1945 April - The European War is nearing the end

"April 1, 1945

My dearest Ellen,

A belated 'Happy Easter' to you and all. I intended to send you an Easter card but never did get around to it. The night that I went on liberty, I forgot to get it although I had good intentions and the next night it was raining so I didn't go out. Thursday nite was my first nite out since my restriction was lifted. As a result of liberty I wound up with a headache not as a result of drink but too much nite life and not enough shut eye. The two weeks at a regular routine I guess spoiled me. To make matters worse we go on nites commencing tomorrow nite for a month so I guess I not get any liberty for a month now. 

By the way thanks for the picture, they will start a new collection for my wallet to replace the one that I lost. While I'm in a thanking mood thanks again for your Easter card and especially the verse.

Well honey I'm in a happy frame of mind as I went to Confession Communion & Mass today and after a wild? life I'm once again going along the narrow crooked path of righteousness. It feels good to be on the beam again. I also attended Stations Friday noon at a special service they had out here.

That instructor deal I was telling you about is still hanging and as yet I've had no confirmation of it as yet. I'm doubtful if it will come off though as there are a lot of men with foreign duty coming here and they get first choice for the instructor jobs.

The flood that we all expected to inundate us has subsided a bit but maybe we'll evacuate yet. A lot of the boys are going out fishing in the flooded areas. They spear them and seem to be having luck too. They have killed quite a few snakes, the moccasin, deadly poisonous, as well as the fish. If they catch too many they give them to the farmers around here who are glad to get them so it seems. As for those pictures that you had taken send one along. I still have your other one with me - the one you sent to me at Willow Grove - remember - maybe you've changed in two months. Closing now kid.

My love alway

John"

I don't know what picture my mother sent to my father but I don't think I have included this one yet:

The website - https://www.onthisday.com/date/1945/april - has a timeline for 1945.

April 4 US forces liberated the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany, the first such camp to be liberated by the US Army.

April 6 the giant Japanese battleship Yamato headed to Okinawa with orders to beach herself and be destroyed defending the island. The same day in Europe the Nazis began evacuating prisoners from Buchenwald concentration camp.

April 7 US planes intercepted the Japanese fleet heading for Okinawa on a suicide mission, super battleship Yamato and four destroyers were sunk.

"April 9, 1945

My dearest Ellen,

Well another weekend is over and an enjoyable evening was had by all at least I had a good time. My buddy & I got out Saturday morning till this AM and we really went all out for an enjoyable time. To commence we got a hotel room at the Statler and that in itself was a major ordeal. Rooms around here are as scarce as gold and just about twice as hard to get. We had to go to about six hotels, good ones and bad ones and wound up in the Statler. The lady ahead of us was turned down but true Navy perseverance saw us thru. He gave us a room and when we saw it I knew why he turned us down. It turned out to be a sample room. In effect it contained a shower, bath double bed and lots of tables. It's most frequent use is for small business meetings. We were glad to get it so we didn't squawk at all. This hotel situation is drastic around here as it is in most cities. Saturday afternoon to follow routine we took in a show and had something to eat at a Chinese restaurant that was recommended to us by a nice blonde waitress that we have a few connections with. She is a good Joe and helps us out a lot telling us where to go and where not to go which helps us out a lot as can easily be seen. She has a very nice looking blond sister, a show gal, who is strictly a big time operator if you know what I mean. When she comes down to earth she isn't hard to get along with for a while at least. When ever she pulls the high hat stuff she usually winds up having a bad time from all concerned. Don't get any wrong ideas honey, I'm not messing with them I just know them and they are like a city directory opening our way as it were to the finer places in town as they are nice people and pretty well know. Their old man is a sheriff out here in one of the counties which doesn't hurt things at all. Saturday night we went to our usual haunts and had a very good time save for the fact I got tangled up in a situation unknown to me at the time and still very confused in my brain. It seems as we were leaving the joint my friend went one way & I the other way. I guess I lost him in the crowd. As it happened I ran into a couple of females & a couple of sailors battling it out. I was a victim of mistaken identity for a moment and almost got flattened by a pocket book but escaped in the nick of time. Never again. 

