex came to visit one weekend. The usual for all recruits was a Saturday morning inspection of our barracks, personal appearance, and weapons (M1 rifle). Someone in my platoon didn’t have his rifle cleaned, so all of my platoon was denied a weekend pass because of that one guy. Kenny Thurston and Wayne Mitchener was in a different platoon, so they had a weekend pass. Jim and Rex wanted to go into the small town close the base. As usual I was influenced by those guys so I hid in the trunk of Jim’s car and we went to town. I hid in the trunk returning to the base. I was lucky nothing was discovered by the MPs.
In the hospital
About midway through basic training, we were lined up outside to get flu shots. It was cold but not freezing and it was raining. A few days later I came down with the flu and was hospitalized. I stayed a few days. If I had been in the hospital one more day, I would have started basic training over from the beginning. I can on speculate what might have happened.
Weekend trips
It was common for Kenny, Wayne and I to travel back to Fairmount on weekends when we had a pass. There was a 50 mile limit as to how far we could go from camp but few acknowledged the limit. We usually hitchhiked and had no trouble getting a ride when in uniform. We could normally get to Fairmount shortly after noon on Saturday and hitchhiked back on Sunday afternoon. We always split up to hitchhike so there wasn’t a problem with enough room in a vehicle when picked up. One weekend I caught a ride with a disabled vet. He had a lead foot and we made good time, but I was extremely glad to get out of that car. Another weekend we decided to catch a bus rather than hitchhike. We got to Indianapolis about 10pm on Saturday. There was an MP in the bus station, and he checked our passes (50 mile limit). He said you guys are a bit over your milage limit aren’t you. I don’t recall if we replied but he said, be careful and have a good time. Another MP might have hauled us in. It was late and we had no viable way to get from Indy to Fairmount. We decided it wouldn’t be too expensive, so we hired an off duty cab. We got to Fairmount about midnight. We chose not to catch a bus again. One weekend instead of going home to Fairmount I went with a fellow recruit, William Taylor, to his home in Gosport, Indiana (Owen County). It was a nice visit, and his family was very friendly. He was also assigned to 7th Army headquarters, but we didn’t ship over together. He stayed longer in Germany because he married a German gal. They divorced in later years and has passed away.
End of basic training
We got to the end of training without any major mishaps. Saturday morning, we fell out for rollcall as usual. That morning we were to receive our orders for transfer to a permanent assignment. Everyone including our trainers thought we were headed to Korea. Our company commander read our orders to go to Germany. A few went on to specialty schools. That Saturday was party time. It was really ugly as most drank way too much. The Kentucky and Tennessee recruits had brought moonshine to the party. Some were so drunk they vomited on the floor. What a mess.
Leave at home before shipping out
We were granted a ten day leave before shipping out to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey to go overseas. I don’t recall how that time was spent but I’m sure it was with my friends and mom and Virgil. They still lived in the block house at that time.
Wayne Mitchener’s brother takes us to Cincinnati
When it was time to go Wayne’s brother loaded us up in his car and took us to Cincinnati where we caught a troop train to Camp Kilmer. Time passed rapidly it seems as I look back. Train rides were boring.
Train ride to Camp Kilmer New Jersey
The train ride was uneventful as I recall. It took more time than normal because troop trains were always sidelined, and other trains were given priority. That was the case on all my troop train experiences.
Arriving and duffle bag
When we arrived at camp our duffle bags with all of our belongings was dumped from a two and a half ton truck. My bag was at the bottom of the pile. Kenny and Wayne retrieved theirs before I got mine. We were separated at this time. They were processed to go overseas before I was.
Staying longer than Kenny & Wayne
After the duffle bag incident, we were in separate barracks and processed at different times. They shipped over about ten days before I did. While waiting for shipping orders there was little for us to do. The weekend I was there another recruit, and I went into Newark, New Jersey on pass. That is when I had the tattoo on my left arm. I don’t recall the guy’s name I was with as I never saw him after Camp Kilmer. He suggested the tattoo and at 18 I was easily influenced. Another incident while waiting to ship out was a soldier who had been away without leave (AWOL) for over a year turned himself in. I didn’t see the guy or know his name. It was just word of mouth among the guys as to what happened. The stay there was over a week, and it was boring. Unusual for any time in the army, but we were not assigned any duties while there.
