Posted on 02/27/2003 5:33:37 AM PST by SAMWolf
NOTE: Some of the letters have an * embedded, these were words or letters that Western Phil was unable to decipher when transcribing from the original letters.
Dec. 25/18
Chateuvis, France
Dearest Parents, Brothers & Sisters:
This is one day of all where our thoughts ramble across the sea more than usual. Last night I had 3 other officers in my room and our entire conversation was of home. One of us made the remark early in the evening: "Gentlemen! This is the night, when folks at home miss you more than you them." I think he was right at that. My main regret is that I am unable to attend services, the first time, as much as I know, since I was born, that a Xmas passes without attending some services. But I am confined to my room or near there with a bad stomach that has bothered me for a week but which became acute yesterday and the doctor put me to bed last night. But this morning I feel pretty *chip* again except seem littler weak as I have eaten nothing since Yesterday morning. If it were that I could get out I would attend Catholic services which are the only one in the village.
You can see that we are again in France. We left Putrershein on the morning of the 18th. Stayed over night at Seutheim. Next day marched to Frais between Faulaine & Bessaucourt. On the 20 we marched thru Belfert to Essert about 3 miles west of Belfert. On the 23rd we came here on a march of about 8 miles directly south of Belfort. Chateuvis is a real nice little French village of 325 families. I was billeting officer for the entire trip and billeted the entire Battalion every day. But I got here and assigned myself a room and when I wanted to take it after I had every body fixed up. I was out of luck as the family's sow had come home and occupied the room. But I found one above a cafe in fact 3 rooms 2 of which had stoves 3 other officers had similar experiences so I put them *ise and now we are finely situated.
We have had some hard marches the last week as every day it rained & we never dried up but now we are well fixed & dry thru & thru.
We have had a touch of Xmas as going thru Belfert I met a Red Cross man & I gave hm a tale of woe, how this Regiment had seen some hard fighting & *rkes were coming them miserable. So he gave some cigarettes and my billeting party & promised to fix the Battalion up were I willing to furnish transportation? I did. Every man & officer of this Battalion was giving 3 packs of Taxedo, Some gum, candy & a Xmas package which consisted of a lot of small articles needed by every soldier. I found in my kit a sewing outfit consisting of buttons, needles pins, thread, scissors, etc. 25 Envelopes 1 pad of paper 5 sticks of Gum, Tooth paste, shaving soap, Bouillon cubes, folding cup, Xmas candy, a box of cookies, 5 cigars and some few other small articles that I cannot now recall. May be that wasn't a treat for our men who certainly needed it.
The folks here baked us a nice cake last night & 2 pies today of which I could not partake as much as I liked to.
I must close now as I wish to drop Freda a line yet.
Regards & the seasons greetings to all
Herbert
369th Inf.
American E. F.
NOTE: Some of the letters have an * embedded, these were words or letters that Western Phil was unable to decipher when transcribing from the original letters.
Brest, France
Jan. 19 1919
Dear Parents, brothers & Sisters:
I have before me 3 letters received from you since I have last written, but I had hoped to be on board ship before this so I have delayed answering them.
From the heading you can see that I am still headed westward (in fact as far west ss I possibly can without getting out of France or on water. Just when we sail I cannot say it may be tomorrow & it may be a week or a month but only 3 hours notice is given us so we are in hopes. We left from near Belfort on Dec 31/18 & Le Mans after a 2 day & 2 night trip on a cold troop train. At Le Mans we were deloused of which both officers and men had a lot. From there we left again on the 9th and arrived at Brest after a night and a day on a cold American troop train. Here we lived for 4 days in tents were deloused again * moved into Barracks where we are now waiting for the good ship that is to take us over. That it cannot leave to soon you can imagine. We are having now the rainy season and we are living in our rain coats & trying to find the bottom of the mud which is in places actually knee deep. But we do but little work & eat well in spite of which I am getting home-sicker every day.
Ich habe Erich's Brief mit Interse gelesen. The Photographs I have sent to Florence & she will return them in her first letter to you. Thank you for them.
Your Xmas box arrived safely at Le Mans. I certainly appreciated it very much every bit of it was of use & I shared willing with my comrades they all marveled at your thoughtfulness. I also received one from Freda which was highly welcomed. Especially the sox. I had only 2 pair left as it is the French & for that German wash women delight to steal sox as wool yarn cannot be bought at any price. One of the pair that I have left is only ½ as long as they were when given to me. The other half is now possibly adorning some Frenchmen's feet.
