France, 5/7/45
Dearest,
Well according to the radio, tomorrow is VE Day—and that’s about all I know. I wondered what we’d
do when it happened—and the answer is, nothing. The radio tells of the celebration in New York and London—there’s no celebration here—just silence. We’re wondering whether it’s true—whether all fighting has ceased everywhere and whether the Germans are surrendering. We’re wondering what we’ll do next—whether we’re headed for the Pacific or will end up as occupation troops.
I don’t believe we have completely grasped the significance that the war has ended. The events
of the past month—Roosevelt’s death, Ernie Pyle, Mussolini, Hitler, Goebbels, the crackup of the
German voices everywhere—so many momentous events in such a short time have rather numbed
the mind…There’s a feeling of relief but not complete relief because we realize there is yet another enemy to defeat.
I think that is the reason there is no celebration on VE Day. There is the feeling that we have a long way to go before we see our families and homes. There are so many who have seen more combat and have been over here so much longer that we can not honestly hope to be among those who return early…
…All my love always,
Coonie
Harold Coons ’32, in a letter sent to his wife while serving in the U.S. Army, from In Their Own Words: Hoosier Ancestor and Family Journeys, by Phil Coons ’67.
