Ganacher Germany
June 21, 1945

Dear Genelle, Art, Genean & Donnie

Received your letter written June 1st and have also received the letter that Genean wrote. Very glad to receive them and Genean will have to write again.

I can write anything and everything now, but I always think of things after the letter is written.

Have went thru a lot over here. Very fortunate that we are still alive. Our entire battery should have been wiped out. We were ambushed the 24th of April at Waldsassen Germany. We were flanked and our only escape was a road that had the bridge blown up after we crossed it, so there was nothing to do but slug it out. The big gun was put on automatic fire and the woods a mile away where the Germans were was being cut down by each large shell that hit a tree. We kept shelling from 1:15 p.m. until dark, and they shelled us with 88's and 240mm and tanks, 20mm's, mortars, machine guns, and rockets and small arms. One 240mm shell hit in front of one of our guns but hurt no one at that gun. An infantry man was hit standing beside me, and the corporal who helps me was hit by a rifle bullet in his leg. It was just a scratch and he was standing beside me. One of our trucks was hit by an 88 and completely knocked out. Two of our boys were killed, and one seriously hurt. We were the only ones there at the time, an infantry battalion was here but they didn't have enough fire power. We knew a battalion of 105's were coming at dark, and I thought the afternoon would never wear away. The only bridge was repaired and the 105's came and a battalion of 155's and a 76mm tank battalion. All night the 155's were shelling, they were behind us, the Germans to the front and on our flanks. The situation wasn't any better the next day, and for three days and nights we were battling tooth and nail. My clothes and shoes weren't off for one whole week. In this area we rounded out 2500 prisoners so you know what we were up against. A machine gun nest was upstairs in a house 3/4 of a mile away and had a group of infantry boys pinned down. So one shell from our guns knocked the side out of the house and that was the end of that machine gun nest. Two 88's were knocked out. That surprised us. From then on until the end of the war we went into many such situations, except for four days we had off at a rest camp.

Last Sunday we went to Berchtesgaden to Hitlers mountain retreat. It was really something, but it was somthing you have to see and it can't be explained.

I might get to see Brenner Pass this Sunday. It is just a few miles from here.

Hope you have all the corn in by now. It is getting late in the season.

Hoping everything is o.k. take care of yourselves

Love
Herman

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I graduated from Columbus High School at age 17 in 1965. This gave me a real world view of seeing friends facing the draft before me and seeing classmates head off to war. In high school, the war was not "real." Meaning, it wasn't touching me personally or facing me on a daily basis. Graduation changed that. One or two graduates enlisted soon. Yet, a year later, a letter from the local draft board arrived. Faced with a decision to be drafted or enlist, I chose enlistment in a non-combat related job. I joined the Army to work in military intelligence as a Korean linguist. Months later, on the way back to language school, I ran into a fellow graduate. He had joined the marines and was coming home after being wounded in Vietnam. It was, I believe, his second Purple Heart. I asked, "you're not going back to Vietnam any time soon are you?" His love of country and the Marines gave him away. He was headed back. We shook hands as I boarded the plane and I felt proud to have seen this man. We were two warriors passing but for a moment.

Within a year, I heard the news that his return to Vietnam had cost him his life. We had not been close friends in High School and, yet, I felt a great sense of personal loss. Time would pass and friends would return from Vietnam and other friends would grab their duffel bag and shake my hand on their way there. I envied their journey.

Yet, my path would lead me to Korea. In Korea, the war had been over for 15 years at the time of my arrival in 1968. Yet, the enemy was on the other side of a fence. From my observation point, I could see the Communist North Korea. The north sent infiltration teams to the south.

As a result, during my tour from 68 to 70, almost 50 Americans were killed in Korea. The number was far less than Vietnam. Yet, the deaths made it clear that freedom did not exist in the North. The Korean War had taken over 37,000 American lives. The cost of freedom in South Korea had been high and, yet, comparing the two halves of a divided peninsula made it clear that Freedom is NOT free. Seeing Korea today, fifty years after that war, makes it even clearer.

Memorial Day each year, reminds me of the great cost the United States has paid for freedom in the world. It's easy to focus on a seemingly ungrateful France where thousands of Americans lost their lives at Normandy. Yet, they had their freedom to express their concerns paid for by our fathers and uncles who stopped Hitler.

In Korea students demonstrate their feelings that Americans should not remain in their country. This is a freedom paid for by United Nations soldiers in a bloody 37 month war. Each year, I journey at least once on a pilgrimage to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

It is never an easy journey for me. "The wall" contains the names of at least one man that walked the halls of Columbus Senior High School with me. There are the names of at least a dozen other men that I knew. Yet, the wall reminds me that no matter how wrong some feel the war may have been, our nations drew another line in the sand in Vietnam. Had we not drawn lines in the sand in Germany, Korea and Vietnam, just what would the world map be like today? Memorial Day walking past the memorials honoring our veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam gives me pride to have known just a few that paid the ultimate price for freedom in the world. It gives me pride to say that I once wore the uniform of a warrior. It gives me even greater pride to have known fellow warriors that said "yes" to our country's call to protect freedom in the world.

