Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Passed by E.K. Arthur
Germany March 4, 1945
Mar 5, 1945 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

I have a few moments and so am taking the chance to write this letter. I am O.K. and happy to learn from all the mail that everyone at home is well also.

You ask if I am in Patton’s Army I certainly am. Our outfit has been right up in front. We spearheaded the push throu Prizm(?) so that the armored forces could get good land to operate on. They started yesterday and I was up on the line when they started. It was something to see I would hate to be in the Jerry boats when all that heavy stuff started coming at him.

Yet all that is no good without infantry and when it comes to that the 4th is the top division in the Army today.

I never received the mittens yet. I guess I’ll get them for summer. It really begins to look like spring isn’t to far away.

Did you get the $50 money order I sent last month? Also in Nov. I sent one for $100 did you get it?

Received Ellie’s letter with the final store figures. I guess there isn’t much to say. I do think that he is taking C+R stock at to much money or else he has an extra large stock on hand. I noticed he has a nice bank balance. Does that include that money put aside? I hope he can work the stock down.

Not much else to say about that. I know and realize that conditions are not ideal. How are the stoker and the car hanging on? The way the papers read we will have the pantiore(?) for the next five years. I hope, tho, that we can get a new one sooner than that.

I haven’t much else to say , at this time. My regards to all the family. Take good care of yourself. Love Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

Mar 15, 1945 Somewhere in France
Mar 17 1945 (postmarked)
Dear Rebecca,

Gee it is swell of you to write, I read both of your letters and was very glad to hear that everything is O.K. home. I am well and getting along OK hope that the news from Louie is the same. I put in for a furlough (emergency) as I may one through to to get back for awhile to see Pa, I am sorta giving up hope on the furlough as it was quite awhile ago that the papers were sent in although they say it takes quite a time. Your letters sure help a lot, please keep writing whenever you have a chance, I wrote Louie quit a while ago but so far have not read an ans. We are in a rest area now + things are not to bad I miss the kids, the next time you see them give them my love, I get to Shool most very Friday to say Kaddish for Ma, I sorta getting over the shock, but I will always miss her after all Max, Ruba + Bea have their families, and tho I can’t say that they don’t miss her too, there doesn’t seem to be too much for me to come back to. I think what I need is a Paris pass to sorta of snap out of it. Again I say thanks a lot for writing , I wish my letters had more news but you know how it is with the censors. Give my love to everyone + write when you get a chance. I got a nice letter from Doc Harry’s (?) family in Boston I thought it was swell of them to write, Give my regards to Louie and tell him to write. Love Henry

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Mar. 16, 1945
France
Mar 27, 1945 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

Have just gotten back in France where we are supposed to have a bit of rest. I am well and it is a big change to get back where you can’t hear any gun fire. It is almost to damned quiet. Haven’t had much late mail as we were moving so much the last few weeks but expect to get a big load of it in the next day or two.

We are finally enjoying some beautiful spring weather. It doesn’t seem that a zone of a couple of hundred miles would make such a big difference in the climate yet it does and welcome to.

I haven’t much else to say at this time so will write again in a few days. I hope you all enjoy a very nice Passover. May be next year I can be home with the whole gang again.

Take care of yourself Love Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Mar. 20, 1945
France
Mar 23, 1945 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

Have just written ten letters and saved yours for last in order to give you the best one.

I am fine and very happy to get your letters with the news that all of you at home are well.

We are back here in France for a few days rest and it has been grand. Nice, quiet and very peaceful. We got here just as some nice spring weather got started and it has been great getting rid of the heavy clothing.

I just got Mrs. Cohen’s letter and have answered it today. Why even now I am still getting mail sent me last December. In time I ought to have all the back mail and then I can stop trying to fit the pieces together. I also wrote Henry R. and will drop Mayo a line in a day or two. I wished I could get a nice home made matzah kanadle with an almond in it. It would taste like a million. Next year I’ll eat a barrel of them. If you are able, we expect to have a Seder service for the division and I am going to go if possible.

Not much else to say except I hope you and the gang have a nice Passover. One thing, the date of the Yahrzeit and I’ll be all set. Regards to Ellie Take good care of yourself. Love Louie

Passover Greetings LIBERTY – SECURITY FREEDOM FOR ALL
The “Famous Fourth” Infantry Division
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Mar. 24, 1945
Mar. 25, 1945 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

This greeting may be a bit late but it still holds good. The location was put in before we got back to France. I am fine and glad to learn that all of you at home are the same. I received the package you sent Dec. 7 while I was in the hospital, also one Rose sent last Oct. I guess I’ll get them all in time. The weather here is grand and so is the news. It begins to look better each day.

There isn’t much more to tell you at this time so until my next letter, which will be in a couple of days Regards to all Take care of yourself Love Louie

3/25/45
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Alsace (?)
Mar. 25
Dear Mom,

Just a few lines to let you know that all is well and I am O.K. I am enclosing an excerpt from the Stars + Stripes and a cartoon which may be of interest to you. From these you can gather what we have been doing and where. We really did a lot of traveling.

Your package was swell and the cake was in perfect condition. Everyone enjoyed it greatly.

Have been taking things quite a bit easier and it is really grand with the weather as it is.

This part of France is just like Germany. The people and their homes are the same and the people speak a German dialect. News is good and things look like a big dust (?) up is not far off.

Not much else to say Regards to all Take care of yourself Love Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

Germany Mar 27, 1945
Mar 29 1945 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

It seems that each time that I write you that we are taking things easy, the very next day we go on the move. I am fine and except for long rides am not working to hard.

As you can see at the top of this page I am back in Germany. This is the fifth time. We go in and out of this damned country so much that we are beginning to feel like border smugglers. However, this time was the easiest. We are in the palatinate (?) section of the country. It is full of wineries and breweries and if we have the chance we hope to sample some of the Rhine wines which are so famous. The land is very pretty and the homes are fairly clean in comparison to what we saw in France. There is no doubt but that the Germans lived better than the peoples they conquered.

We of course do not fraternize with the people and they, the adults, keep away from us. However, the kids are the same as kids are the world over. It is hard to have to ignore them yet we do because we can’t forget that the men we fight and fought were the same German kids of another generation.

By moving around as we have we are going to have more than one spring season this year. When in France, near Nancy, it was almost the peak of the season. Now, here spring is just starting and so we expect to have some fine weather again.

Last nite I slept on two big perences (?) and it must have been to soft as I didn’t seem to have a good rest. I’ll try again tonight if no good again I’ll go back to the floor and really have a good nights sleep.

I guess I have covered all the news that I can give you. Give my regards to Ellie and the upstairs dept. Take good care of yourself Love Louie