On March 31, the weather turned cloudy and cold, but the men of the 30th [Infantry Division] were given a time of rest over the Easter weekend as they went into division reserve.[1]

On Sunday, April 1, 1945, Phil and several of his men attended Easter Sunday services in a village church, where GIs and locals filled the pews.

Every now and then, one of the rifles would slip on the hardwood and crash to the floor, causing congregants to jump or shudder.

The men also placed their steel helmets under the pews in front of them, but when the local people knelt during the service, they often kicked the helmets, making a racket.

All the commotion made for a noisy service, but for Phil, it was his most memorable Easter service ever. In a letter home, he wrote:

The men and I were dirty and unshaven, standing in a war-damaged but once beautiful church. Sun was pouring in, illuminating and warming us. It was as if we were being cleansed. The sense of comfort, well-being, and safety was amazing.

The men were praying for a rapid end to the war. Their prayer was being answered as it would all be over in only 5 weeks – except for Phil, his war would end sooner than that.[2]

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[1] Larimore, At First Light, 221.

[2] Ibid.

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