Question 60: Free Response

If the Italian Front is important enough to continue why in the hell can't there be a few more Divisions sent here instead of replacements. I have been through the whole Italian campaign as yet I haven't been hurt, but, however day by day I see my buddies being wounded or killed. My luck cannot hold out forever. You can never wipe out a Division but all of her "old men" can.

How long do they expect an Infantry soldier to stay and fight on the Front. In our 3 Rifle Regt.'s [Regiments] we have less than 10% of our men left that made the invasion. These men have seen and done their share of fighting. Give someone else a chance to fight for their country and Democracy!!!!!!

Why isn't something done to straighten out the American public? Race riots, strikes etc. are very hard on morale. How can we have any faith in fighting for a country in which a minority causes such disorder. At the present time I have a soft job with very little danger connected with it but I have seen enough of it and would still be on the line if physically able. Why must a unit (and it isn't only ours) keep fighting until all the old men are killed or maimed for life? Is it just because we volunteered among the first that we don't have the right to resume a normal life after this is all over? I realize that experienced men are valuable but cannot an Institution as great as the U.S. Army give us a sane and sound answer? It would build morale higher than anybody realizes if we were given that answer.

By this I don't mean that we should be taken off the lines immediately and sent home because we realize that this is impossible. This 1% business is an utter farce and it has been proven so. This note will no doubt be regarded as coming from a homesick crank but if you are at all interested in the welfare of the soldier, you will investigate it because my feelings are the same as those of the few old men which are left in the outfit.

Well I think we should get at least one break in every six months. After a guy stays up on the front lines so long he just gets to where he don't give a dam. Put some of these glory hunters up there for awhile and maybe they will find what they are looking for. I am sure we soldiers of this regiment don't want any glory. All we are looking for is for this war to be over with so we can go home.

Teach the soldiers to have confidence in themselves and their weapons. Teach them that Germans are good, but not superman. Teach them to hate the enemy. Lack of hate is a great debt to a fighting man. Never trust your enemy to uphold the rules of human fair play.

To start that rotation business and keep it going. Yes it would take some time for everyone to go home but it would be something for all men to look forward to.

To give the men a larger bonous [bonus] than just $300. because some men have had to give up their own business and firms to join the army.

To send the men up on the front lines more chocolate candy and soft candy instead of so much hard candy. We would like to see more people write and when a guy intend to give him a break. About these strikes back home they ought to put them men in the army (I mean over here on the front) and then they wouldn't call to strike and be satisfied with there [their] high wages.

I would like to know more about how they are going to demobilize the Army. I read where the director of Selective Service said men should not be discharged until they're sure of a job. I would just like to talk to him and tell him to just put himself in our place and see how he'd like to be over here fighting and still not be sure of going home even after the war is over. It seems to me a man has always had to look for the job and not the job look for the man.

What I would like to know is the fifth army going to fight this whole damn war over here by itself? I'd I hope the brass hats will soon get all the eagles & stars they want so they can start their King of the men. Instead of the glory they can bestow on themselves. My outfit has been in combat for about 135 days without any rest or relief. When are we going to be relieved? We are backing the French and I don't like the idea. Give the French all there [their] own artillery. We've given them everything else, why not all there [their] own artillery? Give these guys back in the States who are griping & complaining about not seeing any action a chance at it. I'll gladly trade places with any one of them. You know there is no sense in "working a good horse to death" (over)

If every soldier had as much combat as most of us fellows this war would be over.

How about some of these guys who have been in the Army 3 and 4 yrs. [years] and are still in the states. They have lived off the Army long enough, send them over here and let them earn their pay for awhile. This pass to this rest camp is the first pass I have had since I came into the army 14 mo [months] ago. I've been over seas or over 10 mos. [months] and on active combat about 6 mo. [months]. I've never had a furlough either. What time in the Army I haven't spent in combat I have spent in hard training. Its no wonder I haven't much love for the Army. I think I deserve a break, don't you? --

I could write four or five pages of complaints and gripes, but this is my rest period, and the Gov't [Government] has already taken up an hour of my rest period -. Oh well I shouldn't complain as these Officers must have some kind of reason to be back here fighting a hard war. Why doesn't this huge body of men come up to the Front and help us chase the Jerries [slang for German soldiers] out of Italy? We have enough men south of Venafro to chase the Jerries out of Italy within 60 days. Why not let's all get together and beat Russia to Germany? We had better do something so that we can get our feet under that peace table.

