The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1945-10-04

LETTERS FROM
OVERSEAS
Interesting Letters From Any
Serviceman Will Be Printed
In This Column
| The following are excerpts
from a letter written by Lieut..
Gilbert Bromet, brother of c. L.
Bromet of Grangeville. The
Bromet family is from Holland,
the children all born there. In
view of the fact that there are
numerous Hollanders here, we
believe this letter will be of es-
pecial interest to them and
readable to Others. An issue of
Life magazine, not too long a.
go, SubStantiated some of the
incidents mentioned in this
letter.
II spent a night with one Of
my uncles in Holland and can't
remember when I've had such
a grand time. The whole family
is still alive although they have
| no clothes and very little to
eat their spirits are high and
they feel fortunate to be as
thealthy as they are,
AT the hotel where I stayed
In Brussels, I started talking
with civilian who talked good
English. asked if he was Am
erican and he said he was. He
told me he was with the embassy
and was on his way to Holland
to establish offices there again
after having been run out in
1941 after the Germans took
4 over. I told him of my plight
and that I was gong to try to
get in but wasn't sure that I
could make it as my orders only
called for Brussels and vicinity.
He asked if I'd like to follow
him In and of course I accepted
at once. We didn't start until
noon of that day and we
thought we could go to Antwerp
Belgium and right across to
Amsterdam, Holland, which
would be only a distance of less
than 100 miles. My destination.
AmStelveen is a suburb of Am
sterdam. My friend said he
knew right where it was as he
had once lived there. When we
arrived at Antwerp they adj
vlsed against going that way
as several bridges were out, so
we had to go way around,
frightening the distance by 200
miles and we did not arrive I'M
I'll in the evening.
1 wish you could have been
there to see the welcome I re-
ceived. 1 was so nervous when
approaching the door I could
hardly speak. 1 knocked at the
door and my cousin "a boy who
is "a years old answered. I
said Tin Dutch is this where
Bromet's live?' and he answer
ed in perfect English. Yes, this
is the place. I then told him
I was Ebert Bromet from A.
merica. He took one good look
at me and took one step back
wards and waited-for what
seemed like minutes-and then
hollered at the top of his voice.
Mother, Father, Ebert is here.
Ebert! Ebert Bromet, uncle
Johns son from America His
father was the first to greet
me next, with all the calmnes.
that Dad haS-he calmly offer
ed me his hand and said, Hello
Ebert, welcome to Holland. NV
aunt was next, she grabbed me,
rugged me, kissed me and
started to cry. She kept saying,
I knew one of them would
come, I Just knew one of them
would comet Then my other
cousin came and said, Married
or not kiss is a kiss and she
too, had tears in her eyes.
We'll, I finally went inside
and the first thing I asked was
if the whole family was intact
and they said they were. It was
about five minutes, later and I
think all of Holland was there
to see me and asking any num-
Der of questions.
Il finally got around to ask
them how they had lived the
last FIVE years and here are some
of the things they told me.
Last winter the Germans cut off
all fOOdStuffs hit also cparotod
several black markets, but due
to the fact they had little mo-. ey
they were Just able to get by
, would go to bed hungry, 50
would get up and drink a glass
of water and go to bed again.
Of September, AID. 1945.
(SEAL) R. P. ROSS, Clerk
Dan w. Maddox. ATTORNEY for