Sunday we went to East St Louis which reminds me of a mild version of hell itself. It's a real factory & railroad town with plenty of smoke and noise dirt and crookedness. Our aim is to have a good time and that seems to be the place on Sundays. In that town you are liable to find anything and you usually do. I figure the best way to go to that town is with a gas mask over your face and a revolver in each hand. It's really a rough town. Once in a while they have a murder or two over there but it's strictly a civilian affair. Our greatest fear is that we'll be around some civilian when some hoodlum starts taking pot shots at him. It's liable to happen so we avoid civilians as much as possible. It's really a rugged rough & crooked town, similar to something you would see in the movies. The dances they do and the music the colored orchestras make gives you the impressions that a bunch of maniacs were turned loose on civilization. It's really something. I'm glad that no one that I know hangs out in similar places or I'd be tempted to kill them & I mean it. I'm glad I'm God fearing at last. 

Well we ain't going to have any flood as it's passed down the river away from us now so our working nights must continue along it's dreary path I guess. Well honey I've got to close for now but will write again soon. Keep your chin up. By the way I got your picture - not bad at all. I guess I'll reciprocate now as soon as I get organized - Love always

John"

The Statler Hotel in St Louis was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriott_St._Louis_Grand_Hotel

April 11 soldiers from the Sixth Armored Division of the US Third Army liberated the Nazi concentration camp, Buchenwald. As you just read, in early April as US forces approached, Germans had begun evacuating some of the prisoners. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum reports that "The underground resistance organization in Buchenwald, whose members held key administrative posts in the camp, saved many lives. They obstructed Nazi orders and delayed the evacuation.

On April 11, 1945, in expectation of liberation, prisoners stormed the watchtowers, seizing control of the camp. Later that afternoon, US forces entered Buchenwald. Soldiers from the 6th Armored Division, part of the Third Army, found more than 21,000 people in the camp." 

These two pictures are from the website - https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/gallery/buchenwald-photographs

The website goes on to talk about liberation of the killing centers: 

"Liberators confronted unspeakable conditions in the Nazi camps, where piles of corpses lay unburied. Only after the liberation of these camps was the full scope of Nazi horrors exposed to the world. The small percentage of inmates who survived resembled skeletons because of the demands of forced labor and the lack of food, compounded by months and years of maltreatment. Many were so weak that they could hardly move. Disease remained an ever-present danger, and many of the camps had to be burned down to prevent the spread of epidemics. Survivors of the camps faced a long and difficult road to recovery."

On April 12 President Roosevelt died at Warm Springs in Georgia where he had gone to recover from pneumonia. There had been increasing concerns about his health, but the nation was shocked at his sudden death. Harry Truman was sworn in as President in a seamless transition - he did note in his diary that he had not been included in any war planning including the Manhattan Project.

Here is a link to the above NY Times article: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0412.html

"P.S. I'm not mad or angry just giving you the explanation you requested. Again All my love

John

April 15, 1945

My dearest Ellen,

In response to your many requests here I go again. I've received about six letters from you this past four days and again I say thanks. There was one that has caused me a bit of worry all day long and that was the one where you put in shorter words an explanation as to why I am not writing to you more frequently. My dear girl what do you expect of me a letter every day or what? As for your calling your mother from work every day to see if you have mail it must be making a nervous wreck of her. Most of the times honey you act grown up but there are times also when you act like a pampered sentimental schoolgirl. I write to you about every six or seven days, that is since I've been out here and since nothing much happens around here I don't see much sense in writing about it. I love you more than anything in this world and worry about you a lot but when I get letters asking for more mail I see blank. Honey I'm no story writer and I don't pretend to be. I'm honest with you at all times as to what I do and where I go and if in my journeys or doings I see or do something that I think I should tell you about then I tell you about it. I'm not one of these mushy broken down story book lovers who is always tell his beloved of his ardor and devotions to her in a language that would cause my bones to leap out of my skin. That is stuff for the movies and books and as far as I'm concerned that's exactly where its going to remain.

That kind of mush is for the adolescent and the ignorant who don't know any better. I have more respect for your common sense and good judgement than to write that sort of stuff to you and if I thought that was what you preferred I'd begin to question your sanity.

In one of your past letters to me you expressed your desire to come to St Louis even against my refusals. Well honey change your mind as my time here is drawing to a rapid finish. I was informed last night that we were to be transferred in the immediate future to where - we don't know yet. We expect to go this week some time. It was good here while it lasted  and I've had a good time while I've been here. Since my buddy and I are the only two first class here I didn't figure we would stay around long. I'd like to see you as much as you would like to see me but I don't want you running all over the country after me with hotel conditions as they are. Please get the full idea kid. If you go anywhere make reservations in advance other wise you will have to sleep on a park bench for the duration of your stay. From your crazy ideas I guess you figure things as they are at home. For practice, some Saturday or Sunday try to get a Room at the Statler down town and you will get a fair idea of things. From what I've heard Boston isn't half as bad as most towns so figure it out for yourself.

