Letters from the Brown Jug

July 5, 1945 Reims, France   Dear Grandmother:   Received your welcome letter of June 26 and sure was glad to hear from you, and to know the tribe is okay. Sure hope you got to make the trip to Lawrenceton. Did you go up to the old Janis farm. I was just wondering the other day if it has ever been sold yet. I have saved a little money since I’m in the army and I see that under the Veteran Bill of Rights we can borrow $2,000 with no trouble. The old farm is the type of a place I’m interested in, a place where I could do my own improving. Of course it’s just an idea and I’ll just have to wait till I get to the bridge before I cross it. I now have 73 points, 4 battle stars and we have a chance for the 5 th . That would make 78. Cross your fingers, they may lower the score this month. We also received the Meritorious Service Award for the way we handled our job. We can now wear the Meritorious Service gold wreath on our right sleeve above the wrist. I am in the best of health and ...

Reims, France July 5, 1945   Dear Dad:   Received a v mail from you today from June 24 th  and was glad to hear from you. We are having a stretch of good weather after a week of rain and cold days. We are still hauling for troops going to the Pacific.             Grandma was telling me in her letter that you were going to take her to the 4 of July picnic at Lawrenceton. I was wondering if you went up to the old farm. I wonder if there is any way you could find out if it is sold or not, and if it has not been sold how much is against it in taxes, and how many heirs there are. I have saved a little money since I’m in the army and I see in the G.I. Bill of Rights that Veterans can borrow from two to four thousand dollars to go in business. I was wondering if you could find out these things for me, as the old farm is the type of place I’m interested in. One that won’t cost too much and that I can do my own improving ...

Reims, France July 12, 1945   Dear Dad:   Received a v-mail today of the 30 th  of June. Not much news from here. We are still working with the Area Assembly Command, hauling for the troops going home and to the Pacific. Got a letter from Kenny the other day. He was in the hospital for a while getting some steel taken out of his face.             We changed base commands so we are out of the baseball league. We are still living at the same place. The weather is still pretty nice. I still have 73 points. The other star hasn’t been awarded yet. Sure hope it comes through.             That’s about all I know. So long. I am in the best of health at present and hope you are all the same.   Your pardner, Jug

Reims, France July 18, 1945   Dear Dad:   Received your v mail of July 2 nd  and also received birthday cards from the Dude, Marie & Myrtle, and Grandma, today. I have been writing about once a week. I don’t know why the mail don’t get through better.             My false tooth came out while I was on a convoy to Mons, Belgium last week. I been off all this week going to the dentist. My buddy drove five days in a row so I could get my teeth fixed. I’m sure glad it’s over as they sure was giving me hell. I got five filled besides getting my bridge re-cemented back in. That’s the first teeth I’ve had filled since about two and a half years ago back at Camp Funston, Kansas. All the teeth I had worked on had large fillings in them and the old filling had to be ground out. The fellow who done the work was sure a good dentist, in fact the best army dentist I’ve ever been to. He really knew his stuff and although he...

Reims, France July 24, 1945   Dear Dad:   Received your very welcome letter of July 15 th  today and was glad to hear from you. I sure like these air-mail letters a lot better than v-mails. The weather has been hot and dry for the past month and the farmers around here are sure needing a little rain on their pastures now. I don’t mind this kind of weather as hot and dry is the way I like it best. It would take a lot of this kind of weather to kill me. I haven’t been swimming for a couple days but hope to get going again soon. I believe I told you about the nice pool the army has rented for the soldiers. It’s something like Forest Park Highlands pool, except it’s indoors with a glass roof.   I guess by the time you get this letter, they will have announced the new critical score for discharge. There are quite a few of us fellows out of the old 17 th  Quarter-Master Squadron that are sure hoping the score goes to 75, or at least 78. I now have 78 points and here i...

Discharged! On November 19, 1945, Mel Janis was discharged from the U.S. Army at Jefferson Barracks. He kept journals during his last 11 years, and many years on December 7 he'd mention Pearl Harbor Day, on December 8 he'd mention that he was drafted that day, and on November 19 (or thereabouts) he'd mention that he was discharged that day. Sometimes he’d also mention D-Day. On November 19, 1996, he wrote, “51 years ago today I was discharged from the Army. Floyd Mercer of Dubach, Louisiana called to remind me of it. We had a good talk. Then I called Gerald Stork in Napoleon, MO. All three of us were discharged from Jefferson Barracks Nov. 19, 1945. That was a long time ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I had many good friends in the Army.”   Here are other entries from his journals that mention his time in the Army:   November 19, 1987: 42 years ago today I was discharged from the U.S. Army. Gerald Stork called to remind me of it. A good friend.   June 3, 198...