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The 5th was another moving day – this time for 30 miles to the southeast with the entire
Battalion winding up in the seven houses and barns that make up GLASERWALD.
The first definite indication that the war was nearly over came on May 6th when 862 men and
127 officers surrendered to the Battalion saying that they had orders to do so from Admiral Doenitz. It
was on this day that Captain Jaffray, Chaplain Sidoti and 1st Sgt. Polito inadvertently liberated
KAŠPERSKÉ HORY, where the Battalion spent the night.
At 1125 on the 7th day of May 1945 Regiment informed us that the war was over as of 0147 that
morning. No one was especially enthused as the approach of the end had been apparent for some time.
By 1800 all of the Battalion had crossed into Bohemia from Sudetenland. Fraternizing was now legal,
and everyone proceeded to make the most of it. The people in the towns the Battalion was occupying
were the most hospitable we’ve yet encountered. The Battalion remained for two days in the vicinity of
STRAŠÍN enjoying band concerts, street dances, movies and hot chow.
On the 10th day of May we moved north some 25 miles to take up a blocking position along the
PLZEN-PÍSEK road near KASEJOVIC. Except for some road blocks the entire battalion was billeted in
town. Here everyone had a wonderful time with dances, movies and concerts almost every day. Hidden
liquor was brought forth and the Victory celebration started. A White Russian Division which had been
fighting for the Germans gave us some trouble here. The war’s end found them on the Red Russian side
of the road, and this apparently did not suit them. So they tried crossing the road over to the American
side. It took the entire Battalion to round them up and get them back where they belonged.
While here, the first group of men to leave under the point system were checked out and started
on the way home.
The move to Kreis Waldmunchen was made on the 15th of May. Within the Kreis the following
dispositions were made –
Company I – Billeted in the eastern edge of WALDMUNCHEN
Company K – Initially on outpost along the Czech border
Company L – In ROTZ at the western end of the Kreis
Company M – In SCHONTHAL near the center of the Kreis
Hdqs. Co. and Bn. CP – In WALDMUNCHEN.
An officer’s quarters, mess halls, swimming pools, a combination gymnasium-auditorium, a
photoshop, a 50-horse riding stable and a Battalion newspaper were all planned as the Battalion
tentatively took over Military Government duties and wondered what was in store for it. . . . .
The End
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