Notes from the Front
Page 9
|
I
The 3151 S.I.A.M. Company hoists its banner at an undisclosed location in Europe.
It’s one thing to ask permission (in advance) to operate amateur radio Field Day at your local county Park. En France, etiquette was compromised by the SIAM crew as they “sought permission”, with the help of their MP’s. "November 26, 1944 Dearest, Didn't have a chance to write you yesterday, we were pretty much on the go. We moved twice since I last wrote you. Yesterday, we got into a town that was liberated the night before and you should see these people. They didn't know how to express their gratitude. But they could not realize that their old fears could be forgotten. I had to go into one place and have a drink on them. I was looking for a place for my crew. Looked in several places that were occupied by civilians. Had it been the Krauts, they would have been forced to move out, but we are a little more considerate. In several places, the people had a room or two. They wanted me to stay there for the night. I found a place for the boys in a little while after that. Our office was in a factory, today it is in a château, tomorrow, who knows. We found a Gestapo headquarters in one place. Those bums really lived while the civilians had nothing. We found hundreds and hundreds of cases of sardines, erzatz butter, and coffee. The boys loaded themselves up on sardines, they are delicious. In one place there was several hundred sheepskin sleeping bags. Sacks got himself one. But, I don't know which is better, the one I now have or that one. I gave the one I don't use to one of the boys. I looked around for some shelter for the boys today and spotted a factory. In it, there is untold worth of Kraut equipment. The replacement value today is greater than the intrinsic value these days. What we will come upon tomorrow, no one knows, but there will be something left in the wake of these retreating louses. We go through towns that have just been liberated, and the civilians line the sidewalks with flags. It's a nice feeling to see things like this. …. I'm sorry I can't divulge my location. But, by the time you get this, LIFE magazine will report our position. Our location is better than what it was a few days back. We see the sun here. Take care, remember me to all. Love, always, Abe” ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************** he mission was paramount. The SIAM crew could wait to sleep when, and if, they got home in one piece. The war was fought and won in many different ways. Sometimes violent and courageous, and other times plodding quiet dedication to the monitoring and ciphering tasks were the orders of the day. Drink some more coffee, reset your headphones, and listen for the radio traffic that would break through the static of the night. Dawn awaits. *************************************************************************************************************** March 30, 1945 “..... We are working late tonight. I got some "Kraut" cheese and some white bread from the kitchen. Am making some toasted cheese sandwiches for them with some coffee while they work at the radio. We are picking up some good things over the air. These boys work 24 hours if necessary, without a complaint. They, like myself, know that there are others who work harder than we do.” The Letters Abe wrote his wife—she saved them. Maybe over the last 80 years, a few of them were lost. Still there are 654 envelopes, each with a handwritten (or occasionally typed) narrative inside. They are the very personal thoughts recorded in nearly real-time by a young man leading other men. "April 15, 1945 “God, we've been busy. Running all over this country and trying to get information from all kinds of sources to keep higher HQ's informed. A lot of times, we drive a half a day in order to get some dope. The main thing is to get the info back. We go from town to town and set up little places of business. We give the civilians one hour to vacate. We have yet to run into anyone who refused to abide by our orders. The MPs have things very much under control. There's no two ways about it. We have to be as mean as can be. Russians consider every German, a soldier, and take proper steps. We are pretty much well into Krautland. The boys are doing a grand job. The Krauts are giving up by the hundreds. Transporting them is a problem...” |
Tell it to Hitler
After months on his mission, and witnessing how the Germans‘ treated their prisoners, Lt. Sacks stiffened up.
"April 7, 1945
"The truth of the matter is, we have been going like mad. By the time this reaches you, the blackout will be lifted on our activities, then you will understand why there has been no mail from me.
We have seen things and done things, and done things we have never dreamed of. The Kraut civilians really have the "nerve". They come to me with their troubles, and I tell them,
“Tell it to Hitler, and don’t annoy any Americans or we'll turn them over to the French.”
One old man got a hold of me and told me there was a shady character around. Found out he was a gestapo in civilian clothes and was the Volkssturm Fuhrer. The former automatically put him up before the firing squad, the latter had him conscript all the old civilians as soldiers. So they had it in for him. All I did was turn him over to the proper people.”