END OF THE 17TH'S WAR

With the end of hostilities in Germany, the Division was sent to occupy the cities of Duisburg and Essen back on the Rhine. Although the industrial areas of these centers for Krupp steel industries were severely damaged a large portion of the residential sections were in excellent shape.

I remember being amazed by the magnitude of the large several stories high concrete windowless air raid shelters with walls several feet thick. One of the shelters was full of Polish labor conscripts who had been forced labor in these industrial cities’ factories. Another held Russian workers mostly from the Ukraine or had been POWs. All were infested with lice, and many developed typhus. We treated them with everything that was available to us.

In as much as repatriation was the Allies policy, all were in deadly fear of being send home to Poland. Due to the Russian occupation there was a real and, unfortunately, justifiable fear of been exiled to a Siberian prison camp if not being killed as traitors. Their “leaders”, who ruled with an iron hand, were two young women who had been nurses. Of course the Russians knew that if they went back to Russia they were destined for the gulags. Yet, our government in its wisdom sent all these people back into the hands of Stalin.

It was from Duisberg that I was able to go back to Wessel. I found that by that time the army had retrieved all instruments from the gliders leaving them where and how they had landed. I was able to cut the canvas with the serial number off of my glider’s tail. I kept that memento for 60 years when my daughter and son-in-law wanted it for the center of a collage.

In Duisburg, we occupied part of a large block encompassing apartment complex. We had the first and second floors plus the basement in one building. The first floor was used mainly for our aid station and officer’s quarters, while the section was billeted in rooms on the second floor.

One of our litter bearers was a "hillbilly" from West Virginia who boasted that he had had sex with every female member in his family except his new sister-in-law and she was next when he got home. One day this character was drunk and created a disturbance in the building. When I confronted him on the stairwell, he pulled a knife and threatened me. To this day, I do not know where I had the courage to face in him down and talk him into giving me the knife. Although this was a court-martial offense, right or wrong, I chose not to prefer charges. To this day, I remain convinced that the men in our detachment appreciated my decision.

There was still a fear of a 5^th column so army orders prohibited fraternization on occupation duty. However, it was impossible to police virile young males when there were available and willing females. I do not have the slightest idea about the women’s motives; male companionship or just survival including food. I am sure some were motivated by ability to obtain cigarettes and coffee, both having great black market value, We knew that some of our men had quickly formed attachments and we felt that it was important to prevent VD. Therefore; we had our men bring in their companions so we could examine them for signs of GC.

If we found anything suspicious, we gave them a course of sulfonamide therapy as a preventative. In my best German, I tried to explain how to take the drug. We also tried to explain douching. One woman, who had an obvious vaginal discharge on initial exam and was clear ten days later, told me that before she douched she had great difficulty crushing the tablets so that they would dissolve,. Another one wanted to know if she should use the douche “in the front hole or the back one?” Obviously, she had no knowledge of the urethral opening. Since we had no cases of VD, our therapy must have been adequately successful.

With Germany’s surrender, the 17th airborne was selected for reorganization, and redeployment through the States. The 194^th was to be deactivated and in early July, we returned to Luneville France to an old fort to await individual reassignments. The officers were billeted in homes in the town. I had a room on the third floor servant’s quarters of a professional man’s home. There was no true contact with the family. On Bastille day the Battalion had a formal parade through the city. It was my turn to be the commanding officer of the detachment. Sad to say all of the GIs behind me were out of step.

One morning, I was informed that my transfer orders to the 82nd were on the Colonel's desk. I knew that the 82nd was slated to be part of the permanent American occupation force in Berlin and that seemed preferable to any assignment in Asia. I promptly picked them up and proceeded by our jeep to report for duty at the 82nd division in Epinal, about 30 miles away. I was to be assigned as the sole medical officer to the 376^th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion.

When I went back to the 17th in order to pickup my possessions I was informed that the Colonel was looking for me. Apparently, Division had sent down new orders for me. I was now supposed go directly via the Suez Canal to the 1st Airborne Wing, the force which was to make the initial landing in Japan. I laughed at them and remarked “too bad you don't own me anymore”. Another medical officer from the 194th received those orders and was in transit but back through the states when THE BOMB was dropped. I was stuck in Berlin, but he was discharged months ahead of me.

The next installments, whenever that may be, will be devoted to my Berlin days and ultimate discharge.