Ship sat in harbor/WACS on board/my assignment/sick gal
After the wait at Camp Kilmer, we finally received our orders and boarded ship in New York Harbor. It was a mild day, and the sun was shining. For some unknown reason I was assigned watch duty for an hour on the deck where WACs were on board. The waters were so calm in the harbor it looked like a glass top. One WAC was standing with others looking over the harbor. Suddenly she made a dash for a trash container and vomited. I can only imagine how she managed the trip of almost 3 weeks on ship when the weather was not calm.
Boarding ship and sailing
It was afternoon when the ship finally got underway. The sea was calm that evening and night but after that it was high waves, cold and a rocking ship. After a few days we were told the ship had a crack in the hull but not to worry the bilge pumps would do their job. It is obvious they did.
On the ship
I was assigned to a compartment for sleeping. It had hammock type beds 3 bunks high. My bunk was the middle bunk. The recruit above me was very large. The hammock sagged and I had little space between the two of us. Our sleeping compartment was at the front and bottom of the ship. It held about 300 recruits. The head (latrine or toilet) was close by. The commodes had handles at each side. I thought that strange but my first experience setting on one when the ship was bobbing up and down in a storm taught me their use. If you didn’t hang on you would wind up a good distance off the seat and then slammed back down when the ship came up. The eating facility was two levels down from the main deck. We had to stand while eating. Food was much like basic training food. We lined up down the stairwell to get to the galley. It was common for someone to vomit in the stairwell because of sea sickness. The food didn’t help. I was fortunate to never get seasick, but I was close at times. We were not allowed on the upper deck when the storms were raging. It took us about three weeks to cross the Atlantic. Our lengthy voyage was because we avoided the severe storms. Normal time for a cruise ship to cross was about five days.
Going through the English Channel
After the long trip, we finally entered the channel. It was a welcome sight and at the northern end we viewed the White Cliffs of Dover. The trip up the channel took a few hours. At the end, we arrived at the port of Bremerhaven, Germany.
Bremerhaven, Germany
Never having a glimpse of another part of this world it was a bit of a shock to see the difference in houses and cars. The little Volkswagen (VW) caught my eye. It was the very early design and looked like a beetle in shape. The turn signals were arms the flipped up at the center door post. We called them idiot sticks. There were no German people in contact with us at this point. That came later.
Train ride south
We boarded a train that headed south to a replacement depot (processing place) that was in the German Alps. It took about a 20 hours. There was six of us in the train compartment. It had wooden seats and luggage racks with wooden braces with netting between the braces. Given the time of day we wanted to catch some sleep. We drew lots or something similar to assign where we would sleep. Two in the seats, two on the floor and two in the luggage racks. I drew the luggage rack with along with another guy. The seats and luggage racks were facing each other on both sides of the compartment. Using my coat to soften the divider that hit the middle of my back, I slept. At that point of my life I could sleep standing up. The ride was uneventful, and we arrived at Sonthofen, the village where the base was located. We unloaded and were transported up a hill to the depot. As usual we were assigned sleeping quarters. The first news we received was that an Air Force member had committed suicide by jumping from a window on the second floor.
Assignment Interview
The next day we were interviewed by another army individual who asked about our education and what skills we had. I was asked if I could type. I said, yes, because I had taken a typing class in high school. He gave me an assignment that was then Constabulary Headquarters outside of Stuttgart near Vaihingen. The army base is called Patch Barracks. The following day it was another train ride.
