Early to mid-May 1944

At 11 PM on May 11, Operation Diadem kicked off with the objective “to break the German defenses on the Gustav Line (the western half of the Winter Line) and open up the Liri Valley, the main route to Rome” according to Wikipedia. This operation was coordinated “roughly with the invasion of Normandy, so that German forces would be tied down in Italy, and could not be redeployed to France.” None of the 337th Regiment battalions participated in the initial attack, but soon joined in the fight. Unfortunately, the Regiment suffered heavy casualties from enemy mines, artillery, and automatic weapons. They struggled to evacuate the wounded and dead, and resupply their food, water, ammunition, and replacements but did so with the assistance of Italian mule troops and extra litter bearers. Although under heavy shelling by the enemy, they captured 80 prisoners of war on May 13 and fought off the Germans on May 14. Facing bitter opposition while fighting over the mountainous region, they were able to take Solacciano, Castellonorato, and Formia by mid-May.

What goes through a soldier’s mind before, during, and after combat? How do they emotionally handle what is happening in this war? A one-on-one conversation with God might be enough to get them through the trauma. Johnnie once told his son Randy that when he first arrived in Italy, he was really scared. He eventually came to terms with his fears and accepted it. The poem below, Conversion written by Frances Angermayer in June 1943, may have helped with that. The poem was found by a chaplain on 30 dead and wounded soldiers and scattered on the Normandy beachhead on D-day. Shortly afterward, it was “found on the body of an American soldier in Italy” and then “spread to every corner of the earth.” Reports were that “at least 6,000,000 copies have been printed and distributed.” It was reprinted in “magazines and newspapers, including Yank and Stars and Stripes” and read aloud in Congress. The poem was translated in German, Polish, Italian, Chinese, French, and Spanish. It was even found on a dead Nazi soldier! It was apparently very meaningful and brought comfort to many soldiers, including Johnnie who carried a copy during the war. He probably read the poem many times, possibly before and after the battle that just took place. 

Conversion

Look, God, I have never spoken to you.
But now I want to say how do you do.
You see, God, they told me You didn’t exist,
And, like a fool, I believed all this.

Last night from a shell hole, I saw your sky,
I figured right then they had told me a lie.
Had I taken time to see the things You made,
I’d have known they weren’t calling a spade a spade.

I wonder, God, if You’d shake my hand?
Somehow I feel that you will understand.
Funny, I had to come to this hellish place
Before I had the time to see Your face.

Well, I guess there isn’t much more to say,
But I’m sure glad, God, I met You today.
I guess the “Zero hour” will soon be here,
But I’m not afraid since I know You’re near.

The signal! Well, God, I’ll have to go.
I like You lots and I want You to know.
Look, now, this will be a horrible fight.
Who knows? I may come to Your house tonight.

Though I wasn’t friendly with You before,
I wonder, God, if You’d wait at Your Door?
Look, I’m crying! Me shedding tears!
I wish I’d known You these many years.

Well, I have to go now, God, Good-by!
Strange, since I met You, I’m not afraid to die.

                         – Frances Angermayer 

Johnnie brought his copy of the poem home and Lucile tucked it away in the boxes with his letters. The poem was recorded by Decca as a 78 RPM record in 1945; a copy can be found on the Internet Archive. Click here if you would like to listen to it.

The next letter was undated but appears to have been written by Johnnie in early to mid-May 1944 since Mother’s Day was May 14 that year. Johnnie was looking to the future in this letter. 

My Dearest Wife,

Just a few lines to let you know I am well and OK and hope that this finds you in the best of health. And making out OK back there at home. Have you changed jobs yet? How is your bank account now? I have close to a hundred dollars now I want to send you, but at the present I can’t. I guess by the time I send it to you I will have more. I want you to take out what I sent you for what you pay for the watch and bracelet and use it for whatever you want. Get what I mean? O’yeah, when is Mother’s Day? Has it passed by yet? Regardless of whether it passed by or not, I want you to get Mom Stacks, also Grandma, something for that day. I don’t want them to think I don’t think about things like that. After you have fixed them up, send me the bill, Ha Ha. Darn, I wish we would have had a kid. I could kick myself every time I think about it. Honey, I am not trying to make a job out of this. But here’s what I think will happen. Drex or Robert one, might get a boy before I do, and as they grow up, being as our boy is a couple years younger, they will be picking on him all the time. But I grant you one thing, if they are all the same size or age, I believe the kid we have will be able to take care of itself. You see what I mean, Ha Ha Ha? I can see you now, just thinking. I bet you say to yourself Johnnie must be out of his head. Well, I can’t say nothing on that part, myself, but a guy over here does a lot of crazy thinking sometimes. I can’t explain it to you, but things are like that over here. Well honey, I will have to close for this time so give all the folks my Love and tell them all hello for me. I miss you a lot Darling and I love you a million.

Always, Johnnie

As previously mentioned, Johnnie loved his mother-in-law Leola Stacks, and thought of her often. We do not know when Johnnie gave her the card below—perhaps Mother’s Day—but she thought enough of it that she framed and kept it. 

Leola Stacks