Hello, everyone. Reading the above, it has just dawned on me that I haven't introduced myself.

My name is Marilyn and I live in Southern California where it's warm and sunny...most of the time. A few weeks ago, we had four straight days of really serious rain and I was beginning to feel waterlogged.

I was a kid in WWII and remember certain things from that point of view. I also had an uncle who fought in Italy and ended up in Austria. That's about all I know because once he came home he wouldn't talk about it and we kids were strictly forbidden to ask. Hence, I don't even know his outfit. I thought for awhile it might be the 36th but as I read more history about the Italian campaign, I'm inclined to think he was with the 34th. Why? Because bits and pieces of family talk say he fought all the way up the Italian Boot and, so far, my readings indicate that the only outfit to do that was the 34th.

Growing up, one's worth with the other kid's on the block was measured by how quickly you could spot and identify the planes being ferried across the sky on a clear day; whether you'd seen Thirty-seconds Over Tokyo and how well you could remember the lines because once home, the plumb roles of reenacting were taken by the kids who could best remember those lines. Seniorty was also given to those kids whose fathers/uncles outranked the other kids'. Since my father was too young for WWI and too old for WWII and, anyway, just ran a gas station - oh, the humiliation of it all! - and no one had seen hide nor hair nor even heard from my uncle once he went in - it fell upon me to take the bull by the horns. As we rarely stayed in one neighborhood longer than the length of one school year, I took it upon myself to promote him. From 1943 or thereabouts, he got promoted from private to major - quickly, and shamlessly. Had the war not ended when it did, I'm sure he would have made Colonel.

Every Tuesday was Stamp Day at school and I made sure that I had my dime to buy a stamp to paste in my Stamp Book. Once the Stamp Book was filled, you got a $25 War Bond. Everyone was urged to buy a War Bond. It was either that or prepare to speak German.

Rationing was everywhere; sugar; meat. I don't remember it all. Regular gasoline cost 14 cents/gal and ethyl cost 16 cents/gal. What else do I remember? Hiroshima.

The day they dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. I remember the stunned faces of all the grownups once the news was announced. It was the first time I'd ever encountered a situation where the grownups didn't seem to be totally in control. They were just...speechless. They all just looked at one another. What could one say? To think that one bomb could do all that. I remember not liking the feeling of grownups not seeming to be in control. Kids dream of independence and freedom from control...but at six? I went off to play by myself and when I came back, Dad was pumping gas and my mother was greasing a car and everything seemed normal again. The bomb was gone. For awhile. - Marilyn

Big, big welcome. You and I have already met on WBG and I am so happy that you decided to join our little family. Hey we're actually growing and we now have 43 registered members.

I really enjoy talking with you and I'm sure everyone else will feel the same way. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. Thanks for making this special for me.

BTW, you are absolutely right. The 34th stayed in Italy and ran all the way up the boot. The 3rd, 36th and 45th left Italy and went onto the invasion of southern France.

If you ever hear that the 34th has a roster of names like the 36th does, please let me know. It's too bad the records center burned in 1973 but , anyway, I don't qualify when it comes to filling out those forms for information. I'm only a niece. Everybody else is gone. - Marilyn

A few weeks ago, we had four straight days of really serious rain and I was beginning to feel waterlogged.

A big hello from Luxembourg Marilyn and thanks for making my day you must know over here we are happy when we have straight 4 day's of sun.( The last 2 weeks it was gray cold and wet )

By the way I didn't introduce myself too, so I do it now.

My name is Martin I was born in 1967 and grow up in Luxembourg city now I'm living in the south of our very very big country in a town with the name Schifflange.

I'm fascinated about WWII and the US don't realy know why but it began when I was 3 or 4 years old and I heared the first story's from Grand parents Uncles etc. from WWI and WWII.

When they spoke about the time the Germans ruled our country they were angry and sometimes full of hate but when they spoke about the American "Amerikaner" you could see the glance in their eyes and they spoke with thankfullness about the people who gave us liberty , so somewhere at one of these story's I was bitten and it didn't let me go.

I read a lot of books about WWII but the best is that we have webpage like this one where you can read story's you'll never find in books and sometimes get in contact with one of those who gave us Liberty.

Martin

Ps.Excuse my faults.

Thank you, Martin.

Don't worry about your "faults" as you put it. Your English is very good and will improve with even more usage. I speak neither German nor French but as I live in California and Spanish is prevalent here, that's what I focus on as a second language.

I know where Luxembourg is; when I was little, I remember reading a story about a little girl living in Luxembourg while under the German occupation and the problems she was faced with. Quite a difference in the way she grew up vs mine here in the U.S.

For one so smitten with the idea of the U.S., you should think about coming over for a visit. I doubt you will be happy till you see it for yourself. We Americans tend to take it for granted but everyone I've ever known from Europe or elsewhere are really quite amazed. Our country is as vast as it is beautiful.

Marilyn

Welcome Texas38, i thought i'd seen that name somewhere else but for the life of me i could not remember where.....no, i guess my Altzheimers is not gettin any better

Yes, it's true - I also hang out at WBG. So where have you been, lately?

Also, it's not Alzheimer's. Over here, we call it having a "Senior Moment". - Marilyn

My other haunt is the official Dick Winters site....congrats on your promotion to sargeant by the way.

Oh, yes. Now, I remember. The site - not the address.

Do you haunt castles, too? - Marilyn

Hey guys, here in Michigan we call it "SOMETIMERS". Sometimes we remember and sometimes we don't.

And yes, his English is very good. I haven't had a problem yet. I am learning French again as Martin knows and I only hope that I will be able to speak French as well as he does English.

I hope when I get to visit my cousins in France, that I will be able to communicate fluently. I am giving myself a couple of years. I also plan on visiting with Martin and I thank him for his invitation.

Merci beaucoup mon ami