It certainly is too bad that Florence could not come for the Holidays, but I assure you, if at all possible, I am going to bring her home once I get out of the Army, this is the height of my ambition.
Bis jetzt sind kein Munzen verloren gegangen. As much as I feared for which I am certainly thankful. I sent some few pieces from Germany & saving more to bring with me. I am getting to be quite a *crank on that & look over every piece I lay my hands on. Ich habe auch French Propaganda slips which I picked up in no mans land after the armistice which I will give you when I get back. These are written in German and are very interesting. The German slips I could not quite make out as my French is not of the best tho I figured out that they suggested rebellion. You certainly made a showing with your war activities of which you can be justly pleased for years to come when arguments come up regarding the German settlements in the States. I never fail to point with pride on the settlement in Friedensau.
I am glad to hear that Capt. Hall was elected in the last election. Remember me to him also Mr. Fitzpatrick. We are now in the 93rd Div. Entirely a colored unit tho thru the entire war we were with the French 161st Div. The only American Reg. in that. The 369th is a National Guard outfit & never was in a U.S. Division coming over separately & when it gets back will again sever its connection with the 93rd. Just what will become of us N. Army officers we know not yet.
Florence wrote of the many presents received from you. I thank you sincerely for them all. My big regret is that I cannot reciprocate now. I also received a letter from Cordula. Thank you very much.
Wenn es mein Unglick sein sollte noch langer hier zu bleiben ware ich hochst wahrscheinlich einmal noch Koln gekommen es ware mir sehr lib gewesen verwante hier aufzusuchen. Ware ich wohl willkommen gewesen?
Only under exceptional circumstances do officers & men get discharged over here, thus preventing an overflow of labor in this country of which the Governments are afraid. I received a very nice letter from my old firm the Ft. Wayne Printing Co. urging me to have an interview with them before I accept any position in civil life. Now the future has no * for me.
I must close now with many regards to all.
Your Son & Brother
Herbert
Today's classic warship, USS Quincy (CA-71)
Baltimore class heavy cruiser
Displacement: 13,600 t.
Length: 6735
Beam: 7010
Draft: 206
Speed: 33 k.
Complement: 1,142
Armament: 9 8; 12 5; 48 40mm; 24 20mm
The USS QUINCY (CA-71), a heavy cruiser, was authorized 17 June 1940; laid down by Bethlehem Steel Co., Shipbuilding Div., Quincy, Mass., as ST. PAUL 9 October 1941; renamed QUINCY 16 October 1942 to perpetuate that name after destruction of the USS QUINCY (CA-39) at the Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942; launched 23 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Henry S. Morgan, a daughter of Charles Francis Adams; and commissioned at the U.S. Naval Drydock, South Boston, Mass., 15 December 1943, Capt. Elliot M. Senn in command.
After shakedown cruise in the Gulf of Paria, between Trinidad and Venezuela, the new cruiser was assigned, 27 March 1944, to Task Force 22 and trained in Casco Bay, Maine until she steamed to Belfast, Northern Ireland with TG 27.10, arriving 14 May and reporting to Commander, 12th Fleet for duty. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, accompanied by Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, inspected the ship's company in Belfast Lough 15 May 1944.
QUINCY stood out of Belfast Lough 20 May for the Clyde and anchored off Greenock, Scotland to begin special training in shore bombardment. She then returned to Belfast Lough and began final preparations for the invasion of Europe. At 0537, 6 June 1944, she engaged shore batteries from her station on the right flank of Utah Beach, Baie de la Seine.
During the period 6 through 17 June, in conjunction with shore fire control parties and aircraft spotters, QUINCY conducted highly accurate pinpoint firing against enemy mobile batteries and concentrations of tanks, trucks, and troops. She also neutralized and destroyed heavy, long range enemy batteries, supported minesweepers operating under enemy fire, engaged enemy batteries that were firing on the crews of CORRY (DD-463) and GLENNON (DD-620) during their efforts to abandon their ships after they had struck mines and participated in the reduction of the town of Quineville 12 June 1944.
QUINCY steamed to Portland, England 21 June and joined TF 129. She departed Portland 24 June for Cherbourg, France. The bombardment of the batteries surrounding the city commenced in conjunction with the Army's assault at 1207. Nineteen of the twenty-one primary targets assigned the task force were successfully neutralized or destroyed thus enabling Army troops to occupy the city that day.
