The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1945-04-19
News From Those
In The Armed Forces

Continued from page y
Sergeant Stickney was on his rest
leave after many months active
duty.
His many friends extended their
wishes for much happiness for them
in their marriage.
A letter containing interesting
notes on Germany was received by
Mrs. E. l. Racicot from Sgt L. G..
(Bud) NOVEL; under date of March
z from Somewhere in Germany. He
says:
Dear Mrs Racicot:
If l am not mistaken l received
a letter from you sometime ago and
failed to answer SO will try now
and get few lines off to let you
know that / am still well and safe
as can be expected in the Medics
which is fairly safe.
Have been looking around since
we got up in this part of the country
trying to find some of our relations
but guess that they must all be in
some other part of the Fatherland
| have not given up as yet and will
be sure to let you know if | make
any success with locating any Of
the Super race Laying all jokes
aside this is quite country from
what | have seen Of it. 1t appears
to be much cleaner than the rest
of the countries that we have passed
through in these past 28 months.
They have or should say had a
good road system also one of the
best that / have seen since leaving
the States. 1t is helping us oW-to
keep much needed supplies to the
boys that are doing all of the NOV
ing. | imagine that Adolph regrets
for ever having installed them now.
The German people do not know
just what to think of us being here.
One day they hear that we will not
be able to ever cross the Rhine and
the next day American troops and
equipment are passing through their
towns. We are not allowed to as
sociate with them in any form ex-
cept in the line of business SO of
course we have no idea as to what
they think or feel towards us, how
ever, we have pretty good idea
The people do not seem to have suf-
fered SO very much from the war
from the looks of them. They all
seem to be we'll fed and clothed and
look plenty healthy. One thing that
is missing and that is the young
men. You very rarely see anyone
under so or older it seems like to
me. The towns are what are COM
pletely ruined, due to the work Of
the Air force and also the land
fighting. A person can pass through
some that have had to have bull
dozers go ahead and clear a pass
age way through in order to per-
NIT traffic to pass by The build
ings of such a town are of course
completely destroyed It will take
years and years to repair the dam
age that is being done. They first
started this war and must be pre-
pared to pay for all Of the suffering
that they have caused to the rest
of the world. AS long as they choose
to go on fighting we shall have to
destroy everything that stands be-
tween US and our ultimate goal,
victory Most of the towns that have
had any sort of manufacturing have
built labor camps to house the work
ers close to their place of work and
to free that much more German
manpower for the Army. There will
be possibly five or six nationalities
all in one camp We have some
working for us and | believe that
we have a few from every Euro
pean country there ever was.
Read in the paper of the death
of Bob Nolop and certainly hated to
see it. was hoping that he would
turn up someplace safe All we can
do is hope that there will be no
more of the ones that we know who
will not return safely and that as
many others may be spared as pos
sible. There is still lot of war to
be fought and we must be prepared
to pay with human lives Of our men
from home.
Imagine that spring is starting to
make its appearance around Libby
by now. Would certainly like to be
back there or at least in the States
but it will possibly still be awhile
before I have the opportunity to see
the Statue. Our weather here has
been quite miserable the last week
or SO and we are all looking for
ward to spring and summer Things
are not SO rushing here now but
we have been quite busy these past
few weeks Not much more news
for this time but will try and write
when the news has more to offer
and / get in the mood again. That
getting in the mood has more to
do with it than anything else | be-
lieve. Maybe it is because I am
getting lazy. Write when you find
time and let me know how things
are going around the town Give
my regards to Gene.
oxa