Augsburg, Germany – Jen – Homeward Bound
We stopped for lunch at another small village. We had our meal at a bombed repaired café. During this time, we had a lot of people stop and say how glad they were to have Americans in southern Germany. The kids were great, we passed out all the candy bars we both had. What smiles we received from them. Lots of “danke-schons!” They made us feel right at home in all the villages we stopped in.
On down the road, I pulled off to the side as I wanted to have a talk with LT. I wanted to know why she was going to the same town as I. She told me she was to be an assistant to a Major Jones. “Major Jones has to go back to the states as there is something wrong at the Major’s home. I will be the officer in charge while the Major is gone,” she said proudly.
“Holy Cow, you’ll be my boss,” I said with a smile.
She just laughed. How cute she was. “You’ll be my interpreter. We will be close all the time.”
That made me laugh. I told her, “That will be great.”
She told me she had a Ph.D. in social science and that the Major had been a Transportation Officer. “The army is throwing officers into jobs they know nothing about. I’m to help the Major help Germany to be a democracy.”
We finally arrived in Augsburg in the evening hours. It was well after dark. I drove to the town hall. It was closed. A beautiful old hotel was across the town square. The hotel had some bomb damage but was being repaired. We drove the bike up to the front entrance and walked into the lobby. In the hotel, we met a Master Sergeant Dale Hanson a man about thirty-five years old, slightly balding. He had a friendly smile and a warm welcome. He told us he was Major Brown’s Administrative Assistant and all the Army personal lived in this hotel. He had dinner with us and helped to check us into the hotel.
He said there was a detail of twenty GI’s serving as occupation troops in this town. He told us he wasn’t too happy with them. All of them had just come from basic training in the last several months. “Major Jones don’t ride herd very well and the Sergeant in charge is a transportation trained non-com, not much of a leader.” With that conversation, LT and I went to our rooms and to bed. I got a front room on the second floor overlooking the town square. LT got a room next door.
The next morning, LT and I took breakfast in the hotel café. The detail of GI’s was there. No one said a word to us. We really got the once over. It didn’t bother me, but LT said they were rude not to make us feel at home. I told her, “So what! We might interfere with their play house and they know it.”
After breakfast, we reported to Major Jones. To our surprise, the Major was a Wac, Major Jo Jones, a lady in her early thirties. A redhead, not bad looking, showing a nice figure in her uniform. I could see she was uneasy in the job she was doing. She was pleasant and went overboard in her welcome to us. She said, “I want us to be friends. Be good to everybody. I don’t want any trouble in this town.” She told us she needed us. She said she didn’t speak any German at all. She also said she was a lawyer and didn’t know why she was given this job.
LT spoke up and said, “We’ll help you all we can.” That made her tear up and gave us a big smile. I thought for a second she was going to hug and kiss us both.
We sat and visited with her for several hours. She did tell me to take off my blue infantry braid and infantry brass. “You’re now in the Signal Corp. I don’t want the town people to be reminded of the war.”
I told her in no uncertain terms, “I want them to remember why we were here and that we were here to help them get their lives back together. I’ll be damned if I’ll quit wearing my Infantry Combat Badge.” End of conversation.
She backed off pronto. I could see LT and I had a big job ahead of us.
Major Jo, that’s what she wanted us to call her, told us she had to go home as her father was ill and she had orders cut to go. We would have to take over while she was gone. I could see LT would like to be in charge.
Major Jo was on her way home the next day. LT wanted to know where to start. Sgt. Hanson had her set a meeting to inform the boys that there would be no more screwing off and not paying attention to orders. LT really sounded tough. HA, HA! She was a real push over, so we found out. Things got bad, the boys got clear out-a hand. The Sgt. and I got LT to put in a transfer for the whole bunch, using disorderly conduct. Some people don’t know how good they had it.
About a week later, this Lieutenant Colonel shows up. He said the 82nd Airborne Division was taking over the occupation duties in Southern Germany American zone and he was in command. He made it plain he was a no nonsense kind-a officer. Ok by me. He asked right away where LT wanted to be transferred. She said without hesitation, “Berlin.”
I knew she wanted access to husband-finding territory. The Lt. Colonel said he would cut her orders pronto. He then asked M/Sgt. Hanson what he would like.
Hanson said, “I’m a lifer, any motor pool will do.”
“Okay, Sergeant, you’ll stay with us.” He turned to me next, “What do you do, son?”
“I’m an interpreter.”
“We have two in our ranks. Anything else you want?”
I told him “I just want-a go home.”
“I’ll have your orders cut. You’ll be on your way in a few weeks.”
LT left the next day for Berlin. She had a staff car to take her. Before she got in the car, I took her in my arms and planted a passionate kiss on her beautiful lips.
“Maybe I should stay? No,” she said, “Al, you’re too young for me, besides I want a man with money.” She got in the car and I watched it drive away.
Hanson was there with me and I said to him, “I’m sure gonna miss that girl.”
Hanson made a suggestion, “You have no duties, why don’t you take a jeep and go look for the hospitals in the American zone. Maybe you can find your girlfriend before you ship for home.”
Good idea. I asked headquarters for a list of hospitals, packed an overnight bag, hooked a jeep full of gas and headed out. The first two hospitals I visited, in one I found a nurse who knew Jen but didn’t know where she was. The next was up by Stuttgart. I drove up a long road leading to the hospital. Outside, on a big front lawn, there were patients in wheelchairs and white uniformed nurses enjoying a sunny day. There were several dozen people.
I surveyed the situation closely, going from nurse to nurse. I saw one nurse kneeling down talking with a wheel-chaired patient. I looked past her to the next then for some unknown reason I looked back when she stood up. JEN! No doubt about it, it was her. I’d know that shape in a thousand.
I leaped out of the jeep, almost fell down and ran to within ten feet of her and said in a low voice, “Jen.” She turned to see me standing there. She ran at me almost knocking me down.
She threw her arms around me and said loud and clear, “Al, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all the time and everywhere.”
“So have I, Jen. I was afraid I would never find you.”
I’ll tell you, a whole lot-a kissing and hugging went on for some time. The Nurses and patients must have thought it was a strange world that an officer and GI would make such a fuss over each other.
“Jen, I have orders to go home. Can you go with me now?”
“Yes, I have enough time, I can go anytime.”
We went to her headquarters, got her orders cut immediately for her to go. She got her gear together. We drove back to Augsburg. The Lieutenant Colonel turned out to be an understanding fellow. He got air transportation from an airfield near Stuttgart to Fort Dix, New Jersey. I packed my duff and Jen and I got on a converted B-24 cargo plane. In twenty-four hours, we were back in the good old US of A. We hunted up a marriage license and an Army Chaplain. We got married in a small Chapel on the post. To our surprise, the Chapel filled to capacity with well wishers. We both were separated from the Army the next day.
Holy Cow, we spent our wedding night in the BOQ and what a night it was. My love was some lover.
We took a train to my home on the ranch. It was a reunion I will never forget. My folks, brothers and their families all fell in love with Jen. Who wouldn’t? I went back and got my High School diploma. Jen worked part time in a local hospital. My folks offered me manager of the ranch, how lucky could a guy be?
My time with the 90th was unforgettable. I think of my buddies and friends all the time. Old Hank, Sgt. Billy Joe, Sgt. Rocky, Sgt. Jimmy Good and, of course, LT will be etched into my brain the rest of my life. They’re all young viable guys to me. God Bless all the men and women who served in that horrible time, surely we will all meet again.