Brussels

Starting May 15 I had a three day pass for the capital of Belgium. Some of the men got to go to Paris but Brussels was a good second best. Besides we had been to Paris even if we never set foot in it.

We were in the back of a 2½ ton truck which the army called a 6 x 6. When we were truck drawn artillery that is where we rode. It seems as if there were about ten of us in the truck but there must not have been anyone else from A Battery because I paired up with a man named Joe from one of the other batteries.

It was a providential meeting because it seemed that all of the other men were talking about what they were going to do in the city and in most cases it included getting a woman. This would be no problem in Brussels because there were prostitutes on all of the main streets and they would almost beg a man to go with them. Joe was a devout Catholic and I found out he didn't play that game. Neither did I so we made a good pair. The Apostle Paul wrote some-where that Christians will not be tempted beyond their capacity to resist and there will always be a door to escape when temptations come. Thank you Lord, and thank you Joe.

On the way we passed through Kassell, Koln (Cologne), Julich, Aachen, Liege. I think they said Cologne had been a city of about three million people when the war began. We didn't see a building that had not been damaged and many blocks were just piles of bricks. There were a few civilians who seem to have been living in basements.

May 16th "What a town." We mostly just walked around all day looking at the sights. The next day we went to a show and "met a swell A.T.S. girl." There are those letters again. Joe and I got lost and had to walk home. Joe knew a little French. I suppose he had taken it in high school. We all knew a little "chocolate bar French" but Joe was a cut above that. I can still hear him asking directions to the Hotel George Henry.

The third day we went swimming and met some Dutch girls. I think they were nurses. I remember one of them remarking that I was a boy. I was very sensitive about my youthful appearance and said, "If you had more men over here us boys would not have to come over and fight your wars for you." It wasn't kind but she pulled my chain. It has been a long time since anyone has called me a boy. It might sound pretty good.

It rained and "...we met the A.T.S. girls (same ones I guess) at the Metropol." Many cities have night clubs called by the same name. I think this one was supposed to be the hottest spot in Brussels.

We started back on May 19th but took a different route. Cities that we went through were Venlo, Krefeld, Duisburg, & Essen. We spent the night in Dortmund. The next day we came through Kassel, Gottingen (home of the famous university) and back to the 275th.

DeLoyd Cooper is the Historian for the 275th Armored Field Artillery Battalion Association.
Copyright © 1999 DeLoyd Cooper. All rights reserved.
Revised: November 4, 2004