Home Again

Robert soon settled into civilian life, resumed his studies at Edison Technical School, and was active at Central Lutheran Church in Seattle.  After graduating from Edison, he served a four-year apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway, where he was a Journeyman Machinist for 31 years, until his early death at age 51 from natural causes.  He specialized in restoring steam engines, and at the time of his death, was getting ready to restore an engine in Olympia, Washington.

In 1948, he married Eleanore Enget from North Dakota, and had two children, a daughter (me) and a son. My parents had a happy 25 years together until his death.  At this writing, his wife and children are still alive, and cherish the happy times we had with him.

This blog was my way of connecting with my father 43 years after his death.  Since he died when I was only 23 years old, I really never had a chance to get to know him when I was an adult (at the time of his death, I was an Army wife with a husband stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington.  We had just returned from a 13-month tour of duty in Korea during the Vietnam war.). After months of research and writing this blog, I feel I know my father better, and more clearly understand the forces that shaped his life.

Susan Arnold, March 2016

Snohomish, Washington

susanarnold2014@gmail.com

Honeymoon in San Francisco

Wedding Day (in front of their Home in North Seattle)

Arriving in Sacramento, California--October 29, 1945--Camp Beale

October 29, 1945--Arrive in Sacramento, California, at Camp Beale.  Got discharged from the Army. Took the bus and got home at last on November 2, 1945 at 8 p.m., about two years and 8 months after leaving.

Author's Note:
By September 1945, when World War II ended, Camp Beale's Personnel Replacement Depot had sent over 225,000 men overseas. Others entered the service there, as Beale was also an induction center. Eighty thousand others were processed through Beale's Reception Station before it moved to Fort Ord, California in December 1946. Camp Beale was also a Separation Center, which discharged 387,174 men and women before it closed in April 1947.     --Wikipedia 

Camp Beale, California

Boarding the SS Argentina Bound for New York Harbor

October 17, 1945.  Got on the SS Argentina at 9 p.m.
October 18--Left the dock at LeHavre at 6:30 a.m.
October 25--Came into New York Harbor at 1:30 p.m. Transported to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
October 26--Spent the day at Camp Kilmer.
October 27--Moved to air zone.
October 28--At 12 noon, we took the bus to Newark Field, New Jersey.  Got on a C47 plane at 2:30 p.m.

USS Argentina

Starting For Home--Germany and Camp Lucky Strike, France

Diary Entry by Robert Arnold:
"July 5th, 1945--Left the 995th Field Artillery and moved to the 9th Division in the town of Pfaffenhoffen (this was the site of the largest prisoner of war camp in Germany). Soon after, we moved to Garching, and then I was put on guard duty in the town of Hart."

Date Unknown:  See diary entry below.  There were no letters home in August and September, 1945.

Diary Entry by Robert Arnold:  
(No date).  STARTED FOR HOME.  We moved to Mittenwald (which was the location of the largest Displaced Persons Camp in Germany).  From there, we went into the 746th Field Artillery Battalion. Got on the 40 & 8 (a 40 man or 40 horse railroad boxcar), and rode 72 hours.  Went to Camp Atlanta near Reims, France (these camps were similar to the "Cigarette Camps", which housed soldiers waiting to return home to the United States).
Moved by train to Le Havre, France, to Camp Lucky Strike.  There are 65,000 soldiers here waiting to go home to the US. From here, we will get on a ship.

On the way to Camp Lucky Strike

Visiting Hitler's Home in Berschtesgaden

"Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany:  June 20, 1945. Yesterday was a beautiful day, and I spent most of it driving.  I saw a lot of scenery.  I got some cherries off a cherry tree, and drove from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Last night, I went to a movie and watched some newsreels.
Today, I have had a very pleasant day.  I got up at 5:45 a.m. and ate breakfast.  Then eight of us got into a three-quarter ton truck headed for Hitler's summer resort "Berghof", which is about 200 miles from here.  It took us three hours to get there.  Most of the way from Munich, we went on the Autobahn highway, so we made good time.  We were high up in the Austrian Alps, and they were covered with snow.  The scenery was beautiful, with so many green trees, waterfalls, and blue lakes.  All of the houses have large rocks on the roofs to hold them on.  Then we went through a stone gateway, and we were in Berschtesgaden (name of the town where Hitler's home, Berghof, was located).
All of the buildings are made of stone.  The whole resort is built on top of the mountains, hundreds of feet up.  We parked the truck and started walking.  The whole place had been bombed badly by the British and looted by the Allies.  Most of the buildings were leveled to the ground.
Next we went into Goebbel's house.  It's on a peak and the view is wonderful. Then we went through Hitler's house.  It was huge, and had a very large recreation room and fireplace.  There was a stage where shows were held.  The one window in the room was about 25 feet by 40 feet. Then we went through other houses--a sun house and a bath house made of all glass.  Everything was painted green and had artificial trees all over so the building wouldn't show from the air.  But since tons of bombs were dropped on the place, nothing much was left.
Next we left the house and drove about four miles up.  We went through four tunnels and some were so long we had to turn on the lights. The roadway and tunnels were also painted green with camouflage nets hanging over the tunnels.  When we got up as far as we could, we got out and walked about a mile.
An elevator went up through the rock mountain and into the house on the lookout point.  When we got to the top, there was a large rock lookout house. It had large rooms, a dining room with a table about 25 feet long.  The lounge had big, soft rugs on the floor and a large fireplace.  Every large window had a view of snow-covered mountains.
We started back and stopped along a river and made something to eat.  We got back to Starnberg around 5:30 p.m.  With all my love, Robert."

