October 17, 1944 – To the shock of Dad and his men, General Truscott was leaving them
October 17, 2024October 19, 1944 – Our GIs exhausted by months of day and night fighting get much needed help
October 19, 2024Following General Truscott’s meeting with General Eisenhower, Phil wrote to his mother:[1]
Dear Mom,
I want some nose drops and some handkerchiefs.
The weather is getting cold, and now it rains almost every day.
I have a bad cold and cough, but I had one last year on Anzio and got over it, so I guess I’ll get over this one when you send me some nose drops.
I hope everyone is swell and feeling good.
We’re all very, very tired.
Pray for us.
Phil
Phil and his men had reason to be exhausted.
They had been continuously engaged since landing on the French Riviera two months before.
The dog-tired and drained troops were finding it increasingly difficult to keep up their day and night advances, but one thought drove them on:
The sooner we get to Berlin, the sooner this godforsaken war is over and we can go home.[2]
~~~~~
[1] Larimore, At First Light, 155.
[2] Ibid, 155-156.
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