Soldier News continued, 1944

First Class Petty Officer Adrian Rose

Bainbridge News & Republican, August 24, 1944

First Class Petty Officer Adrian Rose, of the Seabees, accompanied by his wife and children, of Binghamton, spent last week with his brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Landre.  Petty Officer Rose, who was with the first LST group to cross the Atlantic, was cited by the U.S. Navy and British Navy for his outstanding bravery at the invasion at Salerno.  After the Italian invasion he contracted pneumonia, followed by pleurisy, and had been confined to a hospital in England for a number of months before returning to the States on a 30-day leave.

 

S/Sgt. Donald Houck Receives Distinguished Flying Cross

Bainbridge News & Republican, August 24, 1944

 

S/Sgt. Donald L. Houck was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on June 25 for extraordinary achievement, while serving as Waist Gunner of a B-17 airplane on a number of bombardment missions over enemy occupied Continental Europe.  Displaying great courage and skill, Sgt. Houck, fighting from his gun position, has warded off many enemy attacks and has materially aided in the success of each of these missions.  The courage, coolness and skill displayed by Sgt. Houck on all of these occasions reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.  Sgt. Houck, who also wears the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, left for Miami Sunday after a 21-day furlough here with his wife.

 

Letter from Cpl. Edward Alexander, Somewhere in France

Bainbridge News & Republican, August 24, 1944

 

Will Page, of McClure, received the following letter from Cpl. Edward Alexander, a Deposit boy now serving somewhere in France:

 

July 27, 1944

Dear Folks,

I received your letter of June 11, and was glad to hear from you.  This leaves me fine and hope that it finds you all the same.  I suppose that you are busy in haying now.  The changeable weather this year cannot be very good to get in the hay.  Is a little windy here today.  Last week a couple of days we had quite a lot of rain.  The mud really got thick and nasty I can tell you.  That is very nice that you are going to be able to have electricity.  Do they have the line in as yet?

 

Will try and tell you a little about it over here and the trip over.  We sleep in pup tents.  The food is good, We have church services, and also movies.  So is pretty fair.  Have heard gunfire, but a lot in the distance.  This seems to be a country of small fields bordered by tall, scraggly hedgerows. Practically all buildings are built of stone, built to last all right.  The cattle are fat and good looking.  They use a sort of two-wheel buggy to travel around in, and there are some fine looking horses.  Also see quite a few donkeys.  Cars are scarce.  Riding along on the right side of the road seems good once again.  As I know no French (maybe five or six terms) when they talk I just stand and look at them.  We have books with French words and terms in them though. Payday is nice over here, as the number of francs to a dollar makes the amount (in francs) sound nice and large, since a franc is worth two cents.

 

After a good crossing of the English Channel we left the ship in small landing boats and went in almost to shore.  There we got off the boats into knee-deep water and waded onto French soil.  Fellow ahead of me fell in, pack, gun, and all.  I pulled him up by his gun.  Was comical, but not to him though, I guess.  He was pretty thoroughly wet.  From the beach we climbed up a road, up the hill, and, with our packs on were pretty tired at the top.  Then we could realize what a job the infantry had, fighting as well as climbing up that hill.

 

I have seen some of the towns which have been in the news.  But it was after the fighting was over.  Was in Cherbourg, Montebourg, Isigny, Ste. Mare De Eglise and Corentan.  Was there on Bastille Day, a holiday to the French like our July 4th and Decoration Day rolled into one would be to us.  People all were out dressed in their best, wearing red, white and blue ribbons (those are their national colors too).  Everyone waved or was giving the Victory sign to us.  They really were enjoying the first chance that they had had in four years to celebrate their national holiday, and they really had a kick out of their new freedom.  In some places American flags and French flags were hung out together.  Even though many of them were probably homeless, they still seemed happy.  Remember in one town seeing building and building without break with only the walls and partitions standing.  Where buildings had stood in some towns only a rubble of stone and dirt was left.  The street roadway was cleared through it so that traffic could move.  Saw one oldish lady wheeling a small wheelbarrow with what may have been all the things she had left in it, along the road.  Field after field have posts driven into the ground so that our gliders could not land in them.  And they surely had fortifications, I can tell you.  It was a wonderful thing the way our forces have gone through the defenses which the Germans had set up.  There were thick-walled concrete buildings, dugouts dotting the country in places, although not easy to see, concrete lined underground living quarters, strongpoints with big guns, and lots of trenches.  There are still signs reading "Danger Mines" to warn of mines.  Some of these probably were put up to keep our soldiers off those areas, and thereby slow the advance, and many probably were real warnings.  Saw a trench one place covered over with strands of barbed wire, something hard for the Allies to fight against. They seemed to think of everything.  We were in German barracks.  Building was set in a hole half as deep as the barracks was high, and covered with a camouflage net, and it had a sentry post platform along the road in front.  When they left many of the places they seem to have gotten out in a hurry as in many of the places you can find letters strewn on the floors.  Really was interesting. 

 

Well have written quite a long letter and covered about everything there is.  So I will close now for this time, Write again soon.

Yours - Edward