Knauer, Robert - letter home - Putnam

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Knauer, R. 3, Greencastle, received the following letter from their son, Pfc. Robert E. Knauer, who is stationed in England.  Dear Folks, I got two letters from you this week. Sure glad to hear that you all are OK. No, Don does not know where he is being sent. I suppose that you know that he is in the Air Corps. I got the stuff you sent me. Thanks a million. They sure will come in handy, especially the shoes. I also got a sweater from the Ladies Aid of Brick Chapel. It sure was swell.  I haven’t thanked them as yet, but I guess I will get around to it sometime.

I sure was glad to hear Lut had made lieutenant.   I had quite a few letters this week.  One from Bill Monnett, Smith Abbott, George Braden and grandma. Smith Abbot is in Australia now. He said he liked it fine.  Well, I finally got a three day pass the other day and I sure made the most of it. My buddy and I went to Cambridge, the city with the university by the same name. It was, in my opinion the best town I had yet seen in England. It reminded one very much of our own cities, with it broad street and spacious parks, and the people were much like our own. By being a college town made it a lot like Greencastle, you saw the college “Joes,” and the coeds, as we call them.  Another interesting sight was to see the college profs, going around town with that much learned look about them, and wearing knickerbockers and caps.

The city was laid out so as to allow plenty of room for all of its people. We also went through the university. It is a beautiful place and I got a thousand dollars worth of information, which some people would like to have. The university stretches for about a mile across the town and is made up of ten colleges, such famous ones as Kings, Queens, Trinity and many others. Some of the buildings are old, dating all of the way back to the 13th century and some of them are very new. Behind the university runs a long and narrow park with a stream running through the middle of it. The park was practically covered with flowers of one sort or another. We rented a boat and took a ride up behind the university. It sure was some fun.  We found very good food there which is not true in all English cities. We then went out to the American Military Cemetery the next day to look up the grave of my buddy’s friend, whom he knew in civilian life. He was a captain in the Air Force.  We found his grave without too much trouble and made arrangements to have flowers brought out and put on it. The cemetery is a rather new one since the old one has been filled, parts of it were sodded and parts of it weren’t.  In about two months it should look pretty swell.  It is situated in a beautiful countryside on top of a hill overlooking a peaceful valley. They have a cross marking each grave with the soldier’s name and all other information that goes on them. At one side they have a little Neison hut for a chapel. It is suited for all faiths, as it should be and has two large American flags on each side of the altar. It is pretty impressive. This was the first military cemetery I had ever visited and it sure impressed me.  It seems to me that those fellows deserve something better than just a cross above their head, putting it bluntly.  This I do know. They are well taken care of and given the finest burial in the world.

This is about all of the trip, which to me has been the most interesting and enjoyable since I have been over here. I am still plugging away at my same old job and liking it and nothing much ever happens here in camp that is worth writing about. I am well and happy and hope you all are the same. How are the kids?  Spring has came over here and everything is beginning to green up and that is when I get pretty homesick.  In my spare time this winter, I played basketball and that helped to spend my extra hours. I played with the Sight team and we did fairly well.  I had a lot of fun. Just like back in high school.  Our base team was runner up in the United Kingdom basketball tournament. They lost in the final game.  I had several friends who played on it. Later on they are going to Paris and play over there too.  I guess I have just about covered everything so I will cose for tonight.  Hoping to hear from you soon.

Love, Bob