On our trip from Normandy to Holland we passed through St. Lo which had been the scene of a huge battle- the town was a wreck! It gave us an idea of what was soon to become normal events- towns almost 100% destroyed by shell fire. We passed through the outskirts of Paris- and as in many other towns. The French were pleased to see us, many people tossed some flowers to us as we passed, but we never got any of the champagne that the troops ahead got, as the medics were usually at the rear of all convoys. It seemed that every French person had an American flag, where they came from I couldn’t imagine. When we arrived in Holland, the Dutch were more sedate, although appreciative of our presence.
Our first night in Holland was spent in an orchard in Ulestraten, but from that day (or night) we always were in some sort of building. We moved into a school near the Hoensbroeck Castle. The Colonel took Jim LaNasa to visit the count who lived in the castle, and because Jim could speak some French, he and the count became quite friendly, so friendly that they later began to exchange Christmas gifts, and on occasion Jim and Emalie went to Europe and visited the count and his family.
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