The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1945-01-04

has been with the infantry IN Ger
many for over six weeks. Six passes
to Paris were allotted to each COM
pany The boys drew lots and Ray
got one of them He tells in an in
teresting manner of his experiences
in Paris.
While we're waiting for our
trucks I'll try and start a little
chronicle of my 48-hour pass in
Paris.
We spent Thanksgiving back in
the rear echelon, and had some very
good meals. The next morning we
got on G. I. trucks and our convoy
pulled out for Paris We stopped at
Reims that night and slept there We
went past the cathedral, but unfor-
tunately, we didn't have time to see
the inside The morning of the 18th
we left Reims and arrived in Paris
early in the afternoon. Of course.
the minute we hit town, everyone
was raring to go. However, we had
to stay on our trucks while our Of
ficers made arrangements with the
Red Cross and got our passes Ok'd.
We had visions of sleeping in dorms
and eating coffee and doughnuts for
the next few days. However, we
got quite a surprise For 20 Francs
night we each got separate
room at the Red Cross controlled
Hotel dee Pavilion. Everything was
very luxurious. and the mattress on
my bed was at least two feet thick
The hotel was beautifully decorat-
ed, as it used be big tourist hotel
before the war At first we just
took baths and cleaned up, and
pinched ourselves at regular inter-
walls to see if it was all true. Then
the Red Cross hostess told us they
were serving dinner. SO we reluc-
family left our beautiful rooms and
went down to the dining room
They charged us 10 francs (20cl
for our meal. 1t was just like a
DEMONSTRATING silver, white ia
blecloths, and delicious food They
had head walters and maids to cater
to our every wish. It was almost
too great a change from combat to
believe. Then. to tor it all we had
music with our meal played By a
salon orchestra. Everything reeked
of the continental atmosphere. Well,
we ate and ate and ate till we
could hardly move, then we de-
cided to e. out and see Paris.
Our hotel was right IN lie center
Of the city and we had to walk only
a few blocks to the Boulevard Mon
temarte The streets were alive with
people and we noticed a definite
holiday mood We saw groups of
girls parading down the streets,
and whenever they would SPY few
GIs they would surround them, and
kiss them, In each grouD one girl
wore fancy hat or headdress and
the other girls seemed to be help
ing her celebrate something or 9TH
er. Upon inquiry, we found that ii
was Saint GATHERINGS day On this
day all unmarried girls Of Is or
older 90 out to hunt themselves a
husband They wear the fancy head
dress to indicate their intentions.
It's just like Sadie Hawkins day
in the States only more important
For a while we just walked the
streets looking at the brilliantly
lighted shop windows, then We be-
gan to make the rounds of the ca
barets and night clubs. The enter
tainment was wonderful in all CT
them wonderful orchestras and
floor shows. The decorations of the
clubs were astounding -ultra-mod-
ern with endlessly reflecting mir
rors. The music in the. better ca
barets was mostly semi-classical
and Partisan. The places weren't
expensive because there was nc
cover charge About II o'clock ",
began to think Of our nice soft beds
back in the hotel, SO we headep
back there.
The next morning George and
talked to the Red Cross hostess anc
found the way to the Cathedral o.
Notre Dame. We had to take the
subway, and were a little hesitan'
about getting mixed up= in strange
subway system. However, we founc
the Paris subway system very easy
to use and, in every respect ii made
the New York system look like I
toy railway by comparison. Oul
subway stop was few blocks from
the cathedral and we had to eros:
the Seine to get to it. The cathe
dral surely is magnificent There
were some fresh bullet scars on ths
carving on the face Of the cathe.
dral. ! guess they were made wher
snipers fired on De Gualle during
the liberation.
After Mass we walked along tht
Seine, looking at the outdoor bool
shops and trinket stands, then W,
caught the subway back to the hote
for dinner. After dinner we tool
the subway to the Place de I Opera
We saw the Louvre and the Acade
my Of Music paris OPERA. The
buildings surely are beautiful anc
show no sign Of their age.
Next we went to the Red Cros
center where we received free tick
cts for stage revue starring Mau
rice Chevalier at the Madelin,
Theater. | had thought Mauric,
Chevalier was marked for death fo
collaborating with the Nazis bu
evidently the French are very for