The Alps from Bertschesgaden

Berghof, Bertschesgaden

Hitler's House

SS House

   

May 9, 1945--The War Ended at 12:01 a.m.

May 1--Snowing real hard.  Worked on the Jeep.
May 3--Got 70 more men in our Battalion today.
May 4--There are 45 of us now who do not have to pull guard duty.  I am now a steady driver.  All I do now is keep my jeep in good shape and drive.
May 5--Drove rations up to our boys guarding an old castle that is 1100 years old.  It's a beautiful building, full of antiques.
May 6-8--Drove to Allen.
May 9--WAR OFFICIALLY ENDED!
May 10--Moved to Waldkirchin.  Drove through Munich, and it is in ruins.  Drove on some of Hitler's four-lane superhighways.  Along the highways, there were many German airplanes.  They had used the highways as a runway to take off from.
May 11--Moved to Graffraff, then to Starnberg.

Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "May 8, 1945--Dear Folks:  This is a beautiful, warm evening, and we are all so very happy and thankful that this war with Germany has come to an end.  Last night, I had to take the German SS soldiers somewhere, and I got back after suppertime.  When I drove in, I heard the news about the war being over!  It was so wonderful to not have to do 'blackout' any longer, and we all celebrated and stayed up real late.  With all my love, your son Robert."

Berschtesgaden

Eagle's Nest

The 8-Inch Howitzers Are Silent

The 995th Field Artillery Battalion put in 472 days in combat.   Of these days, 250 days were in Italy, and 222 were in France, Alsace and Germany.    Happy Day!

The guns are silent.

April, 1945--The War is Over for the 995th!

April 1--Saw a jet-propelled German plane.
April 2--Moved to a position near Rittersbach.
April 3, 4--Moved to Kleinincholzheim.  Germans are very friendly, but if we are found "fraternizing" with them, there is a fine of $65.
April 5--Moved to Bronnacker.
April 6-9--Moved to Oberkessach.
April 10-12--Moved to Berlichingen.
April 13-15--Moved to Kemmeten. Marched by motor convoy to Bauersbach.
April 18-20--Left Bauersbach, arrived in Michalfeld.
April 19--Moved to Hundsberg.
April 22--Moved to Maitis.
April 23--Moved to Heiningen.
April 24--Moved to Sanderbach.
April 25--Moved to Erbach.
April 26--Moved to Reggismeiler.
April 27--Moved up to Ottobeuren.  Five of us went up alone ahead of the Infantry and took the town of Helbersberg by ourselves.  We shot it out with six German soldiers, killing one.  We took six German prisoners and captured a truck.  The civilians were scared to death, and so was I.  The women were crying and had white hankies on their heads or waving them so we wouldn't shoot them.  One house was burning, and it was so hot.  When I'd go down the street looking for German soldiers, the civilians would hide.  We took one wounded and the six prisoners back to the next town.
*April 27*--Departed the area.  Marched by motor convoy to Beningen. This is the day the war is over for us.  We are pulled off the Line and told that we are now assigned "Security Police" work by the 7th Army.
April 29--Moved to Lauchhein.  I drove 265 miles to this position.
April 30--We are now an M.P. Battalion.

Jet-Propelled German Plane

Germany, March 23--October 7, 1945--Established Combat Position

March 23--Drove over into Germany to the Siegfried Line.  Saw all the "Saw Teeth" (these were concrete obstacles) there.  Moved to Oberhine.
March 27--Moved to Bolanderhoff.
March 28--Drove through Worms and crossed the Rhine River on a treadway bridge at 11:30 a.m.  We had our picture taken coming across the Rhine River.  I was the lead vehicle.
March 29--Drove through one town that we were the first Americans to come into.  I started down one road and there were large mines.  There wasn't any contact between two towns, and we didn't know that and we drove between them.  Three Germans came out of the woods waving a white flag and gave up to us.  Slept in a wooded area near the Rhine that night.
March 30--Moved up to the town of Wallstadt.  In the distance, we are watching the town of Molbine burn.
March 31--Moved from Wallstadt to Ladenburg, then on up to Heidelberg. This is the university city of Germany.  It is a beautiful city, and we were in a beautiful home there.

January-February 1944--"Winter Position" in Weiterswiller, France

January 1-12,1945--Moved back to Gum, and then the next day, moved to Muhouse.  Then, moved back to Gum the next day. The next day we moved to Shillendorf.  Stayed there for several weeks, then back tot Weiterswiller.  Stayed there for seven weeks.  Our plane was shot down near Mulhouse.  The Germans had Mulhouse at that time. I drove the Colonel up into the rifle men's area.  We stopped, and went to inspect the plane.  We packed the snow down with our feet, and the plane was able to take off OK.
January 13--I made PFC!  We then moved back to Gum.  Next day moved to Woerth, and then up to Wissemberg.
January 21-31-Settled into our Winter Position in Weiterswiller, France (Alsace).  We're all living in houses.  When we arrived here in the middle of the night, we had to rouse people out of bed to secure our billets.

February 1-28--The people in Alsace treat us pretty well. "Bed Check Charlie" buzzes over every night, annoying our nerves, but he doesn't drop any bombs on us.

No Letters Home From Robert for These Months.

