Private Herman Addleson was recognizable on campus as a small man whose smile bore the marks of a cleft lip that he had surgically corrected so he could enlist. He called himself, “Little Geronimo,” and he loved being a paratrooper.
February 10, 1944 |
Tough guys had tears in their eyes, many stood gazing open-mouth, many a heart was in one’s mouth, with a feeling of emptiness in one’s pit of the stomach.
The Statue of Liberty was beautiful & as she disappeared, Long Island came into view, then Brooklyn, & what memories & laughs we all had.
Then as some giant hand pushing us way out, land seemed far off, New York skyline seemed to diminish. When that disappeared & possibilities of seeing land of U.S. was gone, we just leaned back & silence was a bliss as we all thought of what we left behind & what we are fighting for.
That’s about it Doc. Just thought I’d drop my thoughts. This boat is so compacted a sardine has more room than we do. Please excuse the writing as I’m doing it under very hazardous conditions.
[…] Hope to meet you guys again.
Always
“Little Geronimo”
Pvt. Herman Addleson 39259380
Co. 13 Inf. A.P.O. 15152
c/o P.M. New York, New York
September 28, 1944 |