Joseph Benton (Joe) High, Jr.

October 8, 1942

J. B. HIGH, JR. who has been a student at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, enlisted as a private in the army and is now stationed at Ft. McPhearson, Ga. He had one more year before graduating from Tech with a degree in chemistry.

December 24, 1942

J. B. HIGH, JR., who is in the army but has been taking special training at Georgia Tech, expects to spend a short time with his parents here during the holiday weekend. He will go into active service Monday and expects to be sent to Camp Crowder, Mo., for further training.

January 28, 1942

J. B. HIGH, JR. who entered active service in the army early this month at Camp Crowder, Missouri, writes home that he is going into the intelligence service of the army and expects to be sent to school in about one week. Young High was a member of the senior class at the engineering college of Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga. He also has a number of hours in three foreign languages which is one of the requirements for the basic training he will get.

February 25, 1943

J. B. HIGH, in the Army Signal Service, has been jumping around from place to place like a winter tourist hunting the sunshine, has just landed in Warrington, Va., for a bit more study about some technical doo-dads of which we know less than nothing.

March 11, 1943

Cpl. J. B. HIGH has just arrived at Warrington, Va. This column told you two weeks ago he had been transferred but it seems about the time J. B. was to have left Camp Crowder, Mo., the measles got him and, as J. B. put it, "the German measles at that." But he is OK now.

September 9, 1943

T/Cpl. J. B. HIGH, JR. was home for a few days, but has now returned to his station in Virginia.

February 24, 1944

Cpl. J. B. HIGH, JR., who has recently been receiving his mail in care of the postmaster, New York City, writes his parents here this week, that he is now stationed in England.

March 16, 1944

Another V-Mail is from J. B. HIGH - also in England - advising us of a change in address. J. B. said: "I waited until I was sure it was more permanent than a former one. I should get 4 or 5 Tribunes at once soon and I certainly will be glad to get them, You can hardly realize how much I and all the other fellows appreciate it.

I saw Varn twice before I left. He had been stationed very close to me. I am getting along fine and like England a lot. I find the English a very friendly people. Have been to London; saw the palace, parliament, Westminister, big ben, and most of the points of interest. The food here is very good and there is plenty of it, too. I still can't get used to traffic on the left side of the street. Am using English money of course, and it is confusing at first."

July 6, 1944

Here's the second letter received from "somewhere in France." This time J. B HIGH who relates: "Well I was beginning to receive The Tribune regularly when we pulled up stakes and left for somewhere in France" but my APO is the same, I am looking forward to receiving The Tribune and I should get one soon. Mail service from the States to here is very good, averaging about 15 days for V and air mail. At one time back in England I was receiving air mail from Bunnell in 5 days.

Say, will I appreciate a bed a lot more after this, ha! But I have a bed made by tying my blanket to two logs about seven feet long and hitching this onto two more logs at my head and feet, and I have a 'Queen Victoria’ canopy over the top made of twigs and branches. It rather looks like a Rube Goldberg model but it’s more comfortable than on the ground.

The weather here is almost Florida's - much warmer England's and a lot more sunshine. We have been eating ‘K’ rations for quite a while now. Incidentally, they are packaged by a Cracker Jack Co. and as you know are the same size as their product. They have everything in them - canned meats, condensed crackers, concentrated chocolate, cigarettes (4), stick of gum and sometimes concentrated fig bars. They are pretty good, and every man can carry his with him easily. Well, I am running out of space, so will close. I am getting along fine and have put on a few pounds weighing about 175 now. J. B.

(Thanks J. B, for the excellent letter. The other fellows, we know, will be glad to read it. Also, we extend congratulations on your promotion to Sgt.)

July 13, 1944

And Sgt. J. B. HIGH writes his mother from Normandy that "I sometimes wish I could curl up under my helmet like a snail in its shell."

