Priscilla describes a war bond rally that featured film footage of naval assaults on Guam and dramatic stories by disabled war veterans.  This is one of the many letters in which Priscilla mentions the purchase of U.S. war bonds.  (Alumni Papers, Priscilla M. Holloway Papers, 1919-1946).

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593.

December 7, 1944

Cheri,

We had an experience that is worth relating, I think.  When I say we I mean the employes [sic] of the company.  It was at a 6th War Loan bond rally held right in the building in the company auditorium.

One of the features was a navy film showing a small part of the work that must be done to soften up an island for invastion [sic].   In this case it was Guam.  Seeing the bombardment the navy dishes out made me wonder how on earth you men can stand that terrific noise and shaking.  I hardly think I am psychologically fitted for war, for I do not believe I could stand up under it.   But it was interesting for me to see this, for it gives those of us who have to stay at home a small idea of what total war is like.  It isn't pretty, to say the least.  After it was over Mishelow said to me, "I wonder what Wilson thinks when he sees things like that."  You see Ralph has a rather peculiar attitude about buying bonds (he says he can't afford it) and the fact that he blew up when I asked him some months ago to buy bonds during the 4th War Loan drive has antagonized the rest of the boys.  They feel that to begin with he was wrong in not buying bonds, and secondly they all resented his hollering at me about it under the circumstances.

But to get on with the subject in hand.  The other feature of the rally were talks by two disabled veterans of this war.  One was a marine who lost a leg at Saipan (incidentally his father is employed by the company).  This young man wasn't much of a public speaker but he made an effort that must have cost him a good deal.  One could see how uneasy he was being made to speak to an audience and my heart went out to him.  He asked no sympathy for the loss of his leg--it was just something that happened.  But he tried earnestly to make people understand how the boys in the fighting feel about the war loan drives and how many of them invest a good deal of their small pay in war bonds.  He told, too, something of the cost of rebuilding broken bodies, citing the case of one of his marine friends who lost part of his jaw in the same action that cost this young fellow his leg.  It will take, he told us, two years and $10,000. to rebuild that young marine's face.

The most interesting talk was given by an air force staff sergeant--a ball turret gunner on a flying fortress.  I am enclosing the bulletin we got giving some interesting details on this man.  He was shot down over Cologne; that is, his plane was.  When hit they fell into a spin, rushing toward the earth at 378 miles an hour.  At 3,000 feet their pilot succeeded in pulling out of the spin and levelling [sic] off so the boys could get out.  Our sergeant was wounded 5 times getting out of the plane and his right shoulder was so smashed he cannot lift his right arm more than 1/3 of the way from his side.

When he landed in the streets of Cologne, near the famous cathedral, the townspeople fell on his and beat his up badly.  Those krauts can dish it out, but the so-and-sos can't take it!  When he was rescued by German soldiers he was taken to a hospital and the doctors patched him up.  He was in the hospital during the time our air forces were hitting Cologne so heavily, and he tells us the loss of life was terrific.  From there he was sent to a concentration camp and on Christmas Eve put into solitary confinement in a cell 6 x 6' with no heat or light and only a wooden bed with two blankets to sleep on.  His food was water and old dark bread.  He had somehow lost his identification plates and was being treated as a saboteur.  On

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One point he did wish to make, and it was this:  that he received every Red Cross package and every package from his family that was intended for him, and all of his mail.  He made a point of mentioning that.

Finally he was exchanged and was sent to a place outside of Berlin awaiting the arrival of others who were also being exchanged.  He said for 30 days and nights Berlin was bombed incessantly and they were not able to put out the fires--the city burned for 30 days.  When he went through it on his way to the sea for transport to Sweden he saw that Berlin was a smoking ruin.  The houses are either completely gone or 75% destroyed.  People are living in cellars and shell holes with canvas roofs.  Food is scarce.  The people are really suffering, but because they have nothing else to lose they fight on for they can save nothing.

He was happy to get to Sweden where the people treated them wonderfully.  Being of Norwegian descent (on his mother's side) he learned to speak Norwegian and could make himself understood in Sweden, helping a lot with the women as he slyly added.  From Sweden they went to Liverpool in the Gripsholm--travelling just as one does in peace time.  It was marvelous to him.  When he got to Liverpool he was transferred to an air transport and sent back home that way.  It took him 14 days to get to England and 15 hours to get back.

During the time he spent in England he saw our air force grow from a small handfull [sic] to a mighty armada.  When he first went over they used to go out in forays of only 28 planes, and have to outfly 500 to 600 German fighters.   He says nowhere else does one encounter the flak one did over the Ruhr valley--it was murderous, according to him.

Do you remember my telling you about the girl who married the 32nd. Div. 1st Sgt?  He left Monday for San Francisco and the Phillipines [sic] and she is feeling terribly blue.  She cried during the whole rally yesterday and I felt so sorry for her; I know what it is like you see.  Incidentally, she went to school with Sgt. McKagan and went up to speak with him--he remembered her at once, even to her name which he used before she had a chance to give it to him.

We went to Mabel's last night and I told her what you said about writing Erv about our round of taverns back last month.  She said you needn't worry--Erv knows all about it and wrote back that he was tickled she could get out once in a while.  The last thing he wants is for her to stick in the house all of the time.

I bought a $50 war bond with the allottment [sic] check this month and I'll put the other $12.50 in the bank.  We are expected to buy $100 worth of bonds during this war bond drive and I buy two $25.s anyway (anything bought in November and December counts) so all I had to get extra was another $50.  O.K?

All my love, honey, to you alone.  Always and forever.

Priscilla