I'm glad Hannie is getting along so well with her man and for his saying there is plenty of heat out here ask him how to shut off the rain. Its been raining now for four days around here and there is no clearing in sight. C'est La guerre!

That Kate Smith show must have been real good. I haven't seen a real stage show since I've been out here  - maybe soon I'll get to see one. Come to think of it tell Hannie to stop at the first two and things will be a whole lot better the next day. Incidentally from your remarks she must be really a woman of the world - oh well she'll come around and find her right road in time. Well I've got to close honey so relax for God's sake stop worrying. Remember I'm in the Navy not the Boy Scouts and can only do and go as I'm directed - Remember!

My love to you always.  John"

Well, well - does my father sound a little aggravated? I was surprised to read that my mother called Ma every day from work to see if she had mail. I suppose it must have been difficult - it sounds like my mother was writing very frequently and was looking forward to a letter from my father who was only writing weekly according to him. I might have been a little jealous when he wrote about the good looking blonde show girl! My father looked forward to my mother's letters - I wonder if he ever considered that she looked forward to hearing from him as well.

Kate Smith was an American contralto whose signature song was "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain" - she had a popular radio show from 1937-1945. She also was the first to sing "God Bless America" which was written by Irving Berlin. I remember seeing her on variety shows when I was young.

https://katesmith.org/katebio.html

April 20 the US Infantry took the medieval city of Nuremberg, once the seat of power of German kings. The website - https://www.historynet.com/breaking-the-city-of-kings-the-battle-for-nuremberg-1945/ - explains that: "Nuremberg was a fortress of National Socialism under Hitler’s regime. During the Middle Ages, the imperial city was a nexus of German might—a center of art, culture, industry, trade and centralized rule. After coming to power in 1933, Hitler and his followers capitalized on the city’s imperial past and associated Nuremberg with their ideals of empire and world conquest. Hitler’s political favor brought a boon of prosperity and prestige to the city, and Nazi interests were largely welcomed by residents.

"The city became a hotbed of virulent racism and anti-Semitic violence. During the 1930s, Jewish residents were beaten and publicly humiliated by mobs, stripped of their property and executed. The city hosted extravagant public performances to boost racial pride—most notably the Nazi Party Rallies, which combined displays of military might with political speeches, sport performances, light shows and festivals. Nuremberg rallies seemed visually spectacular to the international public ... By the time the battle-weary men of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division rolled towards the city through the forested valleys of Bavaria, Heinrich Himmler had issued orders on April 3 that any male occupant of a residence who showed a white flag was to be shot immediately ... Additionally, Hitler had already issued his “Nero Decree”— ordering German cities to self-destruct rather than fall into enemy hands. Nazi and S.S. officials in Nuremberg systematically prepared demolitions and rigged entire sections of the city to explode on command ....

"Nuremberg’s Thon district presented some of the most gruesome urban combat. Civilians wielded Panzerfaust antitank grenade launchers, inflicting many casualties to American troops. The Germans also hid themselves in the debris, and as a result, American soldiers were ambushed from all sides. The stealth and vehemence of Nuremberg’s defenders required that American soldiers carefully clear every building during their advance. Room-to-room battles unfolded in some apartment buildings, as the army faced fanatical resistance. It took the U.S. infantry several long, hard hours to clear four apartment blocks. Tanks accompanied the soldiers forward ...

"On April 20, Hitler’s birthday, the struggle for Nuremberg came to an end ... The German Werewolf terrorist organization was expected to strike; each member had pledged to kill an American soldier. And, true to predictions, Nazi forces in the old city launched a massive counterattack at 4 a.m. that day. The assault was so fierce that it nearly succeeded in repelling U.S. troops from their positions ... However, they were soundly defeated by the determined valor of the American infantrymen, who rose to many daring acts of bravery during the bitter fight ... In a strange stroke of destiny, the city was ultimately taken on Hitler’s birthday."

"April 22, 1945

My dearest Ellen,

Well honey, this is it. I am now in California as you can see by the return address and it ain't so bad so far. As for this California sunshine, to tell the truth I ain't seen none as yet. The trip from St Louis took me from Tuesday night to Saturday at 5 am. It wasn't bad so far as troop travel is concerned but it wasn't 1st class as was our usual good fortune before.