Going into the village
The first evening at Sonthofen, we were allowed to go to the village down the hill. It was walking distance. As we walked down the hill, we were greeted by young boys standing along the road. They were trying to sell the services of their sisters or mothers. Just a reminder, they were still recovering from WWII and had little means of income. More reason to appreciate what we have. All young guys have a healthy appetite and our mission was to find food in the village. We went to a gasthaus (tavern) and got our first taste of German food. I had bratwurst. As you know my tastes, I had to have mustard for my food. I couldn’t speak a word of German, so as I remember, the waitress was able to decipher my query for mustard. I was informed that the word in German was sent. My first lesson in the German language.
Next stop was Stuttgart
The train ride north to Stuttgart was just a few hours compared to the trip from Bremerhaven. We arrived in Stuttgart about one in the afternoon. It was our Memorial Day. There was a military parade in Stuttgart when we arrived at the train station (bahnhof in German). I recall seeing piles of concrete rubble still piled around the entrance. We had a delay going to our assignment in Vaihingen (Patch Barracks). It was because of the parade. Upon arriving we were assigned sleeping quarters. Patch Barracks was a German tank base during the war. I was in a room that housed six of us. One of my roommates was rather strange as he would not undress or dress in front of anyone but did so under his blanket. I later found out that he was homosexual. At that time, if found out, it would have gotten him a dishonorable discharge.
Constabulary becomes 7th Army
We were still occupational troops from WWII for about six months. That changed when our government turned their country back to their control. As constabulary headquarters recruits, we had uniforms similar to the military police. It was spit and polish. We were changed later to 7th Army headquarters and the dress code changed to normal military. We had to change the insignia on our uniforms and turn in our leather military police type belts.
My assignment
I don’t recall why but it was probably just the need at my time in line when I drew my assignment. I was at first considered a clerk typist in the Counterintelligence office of the G2 section. The most of my work was typing reports. I had to receive a security clearance for the work. I had a secret clearance which is one level below top secret. I was later classified as an intelligence analyst. Part of my duties was making up passwords for the border and other areas that required recognition for entrance. It doesn’t seem like much, but it became difficult as the sign and countersign could not be anything easily deciphered. I use the dictionary quite often. That was only a small part of my duties. I had to get my typing skills up to speed. Documents and more documents were what we did for the most part.
Street cars
As occupational troops we were allowed to ride street cars free of charge. American troops were living up to their reputations and were not popular with the Germans. Things changed when we were no longer occupational troops. We had to pay fare on street cars, and we were subject to German law and could be arrested for violations just like German citizens.
Patch Barracks
The army base still exists today. No doubt with several updates. While I was there, we had a movie theatre, a bowling alley, gymnasium, tennis courts, NCO club, a car service center and a gas station. We were required to buy gas for our cars there. The buildings were mostly stucco finished on the outside with common bath facilities. The indoor flooring was all a finished wood.
Surrounding area
Patch Barracks was located about 5 miles from the autobahn and a short streetcar ride from Stuttgart. There was a DP (displaced person) camp close. It held about 300 people, and they lived in tents. Most were from Poland and had lost their homes to the war. Hitler’s baby factory was a short distance away. That’s where he bred pure white blood, mostly blondes, to be his superior race. We were close to a brewery (Dinkelacker beer) which was the most common beer in our NCO club. Stuttgart had several eating places, businesses and hotels. It was still heavily damaged from WWII. Many were living in places such as WWII bomb shelters, attics of buildings, and anywhere they could find shelter. One place stands out in my memory and that was the remains of the Bosch Electric factory. It was equivalent to Delco Remy where vehicle electric parts were manufactured. It was a prime target for the US and allies. What was remaining looked like a pile of concrete and steel mangled together. It had been six plus years since the end of WWII and everywhere you looked you could find the aftermath.
Money
American money (called greenbacks) was not allowed in our possession. We were paid in military script. There were no metal coins in script. We were able to exchange the script for German currency. At that time, the German exchange rate was 4.3 Deutsche Mark for 1 American dollar. The Italian lire was about 2000 to 1 dollar. French francs exchange was about 500 to 1. The English pound was about 20 to 1 dollar.