December 1944--Rumors of German Counter-attack

December 2--Drove up to Doason, which was just taken the morning before.  Dead Germans were lying in the streets.  They hadn't been dead long--their blood was still red.  Saw lots of German prisoners.
December 5 & 6--Got up at 4:30 a.m. and drove to a new area in the town of Kindmiller.  The next day, I drove to Pleophefen, then back to Obermodern.  There I saw the tallest man in the world--he is 8 feet, six inches tall.
December 8--Drove up to Engmieller and past Gumbrechtshafen, which is 100 yards from the Front Line.
December 10--Drove the Colonel around all day.  Drove past Gum to two kilometers from the town we were taking.  I drove up as far as I could drive and watched the tanks come out of the town.  I saw the Infantry move up and take the town.  I drove until dark.
December 12--Moved up to Woerth.  Saw four German tanks that had just been knocked out.  All the Germans were dead inside the tanks.
December 15--Drove to a new position in Birlenbach.  I got lost coming up and got on a bad road and broke the back axle of my Jeep.  Walked into a room of a house nearby, and there was a First Lieutenant dead on the floor, killed by a mortar shell.
December 21--All indicators are pointing to a strong German counter-attack.
December 24--Moved to Wissembourg.  We got pushed back by the Germans, and had to move back to Birlenbach (to the rear).
December 25--Day off.  See personal letter below.
December 26--Ten percent of the Battery went into the Infantry (two from our section).
December 27--Drove up a road to find an Observation Point.  Ten minutes later, another Jeep came behind me and caught on a trip wire, and set off a mine.
December 30--Drove all day.  Planes strafing and bombing all day.

Letter Home From Robert to His Family:  "December 7, 1944--Dear Folks--This evening, I received two packages--one from Uncle Lonard, and one from you. In Lonard's package, there were two pair of white socks, a pair of garters, hankies, three bars of soap, candy, peanuts, gum, and cough drops. Then I opened your package-Oh! You had it wrapped up so very pretty, and the card was beautiful, too.  The writing paper is what I really needed, and the soap and candy were great.  I was just wishing that I was opening up my packages at home, where I could really enjoy them. Three years ago today, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  We sure have come a long way since then. 

Letter Home From Robert to His Family:  "December 25, 1944--Here it is Christmas evening, and I am on duty here in the office from 6-9 p.m. I got a package from the Great Northern Railroad--it was a very large package.  In it was a jack knife, playing cards, a cribbage board, a fruitcake, candy, toothbrush, shoe polish, a dictionary, and a world map.  Love from Your Son, Robert"

Tallest Man in the World

November 1944--Established Combat Position in Bassemberg, France

November 1, 1944--Got up at 6 a.m. and drove a load of radios up to the Observation Point for the Infantry.  Spent the day up there.  From that location, I could look down into the town of St. Die.
November 2--Drove back to camp, and then drove over to Fontany.
November  9--It is snowing today, and it snowed hard this evening.
November 15--Everyone moved up to LaChapelle today, but the Survey Section stayed back in Bruyeres.
November 18--Drove to Bifontain, and then moved up to Taintrux.  Got shelled a lot coming up.  Have a nice house to live in.
November 20--Drove back to Brayeres and St. Die.
November 21--Moved up to Provencheres.
November 24--Drove to St. Mariea.  The town was just taken the day before.  All the signs are in German, and all the people speak German.
November 27--Moved to new position in the town of Bassemberg, France.  Drove "black out" over the big mountains.  It was cold and freezing.
November 28--Drove back to Provencheres, then to Saales and Strausberg. Strausberg is a large city, partly in ruins.  The large Cathedral is beautiful, and a French girl hugged and kissed me.  Major Hurd and I were the first ones to go into Strausberg.

Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  November 23, 1944--Dearest Folks, Here it is, Thanksgiving evening, and it has been raining and blowing hard. There were two fellows here with us today who were in the Infantry, but they were lost.  They slept here with us last night. It was such a bad day here today, so I got out that Christmas package from you (the one for some of my buddies) and gave it to the boys.  They sure liked the homemade candy and fruitcake, and send their thanks to you.  We ate dinner at 3 p.m. inside a warm building this year (last year I was sleeping in a cave, and ate dinner in the rain).  It was a wonderful dinner, with turkey, potatoes, dressing, corn, creamed carrots, cranberries, cabbage salad, coffee, and apple pie.  We gave our little dog here some big turkey bones, and now he's sound asleep.  I hope we are all together next Thanksgiving. Lots of love and kisses, Robert."

Our Dugout

Herman the Dog

October--1944--France--Established Combat Position in Bruyeres

October 1--Drove all day.  Went all over Mesh and St. Hippilie.  Ate dinner at a restaurant in St. Hip, and enjoyed the great cheese they have there.  It rained hard most of the day.
October 3-7--Drove all over to all of the surrounding towns and along the Swiss border, getting information.  Drove to Vesoul and slept in an old area of town.  Drove to Fontenay and slept in a stable and did some surveying. There was a lot of shooting and shelling going on.
October 9--My birthday.  Drove back to the town of St. Hippilie.
October 12--Drove 105 miles back to Chaumont, going through Epinal, Eufchatea, Barleduc, and many other villages.  Slept in Hotel de France in Chaumont.
October 13--Left the Hotel de France at 8 a.m.  During the night, someone stole my spare tire and wheel. 
October 14--Got up early and drove Captain Siedal to "B" Battery 15 miles away.
October 16--Drove to Besancon, and drove through the town of Versaul.  Drove over 200 miles.  The roads were very slippery, and it was a hard, tiring trip.
October 17--Drove back to 6th Corps. Went to church and worked on the Jeep. When we were in position in St. Hippilie, we fired our first shot in France and we were on the Marginal Line.
October 23--Drove up to Bruyeres, and moved into a beautiful house.  Soft bed to sleep on.  There were a lot of shells coming in. 
October 24-30--The house we are in has been hit by 7 shells, leaving shrapnel holes all over our room.  Lots of shells coming in this week--drove the Colonel through an area while it was being shelled--it was hell!  Shelling continues day and night, and I am sleeping in a coal bin.

