5 FEB. 1945

Dear Family-                                                                                                    WITH FIFTH ARMY- ITALY

            Everything goes well.  I’m in the best of health and eat like a horse - getting a bit more bald - otherwise I look the same.  It’s not a question of whether we have snow or not - but the amount. We’re in mountains above the snow line and the snow will remain until the spring thaws come.  However, the weather has not been too cold or unpleasant.  I guess it’s all right to tell you we we’re in the Suchio Valley fracas.  We were not committed, but backed up the line in case of a threatened break thru.  We’re all rooting for the Russians, but no one thinks this push will end the war.  It will take another joint drive in the west, east, and south.                                                                                                  

 

7 FEB 1945

Dear Family-                                                                                                    WITH FIFTH ARMY- ITALY

            Some days, like today, the sun shines warm and friendly - and the snow melts and rushes down the hills in rivulets.  Jerry is more active these days - our paratroopers are getting restless.  One of these days we’ll be pushing them north again.  In the meantime we may get another rest before the next operation.  We’ve got a raid on tonight for the purpose of capturing a prisoner and killing a few Krauts.  And so it goes.  We had a few casualties tonight and a mule was killed.

                                                                                                                       

 

                                                                                                                        WITH FIFTH ARMY- ITALY

Dear Family-                                                                                                                12 FEB 1945

            Everything goes well.  I don’t think I told you about our “peace pool.”  Each of 30 of the older (in service, not age) officers in the regiment has one day of each month.  We put in two dollars a month.  Started some months ago, the pool now totals $48000- quite a “pot.”  In addition the Colonel has promised the winner the next recreational trip to Cairo, Egypt.  Reminds me that my last bank statement shows $3,17600.  We’ve been having a ski school behind a crest just a few hundred yards behind our front line positions.

                                                                                               

 

 

Dear Family-                                                                                                                27 FEB 45

            Have been rather uneventful up here - hence the few epistles.  The weather has made an unexpected turn and there’s a faint air of spring about.  Most of the snow has melted except small patches here and there.  And so after a winter that started as the worst in history, it has really turned out to be the mildest in 30 years, so say the natives though I doubt if the men in the foxholes believe that statement.  Packages arrived in good shape.  Thanks a lot.  Glad to hear about Audrey and Bob.  Give my best to Sis and Norman.                                                                                                                       

Love to all,

                                                                                                                                                Henry