July 1, 1945 - September 30, 1945

I haven't gotten around to updating this in quite a long time, but I have finished digitizing the journal, and want to post the remainder of it online for all who are curious.  Enjoy!

July 1945


1.) Still at A Co. Letter from Dee today. Rumors are all men 85 pts + over will leave before 10th.
2.) Oleis
3.) Oleis
4.) Oleis
5.) Oleis. Received Wal’s letter today.
6.) 7,8) Oleis Had dance Sat + Sun nite. Moved back to base camp the 8th. Am going home.
9.) Still at camp expect to leave in the morning to Florence to join up with 755 Tank outfit.
10.) Manzano
11.) Left to go to Florence. Rode 12 hrs from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Am with the 755 Tk. Bn. Med. Det.
12.) 13, 14) K.P. Still in Florence
15.) In Florence redeployment training area. No one know when we leave. Had picture taken.
16.) Florence R.T.A.
17.) Florence R.T.A.
18.) Went to rest camp in Florence for 7 days. Rumors are we will move 25 + get on boat the 28th
19.) Florence rest center
20.) 21, 22, 23, 24) Rest camp
25.) Came back to camp today
26.) Florence
27.) Florence. Rumors are we may leave the 6th or 10th of Aug. Got letter from Dee today.
28.) Camp. On K.P. today.
29.) 30, 31) Florence

August 1945

1.) Florence R.T.A.
2.) Went to see Andrews Sisters + Arthur Treacher.
3.) Florence. Saw A. Treacher in town tonite.
4.) F.R.T.A. New rumors are men from 85 to 95 points are going to 88 Div. Men with 106 + over are going home with 85 Div. Those 96 to 105 are staying here. We are lucky if we get home by Xmas.
5.) 6,7) Florence
8.) Florence. New rumors are we will be out of here by 12th of Aug. Also 88th may go home in Sept or Oct.
9.) ,10) F.R.T.A.
11.) Left F.R.T.A. Got up at 5 a.m. Left at 8 from Florence. Rode all day + nite. Arrived at 88th at 3:00 a.m. Sun. 12th. Rode on top of cattle box car + didn’t have to but it was better than inside of car as it stunk so much.
12.) Sun.) Was sent to 351st Inf. Reg. Medics but will not stay. Am leaving the 13th to go to the 2nd Bn. Which is in Verona Italy. Rumors are if Japan quits we will go to Deppo Deppo + get home quicker. This Div is scheduled to go home Sept. 15. Shaved off my mustache today. I didn’t have to but they probably would have made me. Davis + I am together. Olav + Banicki went to 3rd Bn. Here at Ghedi. Claims are we may get to see Germany going as aid men when they send P.O.W.’s to Germany.
13.) Went to Verona Italy today + am with the 351st Inf.
14.) Verona
15.) Had dance tonite for Medics only at Brescia Italy. Beer, wine, cognac.
16.) Left at 5:00 p.m. today to go to Germany as aid man for the guards. Rode with German Capt. Doctor + 3 other men. Doc spoke English [sic] + so did another fellow.
17.) Arrived in Innsbruck today.
18.) Went thru Brenner Pass + arrived in Bad Abilury at 11 A.M.
19.) Went to Munich Germany wrote a letter to Florence + to mother. It rained nearly all day so we didn’t have any fun.
20.) Left at 1:00 p.m. to go back to Italy. Rode with the same Germans. Rode all nite in box car.
21.) At noon today we are in Mitten Wald + expect to stay here for 5 or 6 hours until a [sic] engine comes from Italy to pick us up. Expect to be in Verona Italy by tomorrow nite. Bought post cards.
22.) Arrived in Verona about 9 p.m.
23.) 24, 25, 26) Verona
27.) Men with 90 points + over left to go to Naples.
28.) Verona.
29.) Men with 88 + over left to go to Naples.
30.) Verona
31.) Rumors are men with 85 + over will leave by Sept. 7th. Today is payday.

September
1945
1.) Verona Italy
2.) Verona
3.) Left 88 Div this a.m. at 8:00 to go to 27th Repl. Depot at Pisa. Rumors are we may fly home. Rode in box cars all day + nite.
4.) Arrived in Pisa at 7 a.m. Had our bags checked this morning + were issued shortage. No chance of flying home. They said we wouldn’t be here longer than 2 weeks. Liberty + Victory ships will take us home + it may take from 10 to 24 days to cross sea. Some men have left today who were here before us. We have 2 more days of processing before we can ship out.
5.) Today an order for 2000 men came in but doubt if any of us new men will go. This is our second day at Pisa Rep. Dep. Living in buildings here + no training.
6.) Still at Pisa. Went thru morning + had records checked + am ready for shipment.
7.) Left Pisa today for shipment home. Went to Legliren + spent nite. Will aboard ship tomorrow.
8.) Aboarded ship at 9:30 a.m. Victory ship with 800 men + left port at 12:15
9.) One day at sea. Today I began work in the Disp. 3 hrs every day for rest of trip.
10.) Arrived in Oian at 7 am + left at about 2:30 p.m. Arrived in Benise Saaf at 4:30. Set watches back an hour. Ship was to [sic] light to cross Atlantic so we picked up 1000 tons of iron ore to balance ship. Stayed here all nite + left next day.
11.) Left Africa at 4:30 to go home. Ship is loaded. Set our watches back another hour.
12.) Wed. Expect to be in Norfolk by the 20th. Movies seens aboard ship are Casablanca, Winterline, Background to Danger + Ball of Fire.
13.) Sea was pretty rough today + a lot of group were sick but I wasn’t. Movie tonite was Destry Rides Again. Was on duty at 8 to 11 a.m. in Dispensary.
14.) Sea was very calm today for 5 or 6 hrs. Tonite it rained a little. On Duty in Disp from 8 to 11.
15.) On duty in Disp. From 1:30 to 3:30. Rained tonite during movie. Pass a ship at noon today.
16.) Orders have changed + we are going to land in N.Y. On duty today from 1:30 to 3:30. Sea is quite calm today. Watches set back an hour tonite.
17.) Sea was calm today. Worked from 1:30 to 3:30. A storm is headed this way.
18.) Sea is rough this a.m. Expect to land Thursday morning.
19.) Landed Thurs. nite. Stayed on ship Thurs. nite.
20.) Got off of ship Thurs. morning at 8:30. Got on train + spent 1 day in getting to Camp Kilmar.
21.) Stayed at Kilmar over nite + slept next day to go to McCoy Wisc.
22.) It took 2 days to get to McCoy. Spent a week at McCoy + was discharged Sept. 29 at 2:00 a.m.
30.) Left for home at 2 a.m. Walt, Schreine, + dad came down to get me. We rode all nite + got home at 6: a.m. It sure was good to see the folks + St. Paul again. Now I will close this diary + hope I’ll never, never, have to go thru another war again.