The heavy cruiser sailed for Mers-el Kebir, North Africa 4 July, arriving there the 10th. She proceeded to Palermo, Sicily, 16 July, arriving two days later. QUINCY, based at Palermo through 26 July, conducted shore bombardment practice at Camarota in the Gulf of Policastro. She then steamed to Malta via the Straits of Messina. Between 27 July and 13 August, the cruiser participated in training exercises at Malta and Camarota, Italy.
On the afternoon of 13 August, in company with four British cruisers, one French cruiser, and four American destroyers, QUINCY departed Malta for the landings on the southern coast of France, arriving Baie de Cavalaire 15 August. For three days the group provided fire support on the left flank of the 3rd U.S. Army. QUINCY transferred 19 August to TG 86.4, and until the 24th, engaged the heavy batteries at Toulon, St. Mandrier, and Cape Sicie. She steamed westward the afternoon of 24 August to support minesweepers clearing the channel to Port de Bouc in the Marseilles area.
QUINCY was detached from European duty 1 September and steamed for Boston, arriving one week later. She remained at Boston for the installation of new equipment through 31 October, when she got underway for training in Casco Bay. After fitting out at Boston for a Presidential cruise, QUINCY steamed for Hampton Roads, Va. 16 November.
President Roosevelt and his party embarked in QUINCY 23 January 1945 at Newport News, Va. for passage to Malta, arriving 2 February. After receiving calls by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other dignitaries, President Roosevelt departed QUINCY and continued on to the Crimea by air.
QUINCY departed Malta 6 February and arrived Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal two days later, after calling at Ismalia, Egypt. The President and his party returned 12 February and the next day received Farouk I, King of Egypt, and Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia. President Roosevelt received Ibn Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, 14 February. After a call at Alexandria and a final meeting between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, QUINCY steamed for Algiers, arriving 18 February. Following a presidential conference with the American ambassadors to Great Britain, France, and Italy, the cruiser steamed for the United States arriving Newport News, Va. 27 February.
QUINCY stood out of Hampton Roads 5 March 1945, arriving Pearl Harbor the 20th. After training in the Pearl Harbor area, she steamed for Ulithi via Eniwetok, joining the 5th Fleet there 11 April. Two days later, she departed Ulithi and joined Rear Admiral Wiltse's Cruiser Division 10, in Vice Admiral Mitscher's Fast Carrier Task Force. From 16 April, QUINCY supported the carriers in their strikes on Okinawa, Amami Gunto, and Minami Daito Shima. She returned to Ulithi with units of the task force 30 April.
In company with units of TF 58, QUINCY departed Ulithi 9 May for the area east of Kyushu, arriving 12 May for carrier strikes against Amami Gunto and Kyushu. Before dawn on 14 May, the cruiser splashed a Japanese plane. Her own aircraft strafed targets in Omonawa on Tokune Shima 19 May. QUINCY continued to support carrier aircraft strikes against Okinawa, Tokuno Shima, Kikai Jima, Amami Gunto, and Asumi Gunto until the force returned to base 13 June. Enroute, QUINCY safely rode out the severe typhoon of 5 June.
During the period of replenishment and upkeep at Leyte Rear Admiral Wiltse, ComCruDiv 10 transferred to QUINCY. The cruiser departed Leyte 1 July with Task Force 38 to begin a period of strikes at Japan's home islands which lasted until the termination of hostilities. She supported carriers in strikes in the Tokyo Plains area, Honshu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku.
QUINCY joined the Support Force, 23 August, and four days later, helped occupy Sagami Wan, Japan, and entered Tokyo Bay 1 September.
Rear Admiral Wiltse transferred his flag 17 September to VICKSBURG (CL-86), and 20 September QUINCY joined the 5th Fleet as a unit of the Eastern Japan Force, TF 53, basing in Tokyo Bay.
QUINCY decommissioned 19 October 1946 in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash. She was assigned to the Bremerton Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet until 31 January 1952, when she recommissioned to serve in the 7th Fleet in support of United Nations Forces in Korea. Following fitting out and readiness training, she served in the screen of the Fast Carrier Task groups ranging off the coastline of Korea 25 July through 1 December 1953.
She again decommissioned 2 July 1954; and was berthed at Bremerton, Wash., in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Stricken on 1 October 1973, QUINCY was sold for scrap on 20 August 1974.
QUINCY received four battle stars for World War II service.
Big Guns in Action!
Good shooting and spotting.
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