European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 9, 1945, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Home on furlough these Are two stories of soldiers who got Home on furlough from overseas an the other a firsthand account by the Man on John Mcdonald was one of the Lucky go medal wearers picked from an outfit in combat on the Western he spent his 30 Days in and around his Home town of Long Ralph whose furlough took him to was with one of the first units to land in he put together planes in an air depot for about a then became a re Porter for yank in the Southwest he records his own impressions of 30 precious Days after three years just telling How one Glam by Walter Bernstein yank staff writer civilian Sun streaming through the bedroom window woke 23 year old John he hid his face in the Pillow until he saw that he want going to sleep any then raised up and looked at the clock on the the clock said a Quarter of Mcdonald turned on his stretched again and reached Over to a chair beside his bed for a he lit propped up his Pillow and reached for the morn ing paper that his aunt had placed at the foot of the he read the paper for a few then put it away and just Lay smoking and looking up at the ceiling and listening to the stillness of an american weekday morning in the when he grew tired of Mcdonald got took a hot and cold dressed and went downstairs to on the Kitchen table were a stack of hot a quart and a half of cold two boiled White Maple syrup and a pot of he ate while his aunt waited on in the Middle of the phone rang and Mcdon Ald got up to it was a girl he knew Mcdonald made a Date with her for that his Day had he had exactly 24 More of them before he re turned to his Job As gunner in the 5th divisions reconnaissance somewhere in Mcdonald was one of some combat infantrymen who were literally pulled out of the lines and sent Home for 30 Days As part of a new War department plan to give Doug feet a when he had first heard the Mcdonald was just preparing to go out on every one in his squad had known he had a Good Chance of getting they were picking men with two or More decorations from each outfit on the Western and Mcdonald had two Silver so was surprised when a clerk from division came up to Mcdonald and pack your stuff and get ready to Mcdonald suppose you know where youre the clerk Mcdonald after that they took him Back to where it was reasonably and then shipped him to Paris for 10 Mcdonald wont forget those 10 Days for a Long those Paris he with True they got then the army shipped him and the rest of the to a replacement and shortly afterwards Mcdonald and the others were on a boat coming throughout All the men were treated very Well there was practically no Chicken and at the repple dapple the returning infantrymen were put in a separate where they  hear the screams of the other Mcdonald didst have much to say about his first reaction to the states after two years Over he didst faint or cry or even choke up when he he just thought things looked pretty when his group was turned Mcdonald came Home to Hollis to stay with his aunt and his parents Are and his younger Brothers and sister live with other he got in about 6 in the and every one was waiting for there was a big Wel come sign across the living and the refrigerator was crammed full in his his relatives had planned a big party for new years hoping John would be in Hollis by but he haunt been Able to make it didst he was he was Home for 30 fast Days to make up in part for the Long hours in the dreary training Days in England and Ireland and the brutal weeks from Normandy to the Little town in Germany where he had received the news of his he had one month in which to sleep Between sheets in a soft bed 720 hours to drink milk and eat Home cooked go to double features and dance with a girl who talked his listen to the radio with his shoes off and see people he had known All his he had minutes in which to walk familiar streets and look at trolley store convertible coupes and Beauty welled american and that was just what Mcdonald i dont have any special he told people when he first got Back to i just get up in the morning and think of what i want to and then i do mostly he visited relatives and slept and drank Beer and ate As much As he could carry of his aunts he went out on a couple of dates but want in a Rush to go not he said when hed been Home six you have to swing into that kind of thing i dont think the other Guys Are doing any theres plenty of time for that id rather see people you love he drank a lot of but Beer was really the he  get enough the steaks were Good but not like the old he had thought he would go big for ice but somehow it didst Appeal to the states didst seem to have changed much to and he didst have much trouble three he that All you three Days to get the nervousness out and get Back on your his relatives seemed a Little older and a lot of his friends we rent but that was about he paid a visit to the machine shop in Brook Lyn where he had worked As a Mechanic before the and was offered 12 postwar jobs within an they were Good but Mcdonald didst want any part of after the War he wants to work for the maybe As a patrol Man or something like Hes 6 feet 4 and looks As if hed make a Good he was kept pretty Busy doing things for men in his he telephoned a lot of families and told them their sons or husbands of boy friends were still around and doing As Well As might be he took a lot of drinks for they All told me to take a drink for he it didst matter what there not particular any Mcdonald want bothered much by he got a Little pod by people wanting to take a Gander at his ribbons and regarding him As an authority on modern and he was both ered some by reporters who wanted to know How he Felt about the Good old and How Many germans he had knocked on the he Felt that the Guys Back Home were a Good Bunch and on the i think they appreciate what the boys Over