Raymond A Bumgarner - WWII Memories

Dates	Memories Journal, Letters, Comments Journal of "Military Memories" opened June 16, 1945 at Uhingen, Germany Letters were written home to his parents and sister.	Photos and Misc.
Jan 1946	First month of Esquire Magazine Calendar booklet that was with Dad's things. Drawings by A Varoa.
Jan 3, 1946	Journal – Moved to Grohn.	100th Division - Finale
Jan 16, 1946	Letter to parents and sis: Grohn Barracks Jan 16, 1946 Dearest Mom, Since today is the one that marks for you another mile along the road of life, I shall endeavor to scribe on these pages a bit of my sentiments to commemorate the occasion - whether they have much to do with your birthday or not. But let me say that I hope you're enjoying this, your 46th anniversary, and that you're thinking of ME right now - cause I'M thinking of YOU, and wishing I were there to make your birthday a REALLY happy one! Well, the most happy news I've heard in a long time came out today, and no doubt you've heard it on the radio or read about it. The Army has at last announced just about when it expects to get me home! I had fears of staying over here 'till June or July, but NOW my dear Bumgarners, you can figure on seeing your "long lost" on about the first day of May, 1946! Whoopee! Only three months to go and I'll be hittin' the boat for that promised land! Boy o boy, it sure takes a load off my mind to have, at last, a certain, clear-cut date to look forward to. I hope it means I'll be leaving this division by the last of March. That'll mean I'll have ot put up with this outfit only two more months. I THINK I can stand it for that long. The mail service remains rather poor. Haven't had a letter from you uns, direct, for about 10 days now. Got Sis's "old" letter of Dec. 5 yesterday, but I'd already gotten one writ the 22nd of same. So there wasn't much news in it, tho' I did enjoy it, as I always do. I got a New Year's card from Tex, but no letter. The son of a gun still owes me twenty dollars . Am still pulling guard duty, but since it gives me my days free, I don't mind it much. We got a bunch of recruits (rookies) fresh from the States, last Monday, and they're being put through their paces now, for their first week. Then they'll be pulling guard like the rest of us, and I should be able to get released from duty to devote my full time to my sign and poster making. Once I get a good "business" started, I'll be able to "goof off" maybe 2 or 3 days a week without the first sergeant knowing it. After he gets used to the idea of my being out from under his thumb, maybe he'll let me alone and I can run loose a bit. Not that I want to "carouse around" - I just like to be free to go & come as I choose I intend to start going to Bremen rather often, in the future, and visiting all those nice Red Cross Clubs & theatres. And I MIGHT do a little "black market" shopping. I still have hopes of picking up a camera, accordion, field glasses, or some such item that I can buy for cigarettes. I could sell the cigarettes for about $30 a carton, in Allied marks, but I've already got a lot more money than I'm supposed to have, so money is no good to me - except that which Uncle Sam gives me - the LEGAL stuff! I have about $100 in legal cash on me, which I intend to carry home with me. Still haven't sent my package that I mentioned. Guess there's o rush, or I'd have sent it days ago. Maybe I'll run across something else to put in it. Well, reckon the old guard hour is drawing nigh, so I'll close the gossip. Run out of it, anyhow, heh. Goodnight, and best of luck "for the morrow". Love, Raymond
Jan 19, 1946	Journal – Saw “Panama Hattie”, Bremen
Jan 31, 1946	Furlough
Feb 8, 1946	Journal – Left Bremen 8 pm for England. Bridge out, stayed overnight in AAA billets.
Feb 9, 1946	Journal – By truck to Kassel. Floods delay train. Went to Red Cross & movie, took pics of Kassel.
Feb 10, 1946	Journal – On train 7:30 am. Rode 2^nd class, unheated coach.
Feb 11, 1946	Journal – Arrived Paris at 1200, chow, changed st. to Gave St. Lazare. Dep. at 1:30 pm. Arrive Le Harre sta. 9 pm. Trucks to Camp “Home Run”.
Feb 12, 1946	Journal – Loafed around camp, took pictures of port.
Feb 13, 1946	Journal – Up at 3:30 am, board the “Benjamin Huntington at 6 am. Sail at 8 am. Channel foggy. Anchor off Southampton overnight.
