European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 21, 1945, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Yank the army weekly september 1945 11 deflation by Len Zinberg the two soldiers sat deep in the soft luxury of their Pullman staring at the american Countryside racing by the train they had been looking out that window for nearly four the pfc pm getting a funny feeling in my like before we go in the think of in less than an hour ill be Home the Corporal smiled and said it will be Good to be Good the pfc it will be sensational you got to be overseas for a couple of years to learn what Home really one More hour think of me walking Down the old the kids looking at my combat infantryman my Battle my girl and my folks asking All sorts of silly of it wont be nothing to the Welcome youll  have the band out for Silver Bronze purple heart with Cluster youre a Damn hero some Joe looking out the window for awhile they were both then the pfc did you see that Little White House we just the one with the funny Green shut ters and fancy Garden that like my Only mines i got my own i shared a room with my kid Joe our House is a Small Brown got Avocado and Orange Trees growing in the and a big some my father sure liked to fuss in funny the Way a Guy keeps thinking of at in in the mountains before the to Valley i spent a Bunch of time dreaming about that your folks dont live the pfc Hesi i mean you told the Corporal my folks Are in i want to see the House then ill hitch a ride Down to see my country sure is Green around you that my the pfc said As the train pulled into the neat Little the pfc got his bags and Shook hand with Joe and said after All the times it was supposed to be this is really so glad i met you on the take care of and dont forget and pull any of that stuff Over Here Joe laughed politely at the corny and they Shook when the train Joe watched the pfc jump off into the arms of a Stout woman who hugged him and a Gray haired Man kissed him and tried not to a pretty Young blonde girl Shook his hand then suddenly hugged and kissed All the a big Clumsy dog tried to jump on the kept running around and his Tail going like a other people stepped anxious to slap the pfc on the shake his As the train pulled Joe caught a Quick glimpse of the soldiers was laughing and trying to hug them All at it took another 12 hours before the train crossed the California Joe sat in his seat leaving it Only to go to the dining car or the mens people stared at him noticing his Blue combat infantryman his two rows of brag the town was full of the afternoon heat when Joe got it was the kind of heat he and he was glad to be walking once More instead of there was no one to meet the few men at the station merely stared at him and whispered to each other As he every detail of the town was exactly As he had so often pictured it the big High school where he had played Shaws bakery with its wonderful Friendly odor of baking bread and the modernistic movie the fire House with the Bright red engines and the men lounging by the the spotted fire dog looked the he passed the drugstore and saw pop Anders still behind the soda Joe grinned As he thought of the great sundaes pop could whip the old man1 looked at him and didst Joe walked Down the main Street and its turn past the crowded fruit Market where he had once new faces Star ing at nobody there he an other right and Down a Street lined with Trees and orderly White service flags hanging in the Busy in the a tiny redheaded girl was playing House on one of the she looked up at then said Joe must be a new family living he pretty there that used to be eddies Eddie and his cute sister wonder where she is now Joe turned another his heart beating he stopped in front of his the Small front Lawn was full of weeds somebody had chopped Down the Orange the Board Educ windows had been the porch and Steps were broken and junk and ancient garbage had been hurled at the House leaving stains on the Brown in crude let some one had keep out no Damn Jap rats wanted Here the Corporal didst even drop his Barracks he just stood staring at the sweat rolling Down his yellow this want the House he had dreamed of at this House didst have the warm Happy air of the it looked haunted and this was the worst House he had Ever it looked even More miserable than the shelled Stone houses of Joe stared at the House for a Long then he turned and went walking with weary Page 14