Lest I Forget

Friday, 9 March [1945] Lissendorf, Germany¹Lissendorf is a small municipality in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, located just east of Auw bei Prum.  See Map, Site #21.
Up at 0600.  Shaved and had breakfast by 0730.  Spent a couple of hours packing, then took off for Lissendorf.  The scenes of horror (I can think of no better word) which kept us company on our trip, have no place on this page.  I may forget them, one day, if I leave no picture here to remind me of them.  This move has brought us a different picture of the war than we have usually seen.  I consider it a good omen.  German vehicles: Trucks, tanks, motorcycles, S.P. guns, etc., dotted the roads and fields (a direct result of our air force).  German horses and parts of horses offered mute and pitiable testimony (Mute because of death, pitiable because of their helplessness) to the fact that the Jerries are short of gasoline.  They have been used to draw guns and wagons and even trucks to help ease the situation.  Through no fault of their own, they have failed.  German personal equipment lies everywhere abandoned to expedite a precipitate retreat.  German soldiers sprawled, lifeless and contorted at many points along our route.  Their lives, given for, what they considered, a cause, also needlessly thrown away.  Only at very infrequent intervals was there any American equipment (Therein lies the difference).  As a contrast to the destruction pictured above, Lissendorf is undamaged.  Much of the Civilian population is still here.  We have Electricity and running water, paved streets and sidewalks.  It was like finding an oasis in the middle of a desert.  We will probably leave here in a day or two.  We are having trouble keeping up to our front.  Bn. has not been able to issue us maps enough to keep up with our terrific pace.  The weather cleared up today.  Anything can happen now.  No mail today.  Hit the sack at 2200.