Food and beer
Because the economy in Germany and other European countries was so poor, we were able to stretch our pay. We could buy a full meal with drinks for about 1 dollar. German beer was about 10 cents per bottle. Their beer was 16 ounce bottles with 17 per cent alcohol compared to 3 ½ percent alcohol and 12 ounce bottles American. One dollar could buy enough German beer to put more than one person under for the evening. Young children were allowed to buy beer and could go into their taverns because the water was polluted. It seemed unusual for me but was the custom of the country.
Mess Hall and KP (kitchen police) duty
It was normal for all enlisted personnel to do KP (kitchen police) duty. We were given the opportunity to pay 1 dollar per month and Germans were hired to fulfill the duty. That made the military life a bit easier.
Cigarettes and American coffee
Both were in high demand on the free market. We were rationed to one cartoon of cigarettes per month and one 5 pound can of coffee. We were allowed to have coffee makers in our barracks. Cigarettes were 1 dollar per cartoon. Coffee was about 1 dollar. The black market for both of these was so prevalent that we could buy or sell but it was illegal. Our government had confiscated so many black market cigarettes it took the complete basement floor of one building to store them. I have no idea what happened to all of them.
NCO club
NCO clubs were for enlisted personnel. Officers had their own club. Ours was like a local tavern with entertainment. “Thumbs” Carlisle, a guitar player from the Grand Old Opry family was stationed with us and he was a regular performer at the club. He later played for Roger Miller and was at Mockingbird Hill Park in Anderson with Roger Miller when we attended. We usually preferred going into Stuttgart when off duty but did spend much time at the club.
Guard Duty
It is normal for anyone below the rank of corporal to stand guard duty. Corporals stayed in the office to command the group. We had so many higher rank personnel the sergeants did corporal of the guard duty and lower ranks were stationed for duty in specific areas. I always had trouble staying awake all night as was required. Sometimes I was in buildings and other time walking post outside. Being inside where it was warm was the most difficult. I always required a lot of sleep.
Vic Damone
The pop singer was stationed at 7th Army Headquarters just as many others were. He stayed at the Graf Zeppelin Hotel in Stuttgart. Like most prominent people, he was treated like top brass in the military.
Hospital/Dentist from Indiana/nose/roomy & problem:
My teeth were in bad shape from lack of proper dental care. We had little money for those things at home. My first visit to the army dentist or maybe the second I had over twenty cavities filled. The dentist was from Jasper, Indiana. I had visited our army doctor for a problem with a common cold or something I don’t remember. It resulted in the doctor indicating I needed surgery on my nose, called submucous resection. The surgery was done by a civilian German doctor. I sat in a dentist’s type chair, wide awake with local anesthetic. He used what I would called side cutters, a chisel and surgical knives. When finished my nose was stuffed with a string of gauze blocking both sides completely. Back in my room I continued to smoke cigarettes (dumb). I was in a room with another recruit. We had to get out of bed and clean our room daily no matter how we felt. He was there for circumcision. Needless to say, it was a different experience watching him interact with the nurses. Before leaving the gauze was removed from my nose. It came out a little at a time and must have been about five feet long when removed. It was stuck to my nose and felt like they were pulling my nose off.
Officer Candidate School
When I turned nineteen, I applied for officer candidate school. I had passed the written exams and was sent to Munich to interview with a group of officers on was a Lt Col from Indiana. They asked me several questions and I apparently impressed them well enough to be recommended for school. After a long wait, I was informed they needed to have my eyes reexamined because one was indicated to be a “lazy eye”. I would have been required to stay in the service a minimum of two years after graduation from OCS. My feelings at the time were negative to staying in that long. I asked my company commander what I needed to do to get out of the commitment. He said to just write him a letter of resignation with any reasoning. I did. I have no idea what would have happened had I gone through with the schooling and stayed in. Vietnam was not many years after.
Weekend leaves to Switzerland
Many of the guys I served with liked to go to Zurich Switzerland on weekend passes. It was a short train ride to get there. I did that several times. On one visit a ran into a guy I went to high school with, in Anderson. You never know.
