The next few days were spent in very necessary programs of personal and vehicular maintenance. A training program was initiated once these first two were accomplished satisfactorily. The weather improved but only in the afternoons was the damp mist from the river bottoms sufficiently evaporated to allow the sun to shine for a few hours.
On the 5th of January, Lt Col Milner, the Bn Comdr, and Maj Richard H. Shirly, the S-3, reconnoitered the roads thru-out the 30th Infantry Div sector around Malmedy.
Belgium
5 January 45
No 2.
My darling;
Honey I would do anything to be home tonight. I’m so damn tired that if I did get home I’m afraid I would fall asleep on your shoulder before I could do a thing.
Betty I received some mail today for the first time in a long time. I now have all your mail through December 20. You mention you were worried about me. Honey I’ll do everything to take care of myself even though it was quite hard for awhile. Enclosed is a A.P. dispatch we received. I’m sending it on to you. Maybe you can get a little from it. The Ba was close to St. Vith and we sort of took a beating. Bill is still in good condition. We have received commendations from Eisenhower, Bradley and Dempsy. Honey at that place this unit did more good that anyone will ever know.
It seems that Edith and Bill Ryan knew before you did that I had made the grade. That was the first one you ever received addressed as Captain & Mrs. I sure wish I was with you so that we could have all our letters come that way.
Honey I told you that Corporal Havis in Service Battery made that locket for you. He sure is a nice fellow.
Don’t get any idea about smoking, I still think that is no thing for a woman to do. Please don’t start anything like that. Betty that arm band came out of Metz. It was given to me by a American spy for gasoline for his German vehicle. He went in to get German passports for some people. On his return trip he gave me this. That other thing was no mind. It belonged to a man in Baker battery. And that was on his wrist. Also he didn’t receive a purple heart because it didn’t even draw blood.
In one of your letters you asked me if we were a reserve Battalion. Janey, I sure gave you a wrong interpretation. I sure wish I would get about 200 miles from combat and sleep for a month. Then maybe we would be rested.
Personally honey the last four days I been as jumpy as one could be. Everything seems to get on my nerve. Even the slamming of doors gets on my nerves. I’ll be okay as soon as I get some sleep.
Well darling I’m going to bed now. Sure wish you were here, so I wish I was with you. Be good darling, I write you a nice letter tomorrow - I love you.
All my love
Jack