Letter Home From Robert to His Family:  "Southern France, October 1, 1944--My Dearest Folks, I have been driving most of the day today, and at noon, I stopped in a town at a café and got myself a dinner.  I had beef, gravy and potatoes, rye bread and liver sausage, and for dessert, Swiss cheese and coffee.  It was a good meal and only cost me 40 francs.  Last night, there was a beautiful moon out, but today it has been raining and blowing, and it is so cold.  I think of all of you, Love and Kisses, Robert. "

Late September, 1944--France--First Firing Position September 22

September 13-30, 1944--We are on the move at this time.  Drove on slippery and icy roads with the trailer, which kept sliding.  Drove all over the town of Burg-on-the-Vire, and slept outside of the town of Beaufort.  Raining hard tonight, and slept in my tent alone.

September 15--Drove up on reconnaissance to four miles from the front line. Drove over 120 miles, looking for a new position.  Later this evening, we moved up 25 miles.  We are five miles behind the line.

September 18--Drove through many small towns. Still raining, and the mud was so bad that I had to put chains on the Jeep.

September 19--Drove 250 miles from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Drove all along the front.  I was just a few miles from the Swiss border.  Was up on the line 20 miles from the town of Belfast. 

September 21--Drove about 60 miles to the 6th Corps Headquarters for some information.  Then drove to Vesoul "blackout".

September 22--Led our 12 guns and trucks up the mountainside to a position 15 miles from Belfort.  We traveled 108 miles today. From here, I can look over the border into Switzerland.  The Swiss towns have large white crosses painted on all the house tops. 

September 23--Drove to a town where we had observation, and waited all day for our guns to register. We now have our guns in position again, and are firing.  This was our first time to fire in France. 

September 24--We are now less than two miles from Switzerland up at the Observation Point.  We can see Belfort and Belfort Pass in the distance.  At midnight, we got shelled heavily.  I was scared stiff, and I could hear shrapnel flying all around me.

September 27-30--Drove to Mesh, and St. Hippilie.  Got shelled heavily.  Drove to an old French fort a mile from the front.  Moved to a new area one mile west of Montecheroux.  We are in the Vosges Mountain area, and Germans are holding the Belfort Gap.

Letters Home--Only two letters were sent from Robert during September 1944. See Previous Posts.

September, 1944--Peyrolles-de-Provence, France

September 5, 1944--Drove through several towns, spent the day washing clothes in my helmet, and just resting.

September 6--Rained last night and all day.  Have my clothes washed, and they are hanging in the trees, soaking wet.  I'm getting a good rest, though. 

September 7--Went to a band concert.  On guard duty from 9-midnight.

September 8--I drove a command car and drove a bunch of boys back 40 miles to visit some of our buddies who left our outfit and are now driving the large DUCKS (land and water vehicles). 

September 9--We are near the town of San Rafael.  Got up at 6 a.m. and walked a quarter-mile to get some breakfast.  Packed up and cooked our own meals.  Sat around all day, and left about 5 p.m. Drove back about 35 miles and met the rest of our outfit, which had just landed.

September 10--Drove a little and worked on the Jeep.  Took a bath, had a rifle inspection, and got the Jeep ready for the trip tomorrow to Peyrolles-de-Provence. 

September 11--Drove 108 miles to Peyrolles.

September 12--Got up again at 6 a.m. and drove 145 miles, where we camped by the town of Grenoble.  Saw the Alps for the first time--it was a wonderful sight.

Letter Home From Robert to his Family:  "September, 1944-- Dear Folks, today I got 31 letters!  I'll never get them all answered, as I don't have much time to write any more.  Mama, I'm glad you liked the little cross I got you.  Love, From Your Son Robert".

September 1944--USS Charles Carroll, US Liberty Ship--Arriving in France

September 2, 1944--Left Naples Harbor at 6:10 p.m. on the USS Charles Carroll.  There are about seven cargo ships and three destroyers in our convoy.  The sea is very calm. 

September 3--A storm came up, and the front part of the ship went up and down 25 feet.  I got very seasick, and we had one man overboard who was later picked up.

September 4, 1944--We pulled into a cove near St. Tropez, France at 10 a.m.  The Infantry was sent ashore first, and then my Jeep and trailer were loaded over the side into a small landing craft.  I crawled over the side and down a rope ladder.  We had to stand my trailer on end because the boat was so small.  Two sailors and I were the only ones in the landing craft.  We hit the sandy beach of Southern France.

The sailors let down the front door of the landing craft, and I drove my Jeep forward enough to hook up the trailer.  Then I drove off into two feet of water.  The beach was all cleared and wire laid down over the sand so the vehicles would not sink.  Landed at 11 a.m. and waited there until 7 p.m.  Then drove 35 miles to the 7th Army's rear and put up my tent and went to sleep.  Southern France has beautiful scenery.

Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "September 9, 1944--Southern France.  Dearest Folks, Here it is evening, and I have been driving my Jeep and trailer.  I got lost, but I found my outfit at last.  Thanks for all the letters and V-Mail.  I even got one Railroad Magazine!  I sure enjoyed all of the stories.  Tonight I also got a lot of rations, so now I have plenty of candy to eat.  I am thinking of you all, and lots of love and sweet kisses.  From, Your Son Robert."

