The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-01-23
Destroy Lovely
 Little French Towns
Waterbury Youth, Sergt Raymond Neville, Writes of
 the Destructive Fury Shown in AlsaCe-LOrrane

Staff Sergeant Raymond J. Ne vile, Washington Hill lad now with Headquarters Detachment Medical Division in France, describes Cha teau-SalinS, little village in the heart of Alsace- Lorraine, as a Ghost Town in very interesting letter to member of The Democrat stan.
 His letter in full follows:
 Hollywood, with its great capacity for the Make1Believe and the artl- ficial could never enVision set more unbelievable or eery than this little village in the heart of Alsace- Lorraine. The complete destruction of the St. Lo, Caen, and Brest. The pathetic hammering of ValongneS and Mt. Bourg, and the shattered, bomb-marked village of the Beach areas all convey meaning of the tragedy of war, but nothing to com pare with what is to be found here, For here war has left it's irrevocable mark, but in a way that is almost unbelievable. The very presence ana continued existence of the this Ghost Town is in the realm of fan tasy.
 Before Time Nazis Came!
 Once a lovely little French village, nestled in the rolling hills of East ern France, overlooking the tiny river of the Seille, Chateua-SallnS has had a varied history, even Tn modern times. As much German as it is French, the town has changed it's nationality several times in the past century, until today 1t Is dlil- cult to distinguish ore from the other. Just five years ago 1t was under the French Government WltE French name and French popu- lace. Then came the great German onslaught that swept over these roll ing hills and plains and Chateau Salins along with the rest or the province east of the Seille. were tn- corporated into the greater Reich and French was replaced by things and names German. The town be- came Salzburgen and the stores took on new face. The Rue de Nancy became Adolph HilterstraSSe The Rue de Strassbourg was re- named Herman GocringStreSse, ana the French vender was eradicated from the place. Until two months ago a conglamorate part German population of over 1900 inhabitated the village. Its streets were neat and clean, lacking the ever present stacks of straw and manure thai distinguishes the rural French vil- lage. The park was clean and ln- viting, and the stores attractive Even today there remains the eVi- dence of its beauty. One can almost see postcard of the main stree' entitled "The German Village, Worlds Fair
 But, today its face has been changed. Indeed It's entire nature has been changed. Two months ago the civilians left or were evacuated and the German military machine took over, making this village one of its headquarters. German soldiers lived in its homes; headquarters were set up in its City Hall, court house and other municipal build- ings; and hotels became quarters for high ranking officers. Then, one day war again came to Chateau Salins. American artillery, long famed for it's destructive power, ] began to hammer at this military center and the American army be- gan its advance that soon brought 1 1t into complete control of the vil- lage. Not civilian or soldier was left. Every where was evidince Of the story of It's last days.
 The NaZi Touch
 As you enter the town from the vest down the Rue dc Nancy (Adolph Hitlerstrasse), your eyei
 first encounter evidence of the tre- mendous concentrations that art centered here. Not house or build