No Mail.No Luggage.No Waterproof Bags (32)

27 April '44 [Beth wrote on top of the letter: I'm sure this is at Hollandia]
Beloved,
     There is no telling when this will go in the mail.  We have only the boats evacuating patients to depend on.  But here's hoping.
     Well, I guess I'm a real "sojer" now!  I landed 24 hours after the assault, and everything was going smoothly.  A battery of 75's [75 mm antitank guns] was slamming out shells just about 50 feet from where we landed, so it really gave the appearance of a war.  The first night we had quite a little show, including bombs, but nothing near us.  It is quite a sensation to hug the bottom of a foxhole and wish it was deeper.
     We started doing business the next day.  We haven't had many casualties from Jap action.  You probably know more about what is going on than we do.  I am on Surgery and have done a fair amount of things.

Capt. Arnold Niemeyer on the left in a Japanese lop-lop and
Capt. Gene Pfile on the right in Japanese pants

     There is lots of Jap equipment around.  We have a lot of their medical supplies and our mess is using their rice and canned stuff.  Our own clothes are filthy, so we got a lot of their pants.  I even had on some g-string style underwear.  Also I'm using Jap towels, soap and tooth brushes.  The first night I had a silk bed sheet - parachute - in my foxhole.  They certainly pulled out in a hurry and left everything.  There hasn't been much resistance at all.  In fact, I haven't seen one at all except some wounded prisoners.  We have quite a few German Catholic missionaries that have been wounded or sick.  they are so thankful to be in US hands.
     There are still snipers around but none have taken pot shots at me!  A couple of artillery batteries on the hill about 200 yards from us lay down a barrage every now and then.  It makes it interesting!!
     None of our bunch has been hurt, even accidentally.  I'm doing fine - not even trouble with my feet.  When it rains it certainly gets messy.  I sleep in my clothes (on the floor, a litter, a cot of anything handy) from choice.
     This is my last air mail envelope.  We are still living out of our packs.  No telling when our other stuff will come in.  We are getting things in a much more livable condition.  We haven't heard any news so are wondering about the German front.
     We all had carbines and were considered combat troops since it is the Japs we're up against [the Germans respected the provisions of the Geneva Conventions concerning the treatment of the wounded, sick, and medical personnel, but the Japanese  didn't].  But we haven't had any excuses to shoot.
     Water is scarce so we bathe (when at all) in the sea and wash clothes likewise.  I certainly drink like a fish and just drip all the time.  The nights are cool enough for a blanket and the dew is quite heavy.  It isn't bad when it is dry and it rains only every 2 or 3 days, but it certainly makes a mess of the red and chocolate colored earth.
     I've taken several rolls of black and white pictures but there is no telling when I can send them in.  It is marvelous what the engineers do.  They built more roads in 2 days than the Japs did in 2 years.  The missionaries say the Jap are just animals.  They are profuse in their thanks to the Yanks for deliverance.  A lot of them are old men in their 70's.  On the whole they are in fair physical shape.  Most of them speak English.  They were astonished at the news.  The Japs had told them the usual victory line.
     Of course I have had no mail but there may be some soon.  Darn, I still jump when the big babies go off!  I'm darn glad we're not on the receiving end.
     I suppose that in a short time we won't even have to black out, the way things are going.  We have electric lights in a blacked out tent for night surgery.
     Write the folks, please, for I'll have to beg envelopes until my trunk comes.  Don't worry about me.  All the fellows are fine and morale is high.  We certainly have a bunch of soldiers that have what it takes.  Me?  Naw, I haven't been scared at any time!!  You can tell the folks about this.
     All my love, Eugene

29 Apr. '44
Beloved,
     Think nothing of the torn envelope.  They all stick together.  This is Jap paper.  Yesterday morning Dick and I cut each other's hair.  Our barber isn't working as yet and we both needed a haircut badly.  Really the result isn't bad.

Capt. Dick McIlroy cuts his hair while Gene sits on a Japanese water purifier

     You may see a picture of me in the paper before you get this.  A Signal Corps Photographer was taking pictures of these missionaries and the nuns didn't want to pose so Niemeyer and I went over and engaged three of them in conversation while he stole a few pictures.  They chattered away in German so fast that all I could get was the general trend of the conversation.
     Things are quiet as can be.  I guess the fighting has been over for a few days except for an occasional sniper or patrolling.  All we are getting in of a surgical nature are the usual run of accidents.  We haven't had any air raids.  Haven't even had any rain for about 4 days.  But my shoes smell moldy inside.  We don't have a change, unless I find a pair of Jap ones to fit me.  A day's sunning would fix these up.
     Our salvage group (it isn't polite to call them scavengers!) is still bringing in Jap medical supplies, instruments and fixtures.  Some are quite good.  Some of the fellows are wearing the split type of Jap shoes, that is the great toe separate.  They certainly have all the rubber goods they want.  I have my carbine in a long narrow rubber case.
     I lost the good scout knife.  It fell out of the shallow pocket of the Jap pants I was wearing.  No, don't sent me another - I'd probably lose it too.
     Yesterday down at the beach I was poking around and found a couple of mortar shells still in their container, that our fellows had left.  When we first arrived I found 2 hand grenades the same.  Also there was a large shell of ours from the bombardment which had failed to explode and the nose had broken so the powder spilled out.  Oh, I've gotten over my usual habit of kicking all queer looking items!
     Our food is quite monotonous, but sufficient.  We have practically no vegetables, canned or otherwise, so the diet is a bit constipating.  There are hard tack crackers instead of bread.  This ersatz butter for tropical use doesn't even melt in hot coffee!  It tastes like butter, too.  This line about the boys at the fighting fronts getting all the best of everything is so much hooey.  In fact, the problem of transport is such that it is impossible to bring up all the frills.  But we just complain about everyone being told that for we don't expect the luxury items.