Feb 14, 1946	Journal – Debark 1 pm. Train to London, arr. at 6 pm. Take bed & supper, shower at Interstate Club, ARC. Short walk, retire early.
Feb 15, 1946	Journal – Arise at 10 am, clean up, take walk. Show “Revuedeville”. Movie “Paris Underground”.
Feb 16, 1946	Journal – Taxi tour. Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the Tower, London Bridge, 10 Downing St., St. Paul’s Cathedral, Blackfriars, etc. Show “Fine Feathers”.
Feb 17, 1946	Journal – Sunday. Sun shines, warm. Go to zoo with Aussie sailor. Take pictures of animals & Regents Park.
Feb 18-20, 1946	Journal – Shopping, loafing, eating, shows, bull sessions, etc. Saw “Spiral Staircase”, “Saratoga Trunk”, “The Last Chance”, “Diary of a Chambermaid”, “Gulliver’s Travels”, “La Mort de Cynge”, etc.
Feb 21, 1946	Journal – Looked p Joyce Shaw. Dinner at 6 pm, show “Dolly Sisters”. Chatted in subway sta.
Feb 22, 1946	Journal – Plans for Scotland rained out. didn’t do much of anything. Read, played billiards. Saw “Sigh No More”, musical revue.
Feb 23-24, 1946	Journal – Same. Saw “Spanish Main”.
Feb 25, 1946	Journal – Reported to Leave Center. No boat.
Feb 26, 1946	Journal – Train to Southampton. snow. Stayed at C-18.
Feb 27, 1946	Journal – Laid around camp, took long walk into counrty & around waterfront.
Feb 28, 1946	Journal – Boarded “Benjamin Huntington” at 4 pm.
Mar 1, 1946	Journal – Sailed at 4 am, in Le Havre at 2:30 pm. Channel rough, many sick.
Mar 2, 1946	Journal – Up at 3:30 am, chow. No train, back to bed. Lay around “Home Run” till 8 pm. To train at 8:30, leave at 11:30. Very crowded & cold on train.
Mar 3, 1946	Journal – Arrive Paris 2:30 pm. Report to EM Transient Billets, clean up, to bed.
Mar 4, 1946	Journal – On train 1:30 pm.
Mar 5, 1946	Journal – Frankfurt 1200. To Red Cross, movie. Depart 7 pm for Bremen.
Mar 6, 1946	Journal – Arrive Bremen 8 am. Brkfst at BPC Hgs. To Red Cross, loaf. To movie “Radio Stars on Parade”. Caught ride to Grohn at 3:30.
Mar 11, 1946	Journal – Tonsilitis. To 121^st Gen. Hosp at Bremen-Lesum. Take sulfadiazine.
Mar 16, 1946	Journal – Released from hosp. Gack to Grohn by jeep, arrive 5 pm, start packing for move to Bremerhaven.
Mar 17, 1946	Journal – Up at 6:00, by truck to Marine Barracks in Bremerhaven. Now in 3360^th QM Trucking Co. On Way Home!
Mar 18-25, 1946	Journal – Explore port & town. Movies, Red Cross. Saw “Weasel” Klein. Telegram to folks.
Mar 26, 1946	Journal – On board “Hagerstown Victory” at 12:00. Bunked in Upper #3 Hold. Sail out at 3 pm in fog & drizzle. Very cold.
Apr 5, 1946	Journal – Sighted land at 1 pm. Docked at Brooklyn Army Base, Pier #16, at 3:30 pm. Went by bus to Kilmer. Confined to barracks.
Apr 6, 1946	Journal – Depart by train at 2:30 pm.
Apr 10, 1946	Journal – Arrive Ft. Bliss Separation Center 7:30 am.
Apr 13, 1946	Journal – Discharged at 9 am. Home by bus. Home!
Apr 24, 1946	Notice of Classification
May to Dec, 1946	Esquire Magazine Calendar for rest of 1946. Drawings by A Varoa.
	This is the end. [Go to First Page]
	[1940-Sep 21, 1944 (in U.S.) ] [Sep 28 1944-Dec 1944] [1st Half 1945] [2nd Half 1945] [1946]