USS Charles Carroll, US Liberty Ship

August 1944--Leaving Italy and Traveling to France

August 14 and 15, 1944--Another big invasion started in France.  Hundreds of C-47 cargo planes towing three gliders each are going overhead night and day. Repaired Jeep and at 8:30 p.m., we left Orbetello, Italy.  We drove a distance of 165 miles.  I was the head vehicle and had to set the pace at exactly 20 mph.  We stopped about 65 miles south of Rome, and we slept and rested most of the day.  Traveled to an area north of Naples, and we are now in the 7th Army, the 17th Group. We are to go into the line on the new French beachhead soon, and are due to arrive there September 5, 1944.

August 21--Our present bivouac area is by Lake Patrea, about 15 miles north of Naples.

August 24--Drove the Major into Naples.  I was able to drive all over town.  Mt. Vesuvius stood out over the harbor and looked so beautiful.  I could also see the Isle of Capri.

August 26--Drove to Versa, and then back to Naples.  There was a big German air raid over Naples at 1 a.m..

August 29--We left at 11 a.m. in convoy, and again, I was the head vehicle.  Went to an area near Naples Harbor.  The next day, I went to the dock in Naples where my Jeep and trailer were lifted on board by a large crane at 9 p.m.  Got into my bunk at 10 p.m.

August 31--We have now pulled out into Naples Harbor and are at anchor.  Ate and slept most of the day.  Saw a movie in the evening up on deck.  The moon is so bright, and reflects on the water.

Letter Home From Robert to His Family:  "August 17, 1944--Today it was terribly hot here. I drove through many towns that were just ruins.  The wrecked buildings stand out against the starlit sky.  The streets are narrow and deserted, and the exhaust of my Jeep echoes through the ruined buildings.  They are just ghost towns now.  I hope you are all well.  Love and kisses, Robert."

May-June 1944--Holding Strategic Positions--Anzio Beachhead

May 23, 1944--Moved to a new position by Vallecorsa, Italy.  Rained hard while doing our survey work.  Shells came in during the surveying, and I saw 150 German prisoners.  Saw an Italian woman who had stepped on a booby-trap and it had blown off both of her legs.  This area has been ours for several days, and lots of dead in places. 

May 26--Went to Pico.  It was taken by American troops May 24 at midnight.  On May 27, we went up to an area near Ceprano.  It was taken on the night of May 26, and we got there at 9 a.m.  Ran our survey, and "dug in".

May 29--Went near Pofi, and shells came in.  Planes came over, and it is so hot.  The dead bodies smell terrible, and we are really close to the front.  Am sleeping in an old machine gun pit.

June 2 & 3--Moved to the village of Fesentino.  I drove the Captain up Appian Way to Anzio Beachhead, and up past the town of Cari.  Arrived at 10 p.m.  Had an air raid at 3:30 a.m., so got up and drove up further to the front.  German planes came over strafing.

June 5--The 5th Army entered Rome, and it is ours.  Our troops are five miles on the other side of Rome.  In the past three weeks, we have been in positions on the Gustav Line, the Hitler Line, the Anzio Beachhead Line, and the Alban Hill Line.

Personal Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  May 14, 1944--Since this was Mother's Day, I thought about you a lot, Mama.  I went to a church service, and the Chaplain preached a nice Mother's Day sermon.  I drove the Chaplain today to his different places so he could give his services.  So, I attended FIVE church services in all!  After a bath to get all of the road dust off me, I had dinner and now am at the machine gun from 6-9 p.m.  I got two letters from you today, one from Elsie, and the other from Uncle Lonard.  We are doing some very tough fighting here now. The Artillery firing is deafening, and the air is full of whistling shells.  And German planes came over again last night.  I hope you had a good Mother's Day, and you are one of the best mothers in the world.  Love and Kisses, From Robert"

Pofi, Italy

July 1944--Last Month in Italy

July 1, 1944--New position in town of Boun Convento, Italy.   We ran a very long survey here.  Two of our guns and a Mack truck ran over a mine and blew up and burned.  Several men were wounded. 

July 3--Drove up about seven miles to new position by the town of Siena.  Saw the house in Siena where Richard Wagner lived (he was the composer of "The Wedding March").  Drove to Boun Convento, and slept in a castle in a real bed between sheets.

July 4-July 25--Moved back and forth between Boun Convento and Siena, driving the Colonel around, working on the Jeep, and working in the office.  Planes went over most nights, and the bombing and strafing was close by.  Drove supplies to our new position.  We are fighting alongside the French troops now.

On July 24, we were pulled out of the front line.  This is the first time we have been out of the front line since November 18, 1943.  We were moved back 110 miles and are on the Orbetello Peninsula (we were pulled out of the line from Montriggroni).  We were close to Florence, but I wasn't lucky enough to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Went swimming in the Mediterranean Sea in a cove, and the water was warm. 

July 27--The Colonel from the 633rd Field Artillery Battalion stepped on a mine on the beach and was blown to bits. 

July 28-31--We continue on at Rest Camp, where we have Reveille and Retreat and Calisthenics.  We get to go to shows, and go swimming.  Had a chance to go to Rome, and enjoying having the Jeep mostly to myself.  Saw all the sights in Rome, and slept in a park beside my Jeep.

Personal Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "Italy, July 3, 1944--Here I sit in a potato patch on my bedroll beside a large grape vine.  The grapes will be ripe in a month or so.  There are a lot of vegetables here-pumpkins, squash, potatoes, and onions.  I'm writing this letter with some German ink I got in town several days ago.  Today, we fried some potatoes, and sat around and talked for a while.  This is really a beautiful country, and everything is so green.  Love and Kisses, Robert"

Rome, Italy

April 1944--Still in Cassino, Italy

The Battle of Monte Cassino (also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino) was a costly series of four assaults by the Allies against the Winter Line in Italy held by Axis forces during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The intention was a breakthrough to Rome.       --Wikipedia

Diary Entries:

April 1-1944   At machine gun from 4-7 p.m.  Very few shells going out, and none came in.  Warm day.  Cleaned up around our door.