I never realized before what a huge piece of the globe that Old Uncle Sam owns. It's really immense. Right now we are only sixty miles north of Hollywood which is on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I haven't been on liberty yet but will give you the dope as soon as possible. The ocean is only about 300 yards down the road from us so you can see we are right on the beach. This unit I'm in is only forming now and hasn't been commissioned as yet. It's only an advanced aviation unit and our unit will maintain advanced air fields. We have conditioning to do and training to undergo so it will be a while before I leave here. I only hope and pray that you won't start worrying about me and upsetting yourself. If you stay on the beam I'll be all right but if you fret and worry I'll be all confused so please relax and please don't worry. I'll write you a real long letter as soon as I am completely settled here which should be in a day or two and let you know as much as possible. So far I know about as much as you do so please be patient. If you are angry at me I'm sorry if not I'm glad. I'm going to try to get liberty to see Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in a golf match here abouts in a week or ten days. Well I'll close now and keep you posted so take it easy and please be patient and stop worrying. I don't so please don't you.

My love always

John"

The return address is Camp Bedilion, Port Hueneme, California. 

Bob Hope had a long history of entertaining the troops from WWII through to the Vietnam War. He and Bing Crosby helped raise War Bonds as well as entertained troops during WWII.

 "April 23 - 1945

My dearest Ellen, 

I am proceeding according to plan, namely, writing that long letter I promised. To keep in shape and to eliminate confusion I'll commence from the beginning. The day I wrote my last letter you from Smart Field was the eventful day that we received word of a transfer. We didn't know where to or when. Since we rated liberty during the day time we went after our liberty card on Monday morning and were informed that since we were eligible for transfer we wouldn't be granted liberty. At noon we got the word and we had to be ready by four o'clock in the afternoon for a transfer to our home base Lambert Field.

In case I didn't tell you Smart Field was only an auxiliary field and all men had to come & go thru Lambert. After a lot of rushing and running to get checked out we finally left and arrived at Lambert Field about an hour later. Its only about 20 miles away. Playing dumb when asked for our liberty cards we told them we didn't have any, nevertheless we all had them securely tucked away in our wallets. After a few preliminaries we made our last liberty in St Louis. There was a lot of weeping and sorrow parting but never the less we had a good time. In our short stay we made a lot of friends and were getting along fine.

St Louis now that I look back on it was a very good liberty town with plenty of everything and a spot where sailors really rated I must say. We left St Louis Tuesday night at midnite leaving behind three of the guys I left the Grove with. There are only two of us together now. This guy Frank Webber has been with me since dear ol' Jax. We're really lucky so far. The train ride I don't remember much as I slept all the way. When I did wake up we were in Kansas City Missouri. After breakfast we had liberty till noon and saw a few of the sites if you know what I mean. It seemed to have the makings of a good liberty town also. We left K.C. at about two in the afternoon and started across the plains. I must tell you something about the train especially the cars that accommodated us. They are classified as troop Pullmans and what wagons. They had triple header bunks, enough to take care of twenty nine men. Riding them is really an experience. At night they really knock you around and at every rough spot on the rails they didn't bounce they leapt right off the track. Sometimes we thought they had square wheels. The lights at night were another thing, you could see more if you struck a match.

As I said before I never realized Uncle Sam had so much territory and I only saw part of it as I slept half the way. Wednesday we ate some place in Kansas at a place run by a guy named Fred Harvey. That guy I'll never forget as he fed us roast beef carrots potatoes milk coffee and an orange twice a day for three days. For breakfast we had eggs that being a sort of standard breakfast I guess. We passed thru Kansas after looking over its plains and field all day and then retired. When we woke up we were in Colorado where we had breakfast. 

A few of the boys woke up with bloody noses caused by the atmospheric conditions up in the mountains. Thru the night it seems we went about 11,000 feet up in the mountains. Honey those mountains are something to see especially early in the morning or at sunset. They really are pretty. We were sky high yet the lofty peaks all around us still seemed to dwarf us. I sent you post cards which I hope you get. From Colorado we went to Las Vegas New Mexico and thence across that state to Arizona. These two states are pretty much alike. The mountains plateaus and prairies are sand and windswept just as in the pictures of the Southwest. The rocks are tall and very irregular. They remind me of a tooth comb with a few missing teeth standing on end. As like the mountains it is nice early or late but during the day it's just a hot dry sandy and a rough rugged country. It is sparsely settled and those that do live there are mostly Indians. One look will answer any questions. After leaving Arizona we came down out of the mountains and across eastern California. There was no difference between New Mexico Arizona and Eastern California as far as land is concerned but once you hit the San Bernardino Mountains and head down to the coast the real California comes into being. It's green and cool and pretty but it's still foggy. The place is modern in some respects but still pioneer in other respects. All the cities are new but Spanish architecture is noted in the big homes. The roads the ones they have are good but they are only trunk roads between the big cities. It is strictly underdeveloped as far as the east is concerned.

