[continued from previous page] at 0845 tomorrow, for the Rhine. We expect quite a bit of action during the trip. We will try to meet it more than halfway. The 2D platoon is sending 2 F.U. with a platoon of tanks, the other F.U. will go with the 912 F.A. The 1st platoon will protect serials on the march and probably set up in defense of bridges. Only the roads which we are to use, have been cleared of mines. That might give us a little trouble. Mail came in today. I received 2 letters and a fruit cake. Sis had sent the cake nearly 4 months ago.1“Sis” was Goetz’s twin sister, Charlotte Christina Goetz Kelly (1917-1979) of Aberdeen, Maryland. Plenty of bombers came over today. It was a perfect day for them, as far as weather was concerned. Worked on our situation maps for a while this evening. Hit the sack at 2000.
Wednesday, 14 March [1945] Ochtendung, Germany2Ochtendung is a town in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of western Germany, situated just west of Koblenz.
Up at 0600. Shaved and had breakfast by 0700. Packed our trucks and left Lissendorf at 0845. The weather was perfect—warm, sunshiny. The sky was blue and so was I. The country is rather mountainous and often we corkscrewed up hills from the top of which we could see for miles. Beautiful rolling country dotted with farms with here and there a pair of horses, munching at whatever horse munch on. The enormous amount of destruction along our route of march would ordinarily brook a page or two of comment but it has become old stuff to us. The most distressing sight was as usual the dead. Horses by the hundred offend both the eyes and nose. Dead cows, dogs and Jerries add their individual aromas to complete the picture. Many horses which survived the strafing planes managed to free themselves from [continued on next page]