Outfits like the P.B.S. [Public Broadcasting System] & M.B.S. [Mutual Broadcasting System] wearing combat jackets & pants when we are doing all the dangerous work, and feel lucky to get ordinary G.I. [Government Issue] clothing. Also, there should be relief for Artillery. We have been in combat 75 days and suffered losses. Our men are jittery and irritable. This is the first "rest" I've had in 75 days, and speaking not only for myself, men must be relieved more often than myself.

Also, I am in a Southern outfit, myself being Northern. The ratings go to the southerners- Why!

Why is it an Air Corp. or pilot gets to go home for a rest after a few missions, when an outfit as well are just stay on the lines until there isn't an old man left. The Air Corp. men gets better grub than we do and their sleeping conditions are better so why should they get a better break than the front line boys. Going over a target with lot of flak [flack] in the air can't be any worse than an artillery barage [barrage] for hours at a time

I have been overseas two years now and like all the rest of the men who have been here that long we feel like we have done our part so why not bring us home now. I fought in Africa all through the campaign in the Infantry. I was wounded once and after the fighting was over I asked to be transfered [transferred ] to the Quartermaster and work in remains registration. I was an undertaker before induction in the army. There are not many of us old boys left in my outfit so why not bring us home and let us start living once again. Two years in the filed is enough. We have been in "Hell" long enough lets see "Heaven" once again. The old men are nervous wrecks no good take them back so that they won't be completely lost.

I can answer for the men in my outfit that a shorter rest after being relieved without training would be better than a long rest with intensive training. My outfit has gone in the front lines so tired that it takes 2 or 3 days of front line duty to rest up.

We would like to see a movie once in a while but I had not seen one since I left Africa until I came here to the rest camp. I believe if the average soldier (artillery) could see a movie or know what he is shooting at it would boost his morale 100%.

I have been overseas 28 months and this is my first pass over 4 hr. [hours]. I suggest more passes about every time we get relieved and go near a town they tell us it's off limits. Some times it's just for certain outfits. Why is that?

I think Battalions like mine that have been on the three invasions should get a chance for some relief. We have been in all the big battles. Most of us are getting very nerves [nervous]. Not from fright but fatigue.

The men in the Air Corp have a certain number of missions and they go home. Couldn't they set for the infantry a certain amount of fighting days on the front & then he goes home. A man on the line lives one day may die the next. - If he knew that a certain of amount of time at the front would get him home - he would be checking of [off] the days something to look forward too [to]. - Right he gets relieved - trains new men - gets on the line again - hasn't much to look forward too [to] - except seeing the war end. - As the saying goes - You can dodge shells some of the time but not all the time. - Its bound to get you -- if you're sent up often enough. --

I'd prefer the common person to know more facts about as many things as possible. We're supposedly fighting for democracy on which the common individual is to be the government and yet filthy shenanigans persist in the back room of diplomats (?) back home. Why did we sell scrap to the Japs [Japanese] when the latter was fighting China? Why didn't we recognize Russia after the Revolution but are now praising her? Why did we pat Japan because she was our "pal" in the last war and allowed her ex-German territory? Why should we strip the Japs of their newly-acquired domains without consulting the people's involved? Why don't we work for a better peace by allowing the common individual [to] pursue his own individual moral rights?

If I knew just how many months of combat duty I had to put in, it wouldn't be near as bad. There's plenty of Divisions & men in the states that have been in the army 4 times as long as I have. I have been lucky so far and never been wounded, but a fellow gets the feeling that his luck can't last forever. Why don't we get a chance to do garrison duty and let some other outfit sweat out the shells for a while?

The main question in the minds of the older veterans of my organization is "Why is the rotation policy now in effect conducted on such a small percentage scale." Many of these men have been overseas a full 24 months and have participated in all the actual combat of Tunisia and Italy. After having seen war take its toll of their comrads [comrades] for so long a time, they feel that their only hope to reach home again is through the rotation system. Consequently they can not understand why only 1/2 of 1% (1 man every 3 months) is permitted to go. We feel that we all have done our share of the fighting, and are ready for some one else to carry it on from here.

As far as I can see, there have been only 8 or 9 divisions who have been doing all the fighting since the invasion of Nov. [November] 8. A great majority of the men have been overseas now anywhere from 1 year up to and over 2 years. I believe 18 months is more than enough time for overseas service. When this army is supposed to have over 8,000,000 men in it now and the bulk of these men are still back in the States, is something to be looked into. There should be a more honest method of sending men back to the States than there is at present.