I still haven't made a liberty here yet so I won't form any lasting opinions. This place here is like any Navy spot, bedlam & confusion reign. We still haven't got a skipper for our unit and none in sight so figure it out for yourself. Well honey I'll be expecting mail from you soon so relax and I'll answer as soon as possible. I've got to close now so I'm hungry & chow time is near. Please don't worry about me let me do it as I have more time. Well so long for now.

All my love always

John"

We happen to have a picture of my father and his buddy Frank Webber in Port Hueneme - they're in the Brig!

Printed on the back of the picture is "To order more pictures like these, please refer to this date Apr 30 1945 and ENCLOSE THE PICTURE which will be returned to you with your order. Mail money order to:

Top Hat Photo Studio, 519 Oxnard Blvd, Oxnard, California."

My father wrote on the picture: "This is us. don't believe what you see either. I'm getting big now. 180 + a couple. This is Webber my buddy from NY. How do you like it?"

 April 25 delegates from 50 countries met in San Francisco to organize the United Nations. 

April 28 John F. Kennedy, correspondent for the Hearst Newspapers, filed his first dispatch on the founding of the UN in San Francisco. He was reporting from a serviceman's perspective. 

April 28, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee the country. Mussolini had learned April 25 that Nazi Germany had begun secret negotiations for an unconditional surrender. He and his young mistress had tried to flee to Switzerland but were stopped by Italian partisans. After Mussolini and Clara Petacci were executed, the partisans dumped their bodies in Milan where they were hung by their feet in the public square.

April 29 American soldiers liberated the Dachau, Germany concentration camp. I visited Dachau in 1978 - it was a frightening place - the shower rooms and ovens were horrifying. I wondered how human beings could perform such unbelievable acts, but I also wondered about the people living in the towns surrounding Dachau and other concentration camps - what were they thinking, could they have done anything, or were they just trying to survive the Nazis themselves? Unfortunately I don't think I would have had the courage to stand up to those monsters.

The website - https://www.ushmm.org/learn/timeline-of-events/1942-1945/liberation-of-dachau - reports that:

"The 42nd and 45th Infantry Divisions and the 20th Armored Division of the US Army liberate approximately 32,000 prisoners at Dachau.

On April 26, 1945, as American forces approached, there were 67,665 registered prisoners in Dachau and its subcamps; more than half of this number were in the main camp. Of these, 43,350 were categorized as political prisoners, while 22,100 were Jews, with the remainder falling into various other categories. Starting that day, the Germans forced more than 7,000 prisoners, mostly Jews, on a death march from Dachau to Tegernsee far to the south. During the death march, the Germans shot anyone who could no longer continue; many also died of hunger, cold, or exhaustion. On April 29, 1945, American forces liberated Dachau. As they neared the camp, they found more than 30 railroad cars filled with bodies brought to Dachau, all in an advanced state of decomposition. In early May 1945, American forces liberated the prisoners who had been sent on the death march.

April 30 Adolf Hitler committed suicide along with his wife Eva Braun in his Fuhrerbunker as Russian troops approached Berlin. Hitler had married Eva Braun the day before. Their bodies were cremated and their remains hastily buried in a shell hole in the Reich Chancellery garden just hours before Berlin's fall. It is thought that after hearing of Mussolini's execution and then being hung upside down in Milan, Hitler did not want the same fate.

Meanwhile back at home on April 30 "Arthur Godfrey Time" made its debut on the CBS radio network, and the show “Queen For Today" began on the Mutual Broadcasting Company radio program. I don't remember  "Arthur Godfrey Time" when I was young although it was on the radio until 1972 when I graduated Boston College, but I do remember his TV morning show - Julius Larosa was a singer on the show. 

"Queen For A Day" was on the TV in the afternoon - it must have been on when I was getting home from school. I remember Jack Bailey announcing the "Queen for a Day" - the woman would win prizes like appliances.