Happy to be with you !!!!

[Walt's Daughter]

And September is came Part 3 Bigfoot / Stan Bellens

 

Summer was wonderful and September has come. We have heard at Radio London, the landing at Normandy on June 6th, but nothing else, the battles were fierce and long.

 

We were very nervous, then we learned that Paris was liberated By the 4th US Infantry Division and the 2nd French armored Division. And on 7th September, just at noon , we heard peoples yelling, laughing. We ran to the Crossroad, and then we see the first American soldiers young, smiling, with teeth in a black face of dust. They were tired, on their Jeeps, giving to the children chocolate, candies, can swith cheese or meat and naturally cigarettes for papa.

 

It was the column of the 3rd Armored Division with infantry of the 1st Div, Big Red One. A part of the long ribbon go on towards Liège and several vehicles with gun centerd in the park of the Castle. The soldiers put cannons in place, they dig fox-holes under the trees and change their clothes, they take off their shoes, their socks, their underwear and put new one, the dirty stayed on the soil. Not for a long time, with my friend Eric we come to pick up them and give its to my parents. Soldiers were surprised and laughing.

 

With my friend, I get a new idea, I ask to Eric " Did you have a sheet of paper "" he answers, surely, yes we go to his sleeping room and looking in the dictionary, we see << Blanchisserie == Laundry >>> I marked in big letters LAUNDRY and we go to put this paper on the door of my parents.

 

We don't wait a long time, maybe ten minutes later, several soldiers were faced the door , knocked on this and my mother comme to see what is happened. My mother was of Dutch origin and many English words are almost like Dutch. The soldiers explain they want that their shirts, pants and others pieces washed. My mother understand very well the soldiers, but she don't know why the soldiers were there. One of them showed to my mother the paper "Laundry" and she asks who has put this paper in her door. The soldier said that was me, I received a good slap and my parents begin to wash. They do that for more than a year.

 

During the night, the medical section who was in the kitchen of my parents, drinking Nescafé and discussing with the Lieutnant Martin from Waco, Texas having landed in Sicily, North Africa, Normandy, without none injury. He speaks very good French, An officer come yelling that the départure was for ten minutes, the time to retake their shirts, pants and so on. Lieutnant Martin is always alive, he lost his wife some years ago and live with his children, all musicians. I have photos from them if you want, and I can send some of them to you.

 

After that the men of the Big Red One were gone, we stayed several days without soldiers, during these days we take pleasure to find the fox holes in wich we found a lot of things, cigarettes, cans of different kinds, K rations, and chocolate bars, it was really treasure for us.

 

After a week many others American soldiers were in the Castle, they were very numérous with bigs trucks GMC and installed a place to repair the vehicles. They stayed a long time at the Castle, my parents were always washing, the soldiers pay with dollars, or meat, ice cream, coffee, chocolate; we have the choice. Some had their name given by my parents, Moustache, Kansas, Bigfoot Yeah !!! Sergeant, Francisco, Kenny, Churchill, Couchu avec moa, Benny or Mickey.

 

The wardrobe was plenty of food and the money dollars was hidden in an iron box put in my parent's bed !!!!

 

Come the winter, the 3rd floor of the castle was transformed in cinema and every evening there is a new movie with Rita Hayworth, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, Humphrey Bogart and many others. It was speaking in English, and we don't understand a word, but it was very pleasant.

 

The Christmas Eve of 1944, I was at the cinema with my younger brother, I said to him, it's Christmas today, I'm going to take a gift. In the basement of the castle were the kitchens and to sit down at the tables, there was not enough chairs, then soldiers sit down on wooden boxes with K or A rations. I take a box and I walk to our lodge, then arrive a jeep, my brother was afraid, the soldier said, "What are you doing with this box?", and I answer, "It's Christmas today, Sarge and we have nothing at home." He answers to us, "OK boys, go ahead with your box."

 

We have passed all the Christmas Eve to open the rations to see what was their contents. I didn't know at this era that poor American soldiers were in the snow and frost, often without something to eat. Many years later I have understood and I have been ashamed for a long time.

 

To be continued it will be the last part, next time Dear Marion, will you, please make correction of all my faults

 

3rd Part Have a nice week-end Have fun Warm Regards Stan Bellens / Bigfoot