While we were putting in a triangulation base near Bastogne the following afternoon, 10 to 15 shells landed on the road a few hundred yards behind us. As note keeper, I stood next to the transit operator to record the angles turned and the distances taped in the surveyor's book. At the end of the day back in Wideumont, Christine's aunt and uncle, with the help of Elting, pulled a great gag on me by telling me Christine had gone back to Arlon. I'm sure my reaction amused them, but Christine and I danced to records again and we managed to escape the surveillance of Christine's aunt for about 30 seconds. Just long enough to give her a kiss--Christine, that is, not her aunt!
Bensheim Germany July 20th 1945 Dearest Mom, I started to get a letter off to you last night about midnight. I was corporal of the guard on duty in the orderly room. But an electrical storm was commencing and I no sooner got paper and pen out than a crash of lightning hit the power relay station nearby and all the lights went out. That storm was a beaut. Great jagged forks of lightning playing everywhere and the thunder sounded like all the artillery in the E.T.O. (European theater of operations) was sounding off in unison. In between flashes it was pitch black but most of the time (for about a half hour) you could read street signs a block away it was so bright. One triple forked bolt lit up the castle up on the hill and really made an eerie scene. You (You) know this is the first place I've seen actual balls of lightning. They looked like balls of fire. Mail came in at last yesterday. A big batch of it and it was really swell to hear what's going on at hom...
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