Edward J. Thomas - World War II
Below letter written by Edward J. Thomas
23 Mar 1945 Friday
Memphis 15, Tenn
Dear Mom:
I am sending a package to you containing some articles which I won't be able to use here. I was forced to send them to make my barracks bag smaller.
Officers inspecting the barracks took my name down because my barracks
bag was too bulky. I was supposed to be punished by getting into my fatigues
at 5:30 PM and doing some window washing. The sergeant in charge of the barracks,
however, left just a few minutes before 5:30 and when I reported to
his desk, he was gone. There was no one to tell me what to do; so I just
forgot the matter and went outdoors to play volley ball with some of the
boys. I hope nothing will be said about it later.
The package contains some undershirts which are a little too tight and
short for me. Also I included the Valet razor blades we bought somewhere in
Sharon, Pa., I believe, when you visited me at Camp Shenango , Some of the
other articles are: A razor strop, a drinking cup, a razor blade holder and
a copy of a book published by the Esquire Magazine. With all the reading
matter I have here, I didn't have much time to read this book, and since it
was in the way, I tnhought, it would be better to send it home.
I believe the Detroit Sunday News has expired. This is all right for me
because I don't think I would care to have the subscription renewed. There
is no place for me to store the papers as they come in. The officers are
getting very, very strict about barracks bags containing more things than
necessary. There is no reason for them to be that way. It's just that they
have nothing else to do except make Army life hateful.
With love, Eddie
Fri. & Sat. Mar 23-24 Montgomery's Allied troops cross the Rhine River at Oppenheim.
Mon. Mar 26 marks the end of fighting on Iwo Jima.
Thur. Mar 29 General Patton's leadership is responsible for the fall of Frankfurt to U.S. troops.
Fri. Mar 30 Soviet troops take Danzig.
