19 July 1945

Dearest Margaret,

Just think—two years ago about this time we were married in a little church, remember? And now I find myself in Austria sending greetings to my little wife in memory of a day that will always live in my heart And that is why I’m way over here, so you and I can celebrate many more anniversaries in honor of that glorious day, which I hold dearest in my heart, do you? Had not myself and a few million others like me come overhere to work and fight for those things we hold nearest our hearts, then we would not be so fortunate to keep what we have, our country and our home. Yes that’s why I’m here Margaret. For my country and you. Your faithfulness and affection was all that I asked for your appreciation of the great sacrifice I have made for you. That great sacrifice was not in battle, it was in the loneliness of hell being away from you in a country of ruin where people hate every one of us. Your affection for me can only be in letters which during my absence has been very little. I’m only praying to God on this 2^nd wedding anniversary that he can make my wishes come true in a certain (long awaited for) letter from my wife. If he can do that for me then I can be happy with my little wife the same as before and we can celebrate many more anniversaries not apart but TOGETHER,

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DEAREST!

Well we ceased operations June 15^th at Hamm and turned the railroads over to the Germans but up until a week ago we have kept just as busy but not at all tiresome. We haven’t been carrying our cabooses over the road with us like before. The brakesmen have been riding trains, one man to a train + turning in their reports. And me, I’m always out on the road checking and recognizing captured equipment cars in different yards along the line. So I’ve been putting up at night with some of the boys in their cabs wherever I happen to be when night comes. I had six brakesmen with me to help check the cars + when we had things pretty well cleaned up then we returned to Hamm. Kept us pretty busy there for awhile but not it’s all over. We pulled out of Hamm July 13^th + about midnight of the 16^th the coupling broke on our caboose at Endorf just south of Munich. They sent the company on while we waited 22 hrs. for the Germans to come from a town called Rosenheim to fix the coupling. We thought they never would come so rather than moan into another cab, my engineer and I fixed it ourselves. We started about 6:00 pm on the 16^th and worked til 8:30 pm. We took the coupling out of the other end of the car + put it in the end of our direction. It sure was one heck of a job. At 9:00 pm I notified the German railway officials at Endorf to hook us on the rear of the next passenger train for Linz, Austria. About 11:30 pm that night an electric engine came along and picked us up and took us 80 mile in 1 hr. 30 minutes with just our cab alone. Some service eh. We then went the rest of the way on the rear of a fast passenger train. The Austrian and German Border Patrol stopped us at the border and searched the caboose for civilians. They asked us for our papers and I told them they were with our unit which was about 22 hrs. ahead of us. When I told them our trouble about the coupling breaking on our trip then they let us proceed. We arrived here in Linz, Austria at 11:20 am July 17^th. The trip was certainly wonderful coming down there. All pine trees, mountains, streams and tunnels and I must say this Southern Germany is a dreamland. Talk about scenery, that was it, wish you could have been here with me on that trip, I could really have appreciated it. Saw a lot of deer and jack rabbits coming down here.

Well none of us will go to the Pacific as our whole outfit is officially declared category #4 surpluss which means homeward found when our turn comes. Being way down here I feel as though I’ll never get home, I’m more lonesome than ever now and since I seldom hear from you it’s just miserable for me, oh well I’ve given up hopes long before this—I do hope you recieved my last letter, you’ll know what I mean by giving up hopes. Too bad it has to be that way but I’ve been hurt terribly and very much disappointed in you. Our first sergeant who’s been the no good stoop of our outfit left for the States on his 86 points just a week ago. He is the one who influenced the Captain into making his friends sergeants etc: Well it just happens that my assistant trainsmaster who was a technical sgt. is our new first sgt. He notified me two days after his promotion that he recommended me to the Captain for a Sgts’ rating. They filled out my papers and sent them in to Battalion _____’s, so I should get my rating from the Colonel any day now.

I’ve said all along I wanted to go home a Sgt. The folks back home would wonder just what kind of a railroad man I was if I didn’t make anymore than just a Pfc. You may not believe it but the Captain has recognized our Crew as the best + most efficient of all the other Crews. Tech. Sgt. Staymates told my engineer that my reports of all the runs we made were very brief and precise, the best he’s ever had turned in to him. Well that sure makes me happy and I never dreamed before that we were being re-cognized so closely. I do know that Sgt. Staymates has recommended me several times for my very well deserved rating as he always says. I was just never a big enough brownnoser and ass kisser (if I must say it) to get my rating. We had 3 conductors who were sgts. when never railroaded a day in their life, today those men are Pfc’s. because they couldn’t fullfill their duties and have had too many rear end collisions, my flagman is from MC: Cook, Nebraska, he worked on the C.B. and Q (Burlington) for 4 years and I must say he’s the best flagman in the E.T.O. Boy am I bragging but we did have one swell Crew. My engineer is from Fort Morgan, Colorado and he’s railroaded for about 8 years, all the conductors have begged him to run for them but as he told me the other day, I’m all business when I’m working and all fun when we’re all back in the caboose, that’s what he likes. He wouldn’t leave me in this stage of the game. We railroaded in the Ardennes Campaign together and we never will forget that.

Well we’re in 3^rd army territory now and are they ever GI. I guess we’re going to start drilling now til we can get a priority on a ship.

Well now that our railroading is finished and we’re just killing tim I shall write you often. During the war had I had the time and opportunity that you’ve had, lord knows you’d have a pile of letters from me. If you don’t be-lieve it I’ll show you what I can do now that our great job is done.

Love

Vincent