[continued from previous page] the water, I came forward with the following gem – Cold! Isn’t it? On the way back I flushed a deer and killed it with a lucky shot. We will have venison tomorrow. No mail today. Rumor has it that the Germans are sending out Peace feelers. Hitler may at last have arrived at a not unnatural conclusion, that Germany stands a slight chance of losing. Hitler is quite a character (comic). We have a large number of artillery weapons in our area.Could be that we will force a crossing of the Rhine in our sector. Hit the sack at 2400.
Friday, 23 March [1945] 8 miles N.E. Obern
Up at 0600. Another beautiful summer day. I spent most of the day roaming the woods. Saw 8 deer but had enough meat from yesterday’s kill, so just watched them. Our almost constant artillery fire does not seem to bother them. We went down to the Rhine and watched our artillery plop shells into a city across the river. While I am writing this, our dive bombers are roaring overhead, hitting for German artillery which has been dropping shells in our area. I know of no nastier sound than the scream of a shell coming in, with “to whom it may concern” labeled on it. We are giving back a thousand to each one we receive. The Rhine has been crossed in three places. Patton says he can cross, wherever and whenever he wishes. He is speaking for all of us. More artillery and AA has been brought up. East side of the Rhine here we come (Ready or not). About 30 shells landed in our area last night. [continued on next page]