April 2--Palm Sunday.  At the machine gun again in the morning, and missed the church service.  Shells came in during the night.  It was a beautiful day outside. 

April 4--At machine from 4-8 p.m.  Took a sunbath and got sunburned.  Shells came in through the night.  A lizard crawled into bed with me.  Lots of German shells landed in "C" Battery area.  The front now is just about deserted.  Very few outfits left here.  No traffic on the roads, since everyone has gone to 10 Corps or Anzio Beachhead.  The only ones here now are New Zealanders and British.  Very few Americans, and very little artillery fire. 

April 6--A British 25-pound shell hit into our cave up at our left Observation Point and injured a Sergeant.  Three more British 25-pound shells hit up on Mt. Trocchio above me.  The British don't care if their shells hit their target or not.  No shells coming in. The Germans are supposed to be out of ammunition.

April 9--Easter Sunday.  Went to a service, then back on duty at the machine gun from 12-4 p.m.  Lots of shells coming in, so spent some time in my foxhole.

April 15--Got up at 4:30 a.m. and a group of us went back to Naples in trucks.  Took a trip to Pompeii, built in 600 A.D.  Over 16,000 people lived there before the city was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius  (I could see the smoke coming out of the mountain).  Went all over Naples, and had a wonderful time.  Got back up at the front at 8 p.m.

April 26--Last night at 9:45, eight shells came in.  They started the ammunition dump near us on fire.  Shells and rockets were flying everywhere.  There was a big explosion, and I thought the house was going to fall down.  Some of the boys got in a panic and wanted to leave without orders, but we stuck it out.  The flames lit up the skies for miles.  British Fire Fighters put the fire out.

Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "April 9, 1944--This morning, all of the US soldiers were saying 'Happy Easter' to each other.  I thought back to my last Easter, when I was at Camp Roberts, California, and the Easter before that, when I was at home.  I always loved the Sunrise Services on Easter morning.  I just finished eating my Easter dinner, and now I am on my way to the machine-gun pit.  This morning, I went to an Easter service, and the Chaplain preached a good sermon.  I hope you are all having a great day, and that you received the flowers I sent to you.  This evening, I got a V-Mail from you, and also an Easter card.  Love and Kisses, from your son Robert". 

March 1944--Time in Cassino, Italy

March 2- March 30--Heavy rain and mud is real bad.  Shells coming in.  Chopped down some trees and sawed up a lot of wood.  Artillery fire and shells coming in. 

On March 6, we got shelled real hard.  One man was killed and two injured in "B" Battery.  There is now fresh snow in the mountains.  On March 7, I climbed up to the Observation Point (OP) and helped direct the artillery fire.  I did the cooking, and slept in a cave with water dripping on the blankets.  Didn't get much sleep that night.

On March 8, I directed fire and knocked down three houses near the railroad tracks outside of Cassino.  We shelled a whole town, and knocked many buildings down.    Sat in the OP from 7 p.m. to midnight and directed artillery fire on towns and buildings in the Liri Valley.  Saw a German truck burn on Highway Number 6, and watched German traffic 20 miles away through an Infantry 20-power telescope. 

We got shelled from 10 p.m. on, and listened to machine gun and rifle fire echo in the streets of Cassino.  Watched the Rapido River, and went to bed in a cave at midnight.  Lots of shells hit outside the cave at 3 a.m., and due to the shelling, wet blankets and bed bugs, I didn't get much sleep.

On March 10, went back down the mountain to our section, took a bath, and shaved in cold water.  We all got a Bronze Star for our campaign ribbon.  On the 12th, went to a church service, and washed my clothes in my helmet.  While eating supper, a shell hit near our kitchen and a piece of shrapnel just missed me and hit the ground a few feet away.

On March 15, the big push started at 9 a.m.  From 9-noon, 600 American bombers came over.  By mistake, the planes dropped three bunches of bombs behind our lines.  I saw the bombs fall, and I ran in the opposite direction as fast as I could.  All hell broke loose, and over 100 American soldiers were killed.  As the planes kept coming over us, we stayed in our foxholes because we couldn't even trust our own planes any longer. But the American bombers finally flattened Cassino.  One American dive bomber dived on Cassino and never pulled out of the dive, crashing into Cassino buildings.  Over 100 additional bombers came over this afternoon, and our Chaplain's tent burned down.

Personal Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "Italy, March 5, 1944--Today I got to a nice church service. A service up here at the Front is very different from a service in your own home church.  As we sat there on some stones on the side of a mountain and listened to the Chaplain, our own artillery fire made so much noise that we could hardly hear him. Then we heard the whistle of enemy shells coming in. Under such conditions, one is drawn so much closer to God.  Lots of Love and Kisses from your son, Robert".

Timeline Italy--1943-44

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Here is a list from Robert's diary of the locations he served in during his time in Italy.  He was awarded a Bronze Star on March 10, 1944. 

Individual diary entries will follow in upcoming posts.

December 1943--Magnano

January 1944--Mt. Trocchio (1/4 mile from Cassino)

February 1944--Caserta--Rest Camp for Two Weeks

March 1944--Back to Cassino.  Americans take Cassino later in the month.

April 1944--Still in Cassino.  995th now supporting British 12th Company.