Work assignment
I was assigned as a clerk typist in the G2, CIC section of constabulary headquarters. I had a secret security clearance. My job consisted of typing reports. Later I did the security passwords for the border between Russian sector and American sector. As time progressed, I was promoted to staff sergeant. I had three or four men under me in the office. The officer in charge of our group was a full colonel (called bird colonel as the insignia he wore on his shoulder was shaped like a bird). We had 3 to 5 generals on post and many other high ranked officers. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the workplace. We worked 8 am to 5 pm on Monday & Tuesday, a half day on Wednesday, 8 to 5 again on Thursday and Friday and a half day on Saturday. Wednesday afternoons were supposed to be for recreation. Most time was spent in the barracks.
Maneuvers
Two times a year we went into the field on maneuvers always in the Black Forest. Once in the winter and once in the summer. We always had to bring with us classified material and office equipment. It was simulating a war zone situation. We were required to dig fox holes and sleep in pup tents. We were also required to have “blackout” every night. That meant absolutely no lights of any kind. The Air Force was always in joint maneuvers with us. They were close by and didn’t have any of the requirement that we had. They showed outdoor movies and lights were on everywhere. On one occasion, our commanding general was walking through our area inspecting us after dark. He fell into an open fox hole. I don’t know how bad he was injured if at all, but we were never required to dig fox holes after that incident. Another time in the winter, we arrived about midnight at our destination. I was one of several setting up our office tent and a stove to heat the inside. My feet were so cold and numb, I couldn’t feel anything. Never had frost bite but it left me with poor circulation. We always traveled on the autobahn in two and a half ton trucks to our destination. Riding in the back of the truck in the winter months was another cold experience. It was common to buy a bottle of whiskey and pass it around to warm our insides. It was never a problem with our superiors.
Cars
My first car was a Fiat. It was very small, and I didn’t have it a long time. My second car was purchased from a Captain who worked as a CIC agent. It was a 1942 or 1941 Oldsmobile. My third car was a 1939 Mercedes. It was 12 cylinder, four door. Very large with plenty of space between the back seat and front seat. It had spare tires on both front fenders and on the trunk. It was similar to the car Hitler rode in. I kept it until just before I came home. I sold it to one of my work friends. While on maneuvers I lost the ignition key to the Mercedes. I took the steering wheel off and hotwired the ignition so I could drive. After I sold the car to another recruit, he came into the entrance of Patch Barracks and had to go around a flag display and tank. The drive was circular. The steering wheel came off in his hands. As I recall he was a bit under the influence. He wasn’t hurt nor was there any damage. I received that story after returning home.
Friends
The guy I spent leave time with was Leonard Kattan. He was Jewish and from New York City. There were several that I can’t name but have a visual memory of them. They were guys from all over the states. One from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Georgia and probably about every other state. A biracial friend married a French woman while there. After he came back to the states with his wife we corresponded. He said they were unable to find acceptance in either the white or black communities. They were in California. After a short time, correspondence ceased with no explanation. I often wonder about him and his wife and how they managed. There was also a black sergeant stationed with us. He was a character, very funny and intelligent. He was an interpreter and could speak five or six languages fluently. I had a German lady friend for a few months. Her father was German, and her mother was Polish. We parted ways after a few months. We would meet with a married couple who were her friends, to eat meals a few times. They spoke no English. I had learned and could understand some German. During one of their conversations, they stopped talking and realized I could understand a good part of what they were saying. They were a bit surprised and I’m sure their words were more carefully chosen in future conversations. She talked little about her time during WWII. The only thing she told me was that her parents wrapped her in gauze from head to foot once to protect her from Russian soldiers. I believe her family must have been in Poland during the war.
Visit from Bob Gavin
I’m not sure how Bob knew where I was stationed. I had no idea he was in Germany at that time. He stayed a few hours and I have no memory of what we did but it was a normal interaction with Bob. He never contacted me again and I was told by family that he had gotten in trouble and was sent to Fort Leavenworth Kansas to serve time. He apparently had been involved in a robbery along with some others.
