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David R. Elder correspondence, June-July 1945
1945-07-23 Maj. Al E. Baldridge to Dave Elder Page 1
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Vicinity Eschwege Ger. 23 July 45 Dear Dave: Eighteen months ago tonight we pulled into Firth of Clyde & our ship "Isle-de-France" anchored well out. A year ago - lacking a couple of days we landed at Omaha beach. It seems a long time ago. I have noticed some items as to the work of different branches. But to me all of the units helped win this war. When the P-47's & 38's knocked out tanks & strong points as we came on the rat race from the break-thru clear across France - that is as far as they could keep up with us, I could see their contribution and when I saw pieces of B-17's & 24's scattered over an area a half mile in diameter we could only guess what had happened. When I saw the infantry boys wounded in the Hurtgen where the aid men were shot wherever they tried to get them out and where rations could only get up by tanks - (those were generally blown up by mines) and when those men were there for as much as fourteen days with only three or four days rations it made useless tears come. When I saw engineers blown up while trying to clear mines - wounded while building bridges & drowned when they fell into the water, I knew part of their work. When I saw tanks hit & burst into flames
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Vicinity Eschwege Ger. 23 July 45 Dear Dave: Eighteen months ago tonight we pulled into Firth of Clyde & our ship "Isle-de-France" anchored well out. A year ago - lacking a couple of days we landed at Omaha beach. It seems a long time ago. I have noticed some items as to the work of different branches. But to me all of the units helped win this war. When the P-47's & 38's knocked out tanks & strong points as we came on the rat race from the break-thru clear across France - that is as far as they could keep up with us, I could see their contribution and when I saw pieces of B-17's & 24's scattered over an area a half mile in diameter we could only guess what had happened. When I saw the infantry boys wounded in the Hurtgen where the aid men were shot wherever they tried to get them out and where rations could only get up by tanks - (those were generally blown up by mines) and when those men were there for as much as fourteen days with only three or four days rations it made useless tears come. When I saw engineers blown up while trying to clear mines - wounded while building bridges & drowned when they fell into the water, I knew part of their work. When I saw tanks hit & burst into flames
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