Okay, this is what I am finding for this period. This should help us narrow down where "Joe's" was located.
Mannheim was battalion HQ for the 2832nd (originally 1st bn for the 540th). For those reading this, John C O'Brien was C.O. of the 2832nd. Looks like several officers and enlisted men were being sent to the 14th Reinforcement Depot at Neufchâteau, France on their way to the states.
Todd, your grandfather states that he left Thionville (and was heading back to Mannheim for forgotten documents) and stopped at GI Joes about an hour and half later. Of course depending on driving conditions, etc., that would put him approximately in the location of Saarbrucken, Germany, which is near the French and German border. Of course it could be anywhere in French/German vicinity, but again, we are narrowing down the location for the greatest cup of coffee. Now that we know the route, that limits the area.
Here's a revised public map I made up, so everyone can follow along...
Wow - great detective work!!