Visit with Fairmount friends
There were other Fairmount guys in Germany at the same time I was there. Kenny Thurston, Wayne Mitchener, Steve Scott and Frank Underwood came to visit at my station. I don’t recall what we did. There was an article in the Fairmount newspaper about our get together.
On Leave in London, Paris and Rome
One leave was in Italy, February 1952. At the end of the time there, we (Leonard Kattan and me) went to the Isle of Capri. It was normally a warm climate. When there, we experienced the coldest February on record. To get there, we traveled on a small boat. That was the only time on the water that I came close to sea sickness. In June of 1953 we caught a military mail aircraft out of Wiesbaden/Frankfort airbase, going to London. We landed north of London on a small airbase. From there, we were taken by a military truck to catch the “chube” subway. It took us past Charing Cross Station and on to downtown. We stayed in the Imperial hotel on Russell Square. It was very close to Trafalgar Square where the statue of Lord Byron Nelson is located. We took a cab from the chube to the hotel, and I was exposed to an important English custom. After leaving the cab to go to the hotel I was chased down by the cabby who demanded a tip which was an obligatory custom. I gave him the tip. My buddy, Leonard Kattan, had ear problems from the aircraft coming over. It was not a pressurized cabin. We sat in the middle of bags of mail. He was in the hospital in London a short time and while there met a Jewish gal. She took him to meet her parents and I didn’t see him for a day or so. While there we went to the opera, American stage play “Guys and Dolls”, Madam Tussuads Wax Museum, and Buckingham Castle. It was two weeks after Queen Elizabeth was coronated. The bleachers along the streets were still in place from the parade. At one point, and I don’t recall the circumstance, but I chatted with an English man who was the manager of a department store. In the conversation we compared our wages. I made more than he did. His transportation to and from work was a bicycle. The only place to buy a steak meal was in American quarters. The English had little to no meat. Their taverns served warm beer and some spoke in “Cockney” which is a dialect of the English language. I sounded foreign and I couldn’t understand any of it.
Letters from home
Mom wrote about once a week and sometimes less. Virgil was never a letter writer. They moved from Fairmount to Marion after I left, and Grandpa Lusby sold his property in Fairmount. Sometime in my three years overseas they moved to Florida but didn’t stay long. Virgil couldn’t find a job that paid much so they moved back to Marion. During the time in Florida mom wrote very few times. Bill hardly ever wrote. I can’t remember receiving any letters from him or Betty. Joyce wrote once in a while, but not often. Dad wrote less often, and I didn’t write to him much. At one point he contacted the Red Cross because I hadn’t written to him. I was given a lecture by my company commander and told to write. My next letter to him was very short and probably not very nice as I wasn’t in much of a mood to write. I had a couple of pen pals from some high school projects, where the students were given some names of military to connect with. I don’t recall much about either of them except one was from New York state.
Waiting the last few months before coming home
I was anxious for the time to come to get back to the states. I had a rash on both of my legs for about six months. No doubt it was caused by my nerves. Nothing out of the ordinary happened during that time. It seemed like a very long time while waiting.
Shipping out of Leghorn “Livorno” Italy
Late December 1953. I packed everything I owned in my duffle bag, and we loaded on a train to travel to Leghorn. It was a relatively easy trip without much delay. Once in Leghorn we boarded our ship and waited to leave the harbor. It didn’t take long, and we were on our way. The Mediterranean Sea is a warm climate but after a short time we were out into the Atlantic Ocean. The reason we shipped out of Italy was the fact that the ship carried Turkish military that had served in Korea. They came through the Suez Canal and dropped them off leaving room for us.
Sailing through the Straits of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar is nothing more than one huge piece of rock. I suppose I should have been impressed but I wasn’t. It was just a big rock. The time of first entering the straight and then into the Atlantic Ocean was short. Maybe 20 or 30 minutes at the most.
Voyage back to the USA
The trip back home was just as rough or maybe more so than the trip over in 1951. It was relatively uneventful, but the weather again caused a longer voyage. It took about 21 or 22 days just as did my trip over. We played cards, slept and did much of nothing but we were ready to see the good old USA.