October 5, 1944

We received from Cpl. J. B. HIGH, with the army somewhere in France, Belgium, Holland or elsewhere, a German helmet - - the first one we have seen in a long time. It is very much like the old World War One helmets but is much heavier than ours. Many thanks, J. B., we appreciate the souvenir and will add it to our collection you fellows are sending. Incidentally, we read the letter you sent to Mr. and Mrs. Z. E. Booe here a few days ago wherein you stated "we are progressing, leaving most of France and Belgium behind." Also note that you had been to Paris. Too, too bad a fellow can’t stay there for a rest (?). You may, in time forget how Paris looked, but we'll bet anything you won't ever forget the mud.

October 12, 1944

We told you in last week's column that "Cpl." J. B. HIGH sent us a German helmet. Well it seems J. B. is a Sgt. instead, but every now and then we promote or demote some of you fellows in this column through error. But let's go on. We received from J. B., six pages of a seven-page V-Mail letter, each page being in a separate envelope of course. Page four is yet to come. In addition an airmail note with some French invasion money for a souvenir. Since we I do not have any letters from any others this week, we shall give you all of J. B.'s that we I received, believing it will be of general interest to all of you. Here it is:

"Somewhere in Belgium, Sept. 17, 1944

Several weeks ago I mailed a German helmet to you. It's actually the remainder of three different ones which I have pieced together. To tell the truth, it's difficult to find one completely intact. The helmet liner was found in a helmet that had a large shrapnel hole in it; the steel brace for the liner was salvaged from another place; and the steel hull itself was found near a destroyed German tank. I scraped it both inside and out and then painted it as it was burned badly and very rusty. Would like to know when you receive it?

Well my last letter to you was from Normandy on June 16, and lots has happened since then. We are continually moving and are, of course, still living in tents. Our shelter halves have flaps at one end only which leaves the other end wide open, and if it is not raining it is getting ready to. I would like to catch the fellow who designed these. Ha!

Censorship regulations are still about the same, and prevent us from giving any personal opinion as to the progress or termination of the war, but I can say that the advances during the last month have given us hopes of more permanent billets once winter sets in. It is already becoming cooler. We have four blankets now; and with a German shelter half I have fixed up a bed roll which is very warm and then to it helps to keep the blankets dry. Sometimes I have competition with the bugs and insects that want to keep dry too, but we have "G.I." insect powder that usually handles them.

We have an almost rotation of rations. That is, when the supply line catches up we eat class B rations, canned foods prepared by our company cooks; then as we extend, we fall back to 5 in 1 rations (food for 5 for 1 day in two boxes), or to the small cans of "C" rations containing meat, crackers and powdered drink. Then last comes the "K" rations which seem to be the backbone of the army. Any of these types of rations are very good and contains a well-rounded diet, but to stick to one kind for a long time can become objectionable; so our rather accidental rotation actually makes things better.

Lots of times we are more or less our own cooks; so we make the best we can of chances to get eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. from the farmers who, throughout France and Belgium, have been very friendly and willing to give us most anything they have.

The French would accept the invasion currency, that is they honored it, but they never did want money for anything - our ration of cigarettes and candy had the highest premium. Under German rule most farmers were .......... (Ed Note: Here ends page 3. The story picks up on page five so some parts were left out of the letter printed in the newspaper)

I would like to describe in detail some of the places I have been, but censorship prevents it, although I can say I have been in Paris. It is a beautiful city all right with many parks and covered with historical monuments. I saw the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadero, Military School, Tomb of Napoleon, Arch of Triumph, Palais de Chaillot and, of course, the historic Seine river which flows through the heart of the city. The city was lined with American, British and Free French flags, and there was no doubt as to the sincerity of the welcome.

We have now come to less friendly places and the most of Belgium is behind us. From here on out it will be different.

I am enclosing some of the French invasion currency which we were issued back in England, the night before we came over. One French franc, equals two cents, but the Belgian franc is worth about twice as much.

French is also the universal language of Belgium but there are variations and dialects of it here predominate. The language seems to gradually blend into Dutch then into German.

Wish I had French in school but I have learned enough to get along. I am taking a correspondence course in French from the U. S. Armed Forces Institute which now has a branch in London.

