Edward J. Thomas - World War II
Below letter written by Edward J. Thomas
April 5 1945 Thursday
Memphis 15, Tenn
Dear Mom, Harry & Izzy:
Things are going along as monotonously as ever. All the boys, including
myself, are sweating it out here--just killing time, waiting to see what will
happen. All of them, of course, are wishing the war will end quickly so that
they can look forward to discharges. Most of them feel that this is wishing
for too much even though the war seems to be almost finished in Europe. The
majority haven't as yet had any overseas service and are afraid they may have
to go overseas regardless of whether or not the war with German comes to an
end. My only hope of getting a discharge this year rests on the fact that
I have already had overseas duty. My age possibly won't help me out at all.
From what I understand, England, in discharging her men, will consider age
as one of the deciding factors, but the United States won't unless it changes
its plans. I hope it will.
I just bought a paper now and read some cheerful news. Russia has cancelled
her neutrality pact with Japan. That news is just as good as the American
break-thru into central Germany. It betters my charces of coming home this
year.
Just now the CQ in the barracks announced over the microphone that anyone
going on a furlough tomorrow morning could obtain a ride on a B24 to Niagara
Falls. I wish something like that would be announced on the day before my
furlough. I would jump at an opportunity like that. From Niagara Falls I
could continue my trip by boat, train, or bus to Detroit. Besides saving
probably several hours, it would make the trip less monotonous. What's the
use of wishing, though. The odds of receiving a free plane ride are too much
against me. The announcement about this B24 was the first plane ride ever
advertised in this barracks.
I opened up this letter by saying that things are going along as monotonously
as ever. Maybe I'll have to amend that, a little. Something out of the
ordinary did happen to me si.me my previous letter.
My last letter home said that I was gigged for having too much in my
barracks bag. I also had the bottom of my barracks bag touching the floor
when it should have been tied higher on my bed so as to clear the floor.
The punishment I was supposed to receive covered both of these charges. As
I mentioned before, I was ordered to report in my fatigues at 5:30 in the
evening to the sergeant in charge of the barracks. I presented myself at
his desk in the proper uniform and at the proper time, but the sergeant had
gone homea few seconds previously. The CQ told me I could probably catch
him if I rushed outside. I went out but couldn't see anybody, and even if
I had I would have pretended not to see him because I wasn't very anxious
to have him give me a job. I asked the CQ if he knew anything about my
punishment. He didn't have any information on it and had to call Hq Co. to
see if they knew. While waiting for an answer, I was invited by the boys to
play volley ball. The CQ said I could go ahead and that he would let me know
later what Hq Co would do about my punishment. After playing volley ball for
about half an hour, the CQ shouted to me from the doorway of the barracks
that my punishment was cancelled. This was good news and the whole matter would
have ended happily right there if I immediately stopped playing ball. I continued, however, even though I didn't like the game very much. In a short while
a boy playing on my side rushed madly up to the net for the ball and jabbed
me with a quicck sharp blow in the ribs on the left side. I felt the sting
of it for a while and then the pain partia11y subsided. A few days later on
Sunday I went bowling. The strain of throwing the ball made my side more
painful than ever. I wasn't able to take a full breath or move freely. It
seeaed as if at least one of my ribs was broken. I had my name put on sick
call and Monday morning at 8:30 reported to the dispensary. The doctor
examined me with a stethoscope and told me to breathe deeply. He must have
heard some grinding of bones because he could tell me while I was inhaling
just when the pain would start. He said it might be a broken rib and it
would be necessary to have an X-ray taken. He asked me how I injured myself
and I told him I had hit something on the obstacle course. I lied because I
was against this course. It was something new made up by an old limping
colonel who took great pleasure in watching how the men bruised themselves
on it. The medical officers received so many cases of injuries caused by
the obstacle course that they took steps to condemn it. By adding my case to
those already received, I figured it would encourage the medical officers
to make more vigorous protests.
For the X-ray I had to go in an ambulance to the Kennedy General Hospital
not because I was an ambulance case but because the hospital was about six or
seven miles away. There was a master sergeant with me who also had the same
trouble as I. He was hurt exactly in the same place. He reeeived his injury
on the obstacle course and probably wasn't lying about it. In the X-ray room
I stripped to the waist. The X-ray man and his girl attendant rolled me over
on the X-ray table into so many positions that I thought several more of my
ribs snapped in two. Two views were taken and the report of the wet readings was typewritten and
sealed in an envelope which I took back to the dispensary. The doctor read
that there was no evidence of fracture. The master sergeant's report also
showed no evidence. This disappointed me very much because I could have had
a fractured rib without having any extra pain and at the same time I probably
could have been excused from the next couple hikes and obstacle tuns. The
medical officer said there was nothing else he could do for me except put
some tape on my chest. I allowed the medics to tape me. It was my great
mistake as I found out later. Two wide strips were put on so
tight that they eventually pulled great patches of skin off the front of my
chest and made my condition worse than it ever was before. The pain in my
side went away a couple of days ago but my chest is still bandaged and not
quite healed yet. That teaches me what can happen when I agree to submit to
too much medical treatment.
Mom, I received your letter and your box of cookies. They are really
delicious tidbits, especially the coconut ones. They were conveniently wrapped
in groups for me to put my pocket quickly as I rush to the office in the
morning. I passed some around to the boys and was told they were so good
that I stopped being generous so that I could have as many left as possible
for myself.
Izzy, I have some bad news about the cigaret situation here. Our
cigarets are now rationed. Each soldier has to have a ration card and is
allowed two packs a day for his own consumption only. If anyone is caught
sending them out he will be punished by a court-martial or by being shipped
out to a regular army camp.
Harry, your mating season has come to an end. I hope you pulled through
it satisfactorily. I understand the weather was in your favor and I hope everything
else was. Gertie wrote me about your microscope. This was really new
news to me. Tell me what kind of an instroment it is.
With love to all, Eddie
p.s. I received a box of Sanders' chocolates from Gertie and will thank
her for them in a letter which I will try to write in a week or two.
Author still has the microscope.
Link to PDF file of Eddie's Good Conduct Medal- April 5, 1945
