[Continued from previous page] They had to thaw out cans of milk for coffee. They had to break ice in their water cans, cleaning and preparing turkeys which are frozen solid is no easy job‐ even in Garrison‐ but to do it out in the field in sub‐freezing weather, is really tough. I raise lots of hell with the kitchen, but in spite of it all, they do a pretty good job. Outch you guessed it‐ MARCH ORDER.
Tuesday, 26 December [1944] Somewhere in France
We pulled out of Lohr at 5 P.M. yesterday and headed for Reims.1Reims is located in the Champagne‐Ardennes region of France, eighty miles northeast of Paris. It suffered severe damage during World War I, most notably to its historic cathedral, and endured further destruction during World War II. Following the Allied Invasion of France in 1944, it served as the headquarters for Allied forces, and the site of the unconditional surrender of the German Army on May 7, 1945. Column was strafed and we had to move black out. Finally after running out of gas and begging a new supply, losing Convoy in the middle of France, we arrived at Rendezvous point ‐ tired, cold and disgusted. Set up Guns in field N.E. of Reims. This is old Battlefield of 1ST World War. Fired at P‐47 which buzzed our column.
Wednesday, 27 December [1944] East of Reims
Spent day setting up C.P. and distributing rations. We now receive our rations free of charge – cig, candy, gum, shaving cream, tooth paste, tooth brush, and very occasionally cigars. At 4 P.M. we got a special mission. Jerry bombs the station in Reims every night. Our Btry. was picked to get him. The General said that if we got him, we could have anything we wanted. The two platoons moved out this afternoon to set up for the Jerry. I am really anxious to hear how they made out.Patton knocked hell out of the Jerry attack yesterday.2On December 26, Patton’s Third Army captured the Belgian market town of Bastogne. Patton believed that the battle at
Bastogne would one day be considered “just as important as the battle of Gettysburg was to the Civil War.” Rick Atkinson, The Guns at Last Light, pp. 467‐68. I hope he keeps that third army rolling. We are back with the third army again now. They just can’t do without us.