May 10, 1944

Germany

Dear Folks,

Well we got ourselves a new home again.  I guess it won’t be too bad.  So here is my new address.

                        Co B  424 Inf Reg

                        106 Division

                        APO 443   NY NY

I hope one can stay settled now. I am getting tired of this knocking around.

I suppose you are kept pretty busy these days. Have you got all the grain in yet or has it been raining. I hope not.  Hope it dries out so you can get the wheat plowed under so you can get it planted into corn or something.

How is Clarence¹ and Albert² making out or is Albert’s leg still on the bum. I hope not.

I imagine W. V.³ has got everything in motion now after he bought himself another ½ section. I was glad to see him get it.

Did you get a corn planter or didn’t they get enough in so you got one⁴.

I got a batch of money here. Will be sending a $100 money order or sumthing as soon as possible. One don’t need it here that’s for sure.  I imagine there was lots of celebrating going on when the official word that Germany surrendered⁵. There were a few flares going off in Paris and Mintz but it wasn’t like I expected.  The French that were prisoners are on their way home now & they appear to be awful happy. They got French flags flying and the 40 & 8⁶ are all decorated with branches and whatever they can get.

Some of the German people appear as though they are glad its over and others act or look like a licked pup or sumthing.  The church bells ring and lots of people go to church.  Wasn’t it Hitler that didn’t believe in church if I remember right. I was surprised to see it.

I never seen as many young kids in all my life.  Every girl old enough seems to be pushing a baby buggie.  The people are fairly well dressed compared to the French.  I suppose they took all the French had and used it on their own people.

The farming in both countries look like they are 100 years or more behind times.  I seen only one tractor since I left and it was a charcoal burner.

I guess I will close now and drop a line when you get the time.

So Long

Jerry

*****           

Notes:

1.Clarence Grover, Jerry’s uncle 

2.Albert Grover, Clarence’s son, had suffered a badly broken leg. 

3.Wilfred V. Grover, son of Jerry’s great uncle Otto Grover. He was roughly the same age as Jerry and farmed some of the  “original Grover land” outside Glyndon. 

4. Production quotas placed on non-war material and as a result many items, apparently including corn planters, were not readily available. 

5. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945.

6. “The 40 & 8” is the American flag (48 states in the Union during WW II).