Pete
Click HERE to email Pete


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We went to an area called Saddam City (ghetto of baghdad)...1.8/4 million in Baghdad live there. It is basically a total slum. There are permanent buildings there but it is pretty much squalor-like conditions. Trash and garbage all over the streets (huge mounds of unbagged, rotting trash is more like it) The most interesting part of the day happened early on when a soldier put up and oe-254 (read: big antennae) too close to a high voltage line, it swung backwards and whack: he was down. It sounded like a gunshot going off. His heart stopped but he was rescucitated by the PA on the ground there. He set up the defribrillater as well as did CPR. Medevac chopper came in a little later...somehow, he lived and was sitting up talking a little only 20 minutes later. He is in stable condition now...and will return to work tomorrow! Not bad for 11000 volts.

Also, I went with an EOD team (bomb disposal) at the hospital to get rid of some rockets but found out they couldn't move an 155mm arty round that had a bad fuse. (This round is about 35 pounds of explosive and metal casing) So, they decided to de-fuse it in place. Well, their method of defusing actually caused the round to go off...they used a remote detonation device. Never, have I been that close (50meters-behind a wall) to an artillery round going off...and never do I want to be again. It blew a hole 5 feet deep and 10 feet across, blew down a 20-foot seciton of the wall that surrounded the hospital and knocked out windows in the hospital. Anyway, even though we told all the people about the possiblity of it exploding, I don't think anybody was prepared for what happened. luckily, no one was hurt or there would have been a riot. there was almost one without us hurting anyone. The MPs showed up and got everybody dispersed pretty quickly.

Imagine a hospital with virtually no supplies...they have received nothing since before the war started. And, they didn't get much before the war. Myself and another Captain talked to the head administrator and all he asked about is when we would get them some supplies (sheets, basic medicine, dressings) They see almost 3000 people per day! What a mess. All we could tell him is that we are working on it. The main doctor was Armenian...he spoke good English.

I did buy a Coke from one of the vendors outside the hospital...it was ice cold and tasted great. 50 cents for a coke is pretty good for them considering we give the interpreters about that much per day!

The people all seem friendly...they want what we want...security, and a way to make a living for their family. Several locals thanked us for helping clean up the neighborhood and fix their school.

Other than that, pretty easy day (tongue-in-cheek)...oh, and the 113 degree heat in full gear (kevlar, flack vest, equipment belt, nbc mask, and weapon) all day was quite a treat. My water was so hot, just sitting in the shade, that I couldn't drink it. I caught myself trying to blow it off to cool it...like it was tea or something! I didn't eat all day. I have to write more later...hope this will suffice for a little while.

I am back at the usual location...I knew we had it pretty good here but that experience just reaffirmed it. But, as strange as it sounds, I would rather be out there doing that crap than sitting here all day. At least I got to do it once. Oh, I gave a big bag of candy to the kids...I just laid it on the ground when we drove away. Giving them anything causes a mob...they are so poor...no shoes, dirty...unbelievable how they live..you know how it is when you see it on TV but being there is amazing to see. Quite a day. I will share more later...Oh, I took almost 2 complete rolls of film and recorded a little of the sounds of the kids heckling for candy...more: it was funny to me that some of the kids and adults wanted to try on my sunglasses...the translater later explained to me that they think that the wraparound sunglasses are some kind of xray glasses that can see hidden weapons. All they would say is: 'Mista, Mista...' (Mee-sta) and then put their fingers up to their eyes like they were putting on shades. I let one older guy do it and he was amazed that it was just for shade. Funny. Baghdad is quite a large place...got to see the military parade grounds (huge crossed sabers over the marching grounds on both ends. Probably the place where Saddam did his rifle shooting scene that you always see on tv.

On a more somber note, I had two friends (that I know' about so far) who received very serious wounds in the fighting. I didn't hear about their injuries until quite some time afterwards. They are both going to be okay but it really hit me hard. Luckily, I didn't see anyone get killed enemy or friendly. The experts say that some people don't like to talk about their experiences but I think it helps me cope a little better.

I find it hard to believe what has actually happened here in this country. I can't imagine what it must be like to live like the people of Iraq. Try to imagine a place with no law, and the only police in country wear a foreign military uniform. I am not sure if it seems as strange to them as it does to us. We have so much for which to be thankful.

It has been quite hot (highs over 110 everyday in June) but the accommodations are steadily improving with air conditioning becoming readily available! I live in a house with some other soldiers from Heidelberg, Germany and from the states. It is quite nice considering the circumstances and the previous dwellings (or lack thereof) that we had.

Many of the houses surrounding the main palaces were for Saddam's Fedayeen or secret police that would come here for some state-sponsored R&R. The locals said that most palaces were used maybe 6 weeks out of the year. Not bad considering there's about 90 palaces across the country!

Overall, this country is still in desperate need. Our soldiers are performing missions that are normally reserved for specialists in the fields of policing and government administration. I pray that each day there is more stability and safety for our troops and the citizens of the country. Please ask everyone to keep us in their prayers!

Love,
Tho