May 1944--Naples, Cervano, San Vittore, and then back to Cassino.  New positions in Vallecorsa, Pico, Ceprano and Pafi

June 1944--Moved to village of Fesentino, 5th Army takes Rome.  In May-June, 995th had positions on Gustav Line, Anzio Beachhead Line, Alban Hill Line.  Also had new positions at Lake Bracciano, Auco de Peuto, and Buon Convento.

July 1944--New position at Siena (with French troops).  On July 24, the 995th was pulled out of the line and sent to Orbetello Peninsula.

February 1944--More Fighting at the Front in Italy

February 1 dawned cold and foggy.  There was a lot of artillery fire and shells coming in.  On February 4, our new 240 MM Howitzers in the rear lines seven miles away were shelled by heavy German artillery.  On February 7, I came back to the front, and during the evening, one of our own planes dropped two bombs and hit the kitchen of the 125th Field Artillery and killed 15 men, who were sitting down and eating "chow".  The next day, I went to the rear and hauled up a truckload of charcoal.  The Germans dropped a lot of shells along the road as we were driving, and I was really scared.

On February 10, enemy planes flew over in the morning.  The Germans threw a lot of shells in today and hit another Artillery Battalion near us.  Our own "C" Battery got hit, but it wasn't too bad. One shell hit the tail of Number 2 gun.  On February 12, two fellows in "B" Battery were killed and two officers were injured badly.

On February 14, we went back to Rest Camp in Caserta.  Got all new clothes and good eats, and saw some shows.  The next day, I went to Santa Maria and bought some gifts and saw more shows.

On February 18, came back to the front again, and it was very cold.  Three of our guns were hit and damaged.  Our Medics moved out of their house that night, and a German shell knocked it down after they were out safely.

I alternated my time between the Field Artillery work and repairing all of our jeeps.  On February 25, I took the jeep to the creek in Mignano and washed off all the mud.  All of the houses in Mignano are knocked down and the streets have 15 feet of rubble heaped up.  We saw an old man putting stones around a grave, which he pointed to and said "Mama".  It was a sad sight.

Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "February 10, 1944--Here it is a very cold and dark, rainy evening.  The mud is so bad.  I didn't get any mail tonight, but I read all of the letters I've received over again today.  I enjoyed them so much! Tell everyone hello from me.  Love from your son Robert."

Christmas in Italy--December 25, 1943

Christmas in Italy was unlike any Christmas I had ever experienced in my life.  We didn't enjoy our dinner because during "chow" time, we were being shelled heavily.  The building that housed our kitchen was hit by a shell, as well as the building across the road.  I spent a lot of time on guard duty during that time.

Soon after Christmas, a German patrol broke through our lines and killed some of the men in the outfit in front of us.  We also had some snow, and it was very cold outside. 

After the new year (1944), on the morning of January 20, I drove a truckload of equipment to Mt. Trochio, which was a quarter-mile from Cassino.  The valley I drove through was smoked up to hide us from enemy observation.  Some of the bridges were blown out, so I had to ford the river.  We moved into a house on the side of Mt. Trochio, which the Germans had just moved out of three days earlier.

We were very close to the front now, and the Infantry was right by us, shooting mortars.  Very near to them, we dug in our 8-inch Howitzers.  We got shelled day and night, and we could hear machine guns and mortar fire constantly.  Just ahead of us, we could watch American planes strafe the German lines. There was too much excitement, and our nerves were on edge.  The shells going by through the air made a sickening, whistling sound. The weather was still very cold and freezing.

Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "December 25, 1943--Dear Folks and Elsie:  Last night, we all had a good time. One fellow played a guitar, and we sang a lot.  I found an accordion, and I played all of the pieces I could remember, and everyone sang. There were a lot of British soldiers with us, and they joined in the singing.  We stayed up late, and had a good meal.  I thought about all of you a lot today, and wished I could have been with you.  I missed our Christmas tree and everything that goes with it.  Love and Kisses, Robert"

8 Inch Howitzer

November-December 1943--Landing in Naples, Italy

On November 9, we loaded onto L.C.T. (Landing Craft Tanks) and left Bizerte the next morning.  I saw Sicily, the Island of Capri and Mt. Vesuvius, with lots of smoke coming out of it.  We landed in Naples Harbor on November 13.  We traveled by convoy a few miles from Naples and bivouacked in an orange grove outside of the town of Maddaloni.  We were there a few days, and it rained constantly.  I received my first mail from the States while in this area. I got about 50 letters all at once, and it was wonderful to hear from my loved ones and friends again.

On the night of November 18, we moved up into our first line position.  It was south of Mt. Commino, near the town of Perchille.  We surveyed in the guns and then found a cave for us to live in.  We had numerous air raids, and we were all kept busy, each doing his own job. 

On Thanksgiving Day, we had a very good dinner, but I was sick and couldn't enjoy my dinner.  It was raining hard again, and we had to stand out in the weather and eat while our mess kits filled up with water.

One night, someone looked into our cave.  So, all eight of us got  up and pulled on our shoes and grabbed our rifles and went out looking for the person in our long, white underwear. 

On December 19, we moved up seven miles and moved into a large building east of the village of Magnano.  This position was right on the old German winter line.  Here we were under heavy shelling and bombing.  Saw many dead and many German planes shot down.

Personal Letter Home From Robert to His Family:  November 14, 1943--Here I am, somewhere in Italy.  This is Sunday, but it sure doesn't seem like it. I have eaten a lot of oranges and nuts since I've been here.   I carry my Bible on me all the time, and try to read it every day.  I say a prayer every day, too. I just got two letters from you from September!  Love and Kisses, Robert

Naples, Italy

Time in Bizerte, Tunisia

After anchoring off the coast of Bizerte, we were loaded into L.C.I.'s (Landing Craft Infantry), which is a small boat, and went into the harbor.  The harbor was so full of sunken ships that only a small boat could weave its way through the debris.  We tied up at a dock and sat in the hot sun, eating "C" rations.