An interesting point about the invasion currency is that records show that 90 per cent of the soldier’s pay is being sent home which eliminates the possibility of a French inflation which had worried officials for some time.

Well I could write on and on but must sign off. In case I haven't told you the S. R. I. stands for signal radio intelligence. We have a darn good company and I like my type of work very much.

P. S. Just this very minute the mail came in and I received a Tribune. It was a July 13th copy and I was so glad to get it. All the copies have been reaching me. Soon the others should catch up. It certainly does mean a lot to the fellows to receive the paper and I can hardly thank you enough for it."

(Thanks to you, J. B. for your very interesting letter and for the helmet and the currency. We got the helmet on October 3rd and your letters October 7th, and we are anxiously waiting for the missing page four).

October 19, 1944

Ed Note: We haven't yet received page 4 of the letter from Sgt. J. B. HIGH - and no wonder. Glancing back at this column, we note so many of you fellows are moving from the States to England, to France, to Belgium, to Germany: We certainly hope it won't be long before you begin the "homebound" move.

December 14, 1944

Then a personally hand-drawn one from Sgt. J. B. HIGH in Belgium. It shows a pup tent set up in the snow with a guy lying flat inside and, of course, his feet sticking out. The card, J. B. said, was written on Thanksgiving day and he added "we are having turkey. Winter has set in. Began snowing last week. See (or rather hear) quite a lot of flying bombs these days. They make plenty of noise in flight. Always hope they won't run out of gas overhead."

December 28, 1944

We were about to forget to tell you that Sgt. J. B. HIGH, in Belgium, along with a Christmas card, a half mark note of German invasion money, saying "here's enough for a German ice cream cone." (We thank you, J. B. for the card and imitation money, but to heck with German ice cream - if there's such things.)

March 15, 1945

Another hometown soldier, writes us from Paris - Sgt. J. B. HIGH - under date of Feb. 24 He said:

"Well here I am in Paris and no one is more surprised than I. Six names were drawn from a helmet with more than 300. So, here I am for three days.

We came by truck from Belgium and spent one night on the way.

Am billeted at a Red Cross. Have meals there also. Had my first bath in a long time. The food is G. I. but it tastes different with plates and a table.

Paris is certainly a beautiful city. It's turning warm now and spring is almost here."

In a letter to his mother J. B. said: "everything is costly, due to the rate of exchange and, of course, "the lack of commodities. A fair meal, when available, costs $6 to $8. A sandwich costs about $2. The meals at the Red Cross are G. I. food but very cheap."

(Well, JB we wish we had been with you in Paris. Believe we could still find several interesting places and things with a whole three days. Hope you had a good time and got some pictures).

March 29, 1945

Now from Sgt. J. B. HIGH a V-letter headed "Germany, Mar. 10th.

"Well, here I am back after a 3-day pass in Paris (also 2 days traveling time). We went by G.I. truck and got rations and quarters at a Red Cross hotel. It was great to be able to sit down to eat - - and at a table with plates -- and last of all, music by a stringed orchestra for every meal.

Here in Germany there isn't much left of anything. There are some buildings intact, of course, but most are either destroyed or 'gutted.' The more fortunate people living in the country have been able to save something, but there isn't much left of the cities. There's not much use trying to rebuild Aachen."

(We know, J. B., that trip to Paris was greatly appreciated, and looked forward to and now remembered with joy. However we also believe it was tougher than ever to go back living "in the field" as you have been for so many months. Hope you are home before too long.)

July 5, 1945

We received another souvenir from Sgt. J. B. HIGH in Germany to add to the cigarette lighter, German helmet and German money we had already received. This time it was a new canteenthat was earmarked by the Germans for the SS troops, together with a SS Private First Class chevron.

(Thanks J. B., we will add that to our museum.)

October 4, 1945

We have a change of address from Sgt. JOE B. HIGH, who has been in the ETO for many months with the 113 Signal Radio Intelligence Co., now gets his mail through APO 758, with the War Crimes Branch of the 7th Army Headquarters.

Joe said “this will be my address for the next six to nine months.”