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107TH EVAC HOSPITAL, WüRZBURG, GERMANY—APRIL 1945

We did not take Monte Cassino, Gentle Reader It took three more tries before Polish troops finally climbed the last bloody feet

By then the bombers had come and obliterated the monastery That was a pity, I suppose, especially since it didn’t really help But that’s war, I guess If you don’t want to see your great old buildings blown to hell, don’t start wars

General Mark Clark finally got his bigRome Yep American forces took Roive a damn and then, well, you knohat happened on June 6, 1944

I call it justice: the great glory hound general had his glory dioodin Italy, even with the Russkies closing in on Berlin and the A to the Wolf’s Lair I don’t knohat history will have to say about the battles for Italy, but froe damned waste

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But that’s the word for all war, isn’t it? Waste Villages and towns and great cities turned to rubble; civilians horass to eat, waiting for sons and husbands who aren’t ever co home

In Italy we had Brits, Canadians, Aussies, Kiho ca Cassino when it was their turn—men from every end of the French or British empire, those crazy-brave Poles, and us Ah don’t expect me to shed a tear for thery and cold in the destruction they unleashed

Waste A waste of staggering proportions

Oh well, forget I said that It’s all glory, kids, nothing but glory After all, Gentle Reader, they’ll need you or your kids ready to fight the next war, right? We wouldn’t want you to get the idea that your ill be a waste, right?

Anyway

Yeah, anyway

Put it all in a box, Sergeant Cole used to say Put it all away and lock it up and don’t open that box untiluntil you’re a wounded soldier sitting in a hospital with a typewriter

See, the thing is, it scaresabout it would letToo otten to France yet, or Belgium or Germany