On October 8 (one day before my 21st birthday), we got off the ship and stepped on solid ground again.  We loaded into trucks and were taken to the 5th Replacement Depot, fifteen miles from Bizerte.  I stayed here until October 13, 1943.

We slept in our pup tents, and it rained most of the time.  It was cold, so we slept in our clothes.  I was on guard duty one night and on K.P. one night.  We had machine gun and rifle practice. 

At midnight on October 13, I was awakened and told to get ready to leave to go and join an outfit that was going into the line soon.  It was raining again, and I got up and packed and rolled my bedroll around my pack and strapped my pack onto my back.  I got my rifle, gas mask and the rest of my equipment and got in a waiting truck.

We drove to a hill above Bizerte and pitched our tents in the dark, and tried to get some sleep.  I hadn't been asleep long when I woke up with several inches of water running under me.  My blankets were wet, so I got into the back of the truck and spent the rest of the night sitting up, trying to sleep.  In the morning, I saw that I had pitched my tent in a ditch. 

At this time, I was in the 995th Field Artillery Battalion in the Headquarters Battery.  I was put into the Survey Section.  From October 14 to November 9, we were busy cleaning equipment, going on maneuvers, shooting guns, and doing survey work.  All around our tents, the mud was deep and the flies were bad.  I got to make one short trip to Tunis, where I saw many Arabs and camels.

Personal Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "October 28, 1943--I hope you have received some of my letters by now, and that you know where I am.  I am so anxious to hear from home.  I am busy all the time, and am so tired by the evening.  I still have my watch, and it keeps good time.  I am so glad that I have it. The Arabs here sell us large loaves of bread, and they live in little grass and mud houses. Out of all of the boys that I went through Basic Training with, I am the only one in this outfit.  We were all separated. "

995th Field Artillery Insignia

October 1943--Off the Coast of Casablanca

October 4, 1943--At 7 p.m., off Casablanca, Africa, eight German bombers bombed us.  We had two British escort planes, which were both shot down.  Each ship had 10 guns and the air was full of flack.  Three of the bombers were shot down but the rest got away.  Several ships were hit.  A bomb hit in the water between our ship and the next one, and threw up a geyser of water.  I saw one bomb hit the bridge of another Liberty ship near us.  A tanker was hit and set on fire, and it dropped out of the convoy.  We could see it back on the dark horizon as it burned. 

We were supposed to go to Sicily next, but when we got to the Island of Pantellaria, our orders were changed due to the hard fighting.  We had to turn back, and landed at Bizerte, Africa.  We had only four ships left in our convoy, so we anchored in the large, crescent-shaped harbor outside Bizerte. 

Editor's Note:  Casablanca was a critical strategic port during World War II, and hosted the Casablanca Conference in 1943, where  Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt met to discuss the progress of the war.  Casablanca was also the site of a large airbase, which served as the staging area for all American aircraft in the European Theater during World War II.

Personal Letter Home from Robert to His Family:  "October 9--Well, today is my birthday, but it sure doesn't feel like it.  Here I am in North Africa, and am getting along fine.  We had a hard trip over, but I saw many interesting things.  I have seen a lot of Arabs and little donkeys.  I live in a little pup tent with three other boys and sleep right on the ground."

F.D.R.and Churchill

September 1943--The Jonathan Grout, Liberty Ship

On September 11, 1943, we boarded the Jonathan Grout, a Liberty ship.  There were over 550 soldiers loaded into the front hold of this ship.  The bunks were five-high and very crowded.  The back portion of the ship was full of ammunition.  We lay in the harbor at Newport News, Virginia, for two days.

On the morning of September 13, we pulled out into the ocean.  As we got further away from the shore, we could see the many other ships that were joining our convoy until there were 72 ships in all.

The first five days out, I was very seasick and spent most of my time hanging over the rail.  We had two small meals a day and had guard duty every few days to ensure that we kept our lights from showing at night. 

At night, the captains of the ships in the convoy could not see each other, and sometimes the ships would run together in the dark, causing damage to the ships.  Twice our convoy turned around and headed back to the United States because it was feared that submarines were near.  During the entire journey, we went many hours in one direction, and would then change course, zigzagging back and forth to throw submarines off our path.

There were many different types of ships in our convoy:  there were tankers with airplanes fastened to their decks, troop ships, cargo ships, and several destroyers.
One evening at 6 p.m., I was on guard duty as we passed the Rock of Gibralter and entered the Mediterranean Sea.  Our convoy started to break up, and all of the ships headed for different destinations. 

Joonathan Grout, Liberty Ship

History of the Arnold Family

My father's father came from an Oregon farming family, and his mother's father was a Lutheran minister from Berlin, Germany.  Robert grew up in Seattle, Washington, and after high school, attended Edison Technical School to become a Journeyman Machinist for the Great Northern Railway.  

In the midst of his four-year training, he was drafted into World War II in February 1943.  After the war, he returned safely from the fighting in Europe, and was able to complete his training and get a job with the Great Northern Railway. 

This blog focuses on the personal life of Private Robert Arnold as he made his way from a safe and sheltered life into the midst of the terrible conflict that escalated into a world war.  While some of the historical references will be familiar, you will be drawn into what was in Robert's heart and mind as he moved with his battalion from North Africa to Italy, Germany, and France, and then, finally, back home.

This is the story of a survivor, about the making of a young man's faith, and about the value of a strong and loving family who prayed their way through the years until the war was over.