Village near Hollandia

     I took a little jaunt this morning.  4 of us went to a village about 3 miles away.  We caught a ride about half way and the rest was along a jungle trail.  There are still snipers around but we had some armed soldiers along.  We passed several dead Japs and smelled a few more.  The town has, of course, been carefully picked over, but we managed to garner a few items.  I took a roll of Kodachrome.  I found a new pair of "cloven hoof" shoes.  They are not comfortable but will do.  We bathed in a beautiful clear, fresh water stream.  That alone was worth the trip.  I looked and looked for a small vase for you but could find nothing except the usual run of Chinese café bowls and cups, and I know they wouldn't pack.  We came back by boat past the most interesting native village built on stilts over the water.  It was deserted and falling in.  Of course I had taken the last picture on my roll.  but when my things come (maybe 2 weeks, maybe longer) I'll try again.
     The mosquitoes aren't bad at all but the flies are terrible.  In all the places where the Japs lived there are bags of rice and other food in kegs and cans, all cut open and spoiling, so the flies have a time.  There were bags of what I took to be poppy seed and loads of Jap invasion money.  Apparently there were Geisha houses from the amounts of cosmetics and things.  Everything had been pretty thoroughly blown to pieces by bombs and shells.  Practically all the houses were merely thatched huts.  All along the trail there were small clearings and native huts with corn, sweet potatoes and squash growing.  The jungle is a bit disappointing, photographically speaking.  It is just a mass of tall trees tangled with vines from top to bottom and practically no color but green all set on steep hills and narrow valleys.  There are but few birds to be seen and they are not bright in color.
     All my love, Eugene

April 30, 1944
     I've another bad boil starting on my rt foot!
     Today I fixed a traumatic amputation of a finger.

From George Christie's wife, Marjorie, to Beth (undated):
Dear Beth,
     Here is the family excerpt - expunged somewhat for Mother Christie's delicate ears.  What Gregg [George] actually said about Gene was that when the alert sounded he'd get up, take a leak in the ocean, ogle the sky and then go back to bed.  "At least he'll never wet the bed."  And it does sound typical of your Gene that he'd keep on the run, even though there is no particular hurry.  Their hut 1/2 mile from where the hospital was but in the most recent letters he speaks of going to church at the hospital so it was probably still somewhat existent then. ... Our rodeo is next weekend [the Royal Gorge Rodeo ?] and I have a fairly busy week planned.  Well, I'd rather be busy. ... I suppose Mercy [McIlroy] told you about our hurry-up visit to Pueblo Monday and Tuesday.  More fun!
     All good wishes, Marjorie

[Excerpts from George Christie's letter to his wife, Marjorie]
     May 1, 1944.  More Jap ink for this letter.  We are seeing some interesting sights here.  the other day a group of about 100 missionaries came along and yesterday we packed them off.  They were certainly glad to go.  One of the priests held mass and had a congregation of about half soldiers and half natives - it was a motley crew.  I have picked up some interesting items of Jap equipment which I will try to send home.
     We are seeing quite  few British Indians (soldiers) who hae been on duty over here, but were until recently held by the Japs.
     We don't have any clean clothes yet - just what we wore up here and most of us are wearing part Jap part U.S. clothes.  You can imagine the effect.  We don't have a chaplain, so there were no services yesterday.  We do get radio news from Australia, however.  The mail goes out irregularly but I hope this comes thru soon.  I'm well and "happy" - wish to heck I was home.

May 1, 1944 Monday - thru 5th
     Hot packs to foot.
     Wednesday Niemeyer opened it and put in drains, under pentothal anesthesia.  Some stuff that!
     Air raid Monday night.  3 killed and 34 wounded on Pancake Hill [behind the hospital - see photos in posts 29 and 30].  The plane came in low and dropped 3 bombs about 400 yards away, and up the hill.  A chunk of metal dropped 2 feet from George where he was sleeping in the admitting office.  Our guns didn't even fire, for some unknown reason, even though they saw him (8PM).
     We are closing up and the 36th Evac is taking over.
     We are to go on with the 41st Division, somewhere.  No mail.  No luggage.  Not even our waterproof bags.