Waiting to leave the ship in New York Harbor
It was the 19th or 20th of December when we arrived outside the New York Harbor it was in the wee hours of the morning. As I remember, it was about 4 am. As daylight came, the weather was clear, and I could see the outline of New York City. We stayed on ship and was gathered on the main deck so the ship could be cleaned. It was about 6 am. There was nothing to do but wait until it was time to get off. I don’t recall doing anything but standing there and trying to stay warm. It was well below freezing. Finally getting my duffle bag over my shoulder I walked down the ramp to the dock. My feet were very cold and numb and I remember just being able to move but not feeling much. It took a bit of time to regain normal and warmth after leaving the ship.
Trip to Fort Dix New Jersey
After leaving the ship we were loaded onto army trucks and taken to Fort Dix New Jersey. Everyone was extremely cold and looking forward to a warm barracks and being able to clean up and get somewhat decent food. The barracks was a welcome sight after being in the cold so long. The first thing I did after choosing a bunk was take a shower. As I stood there waiting for the warm or hot water to hit me, it didn’t happen. There was no hot water. I suppose I should have been thankful just to be there, but it was disappointing.
Trip to Fort Sheridan Illinois
We stayed on night in Fort Dix and boarded a train to head for Fort Sheridan. It is located just north of Chicago on the shore of Lake Michigan. As usual, the troop train was sidelined each time another train needed the right of way. It took several hours longer than it should have. Troop trains were always of less priority.
Christmas leave and return to Fort Sheridan
After arriving at Fort Sheridan, we gathered in a large area and was told to get in line to be processed. Once to the desk and faced with someone processing our adventure, I was told, as were others, that they had no space to house us. We were given leave to go home and had to be back after Christmas. I don’t recall how we got to the train station. It probably was a bus or military truck. While standing in line to get processed, someone yelled my last name. He was on the far side of the crowd, but I recognized him. His name was Ronald Ream and a classmate of my sister at Anderson High School. He was not the same Ronald Ream that became Chief of Police in Anderson. I was never close enough to him to have a conversation and never saw him anytime after.
Arriving in Marion
I boarded a train in Illinois and headed for home. It was a normal civilian train and not a troop train. I arrived in Marion about 1 am. I had no idea how I was going to get to Fairmount. I had mom and Virgil’s address but wasn’t sure about anything. I didn’t have a telephone number for them. The train station was empty of people including train employees. I was standing there trying to gather my thoughts about getting to Fairmount. A man, whom I had never seen before, approached me and asked where I was headed. After I told him it was Fairmount, he volunteered to take me. He was about 50 or so years old. I don’t remember what kind of car he had but it got me home. I often wondered why he was in the train station, as there was no activity. He didn’t offer an explanation.
Arriving at 422 West Washington Street
Mom didn’t know for sure when I was getting home. When I knocked on the door, it was about 2 am. Mom got up and came to the door. I don’t recall how she reacted when she saw me, but I know she was rather surprised. We sat at the kitchen table and talked for awhile before heading to bed. I believe I slept until about noon. I don’t recall if Virgil got up when I arrived, but I suspect he did and then went back to bed as he had to work that day.
Christmas 1953
I have no memory as to how the day of Christmas or the other days were spent. I do remember that I had ordered a car from the Ford agency. I picked up a 1953 Ford Crown Victoria. It was a straight shift with an overdrive transmission. I put 32,000 miles on that car in 11 months. I didn’t trade it until we had been married awhile. I believe it was December after being married in October. She was surprised when I picked her up from work at Sears in Marion in a different car.
Discharge and trip Home
I drove my car back to Fort Sheridan just after Christmas and was discharged the 3rd of January. It is on my discharge record. It was a nasty ice storm when I started the drive back home. I had agreed to drop another guy off in Fort Wayne. He paid me for doing so but I don’t recall how much. The roads were so icy that I drove in second gear at about 30 mph. It was a long drive, but I made it without an accident.
****It is thought Ray and his buddies are in the R Co., 502nd photo here-
The John Tubinis File 