Spitzer correspondence

ALBERT SPITZER

Albert Spitzer left his law office in New York City to join the Army on October 28, 1941, and attended Adjutant General school in Washington D.C., returning home to N.Y. to spend weekends with Freda. He was then sent to Fo1t Custer in Michigan. Freda traveled to Michigan to visit and also to decide if she wanted to live there, but Albert informed her that the Division was probably going to be moving in the near future. Instead Freda moved from New York to join Albert at Fort Riley, Kansas, where the 9th Armored Division was activated and began training on July 15, 1942. It was during this time that the Robert, the Spitzer's first child was born on September 16, 1942.

Albert's correspondence with Freda begins on August 18, 1944 with a letter written after their last night together in New York: "It was a sudden departure wasn't it .... can't figure out how I managed to shove you into that cab, when I could have had a few more moments ..... " (August 18, 1944) He goes on to express his confidence in her ability to manage on her own. (August 18, 1944).

The 9th Armored Division was then shipped out to England. Two undated letters from August were written while Albert was in transit, with Albert expressing frustration at the censorship which limits what details he can divulge about his trip. Another letter from this period which is undated but which bears a postmark from Lakewood, New Jersey dated September 12, 1944, indicates that "We have arrived, but I cannot tell you where, nor when nor why in these parts ... " He talks about future life and how he has "just begun to live" and expresses doubts that he can return to practicing law after the war.

Highlights from Albert's letters written from England include:

• A brief description of his trip and first impressions of England. (August 29, 1944)

• Detailed description of his quarters in England. (August 30, 1944)

• Accounts of his recreational visits to Salisbury and Bournemouth (September 4 and September 11, 1944, respectively)

• Account of his recreational visit to Bournemouth. (September 11, 1944)

• Explains why he will quit military life after the war. (September 14, 1944)

• Long letter in which Albert criticizes Freda's purchase of the 1937 and laments his not being able to supervise the family finances; Angry about money, wants to know where the surplus is going, etc. [September 15, 1944], labeled "This is the next mawnin"'] Freda makes reference to this letter in her letter of July 11, 1945.

• Very lengthy, detailed letter about his first big "night on the town" in London, including problems with hotel reservations, window shopping, people, mixed-race dating, burlesque show, dinner and dancing, passing through red light section, etc. (September 20, 1944)

• Mentions that Albert G. Kelley, Chief of Staff of the 9th died of heart attack. Second part of London story, including experiences, cabbies, sights of bombed-out buildings, old Catholic church, more shopping, didn't have coupons to buy clothes, meeting with manager, etc. (September 21, 1944)

• A reference to his angry letter about finances from September 15: "I truthfully state that I knew before hand that I'd never send it [ the letter] to you directly, but that it evidenced my bad but very temporary nature." (September 24, 1944)

In early October, 1944 the 9th Armored Division made its way across the English Channel and landed in Normandy at Utah Beach on October 2. Albert's letters of October 4 and 11, 1944 give details of this trip, which was fortunately uneventful.

By October 22 the 9th had advanced as far as Luxembourg, where they set up their command post in a castle (Later revealed to be Hollenfels castle in his letter of December 29, 1944, written after the unit had abandoned it.) His letter of October 22 describes his unit's traveling, and the welcoming reception of them by the local civilians. This description continues in his letter of October 23, where he also write about having to censor his men's main, a duty which was assigned to the officers on a rotating, weekly basis.

Albert's letter of November 22, 1944, titled "My Day," includes a detailed account of"a normal day" for him during his period in Hollenfels Castle, the location in which the command post remained for the longest period during the war.

Other highlights from this period include:

• A description of his visit to Caranten, Isigny, and descriptions of destruction. Descriptions of his various duties. (October 19, 1944)

• He talks about the "Militiz" [partisan group] and how they deal with collaborators. (October 25, 1944)

• A long paragraph about US and Russia ... hope for cooperation and "it wouldn't be long before we'll have a united world of civilized nations .... " (October 27, 1944)

• A description of a local town. Talks about men's letters to their wives, relationships between husbands and wives, and his love for Freda. (October 28, 1944)

• A paragraph about the side of war that civilians don't know about. Talks about "Deutches Frauenwerk" ("German Women's Work") form, which he includes, that requires the applicant to swear that there is no Jewish blood in her family for four generations. Mentions that he mailed Freda a Lithograph of Sent lithograph of the castle which he still can't mention by name, so instead tells her to refer to it in her letters as "the Poconos." (November 2, 1944)

• Describes making friends with an owner of a store, drinking Schnapps with him, etc. (November 3, 1944)

• Talks about becoming hardened to what he sees and how troops become hardened to the enemy after coming to the front. Mentions his opinion on the upcoming election and Dewey. (November 6, 1944)

• Description of traveling through Luxembourg into Belgium, with contrasting scenery from beautiful forests, to women working in fields, to being caught in a blizzard. (November 19, 1944, "again")

• Lists contents of a package of gifts he sent home, including the items' prices in Francs and Dollars. (November 11, 1944, "Armistice Day")

• Talks about not wanting to_ plan his future life, except that he wants to become more educated. (November 11, 1944, "Armistice Night")

• Expression of his excitement at finally receiving mail and haring details (which he requested) of Freda's day-to-day life. (November 16, 1944)

• Tells about Mary Shapiro, wife of Sid Shapiro, knowing Eleanor Roosevelt & having been to the White House 3 times for dinner. (Freda's letter of May 9, 1945 explains in more detail how Mary Shapiro came to know Eleanor Roosevelt.)

• Albert is censoring the men's mail again, and includes some amusing characterizations of soldier's letters. Addresses issues in letters, talks about finance, etc. (December 1, 1944)

• Talks about receiving replacement soldiers: "it's up to me to assign them ... you ought to see their faces drop when of necessity I find that I have to assign them to the infantry ... " (December 16, 1944)

• Talks about how men have aged and checks himself in the mirror. Confusion over censorship and what can and can't be written. (December 17, 1944)

On December 16, 1944, the German Army began a counterattack against the Allies in the Ardennes Forest that became known as the "Battle of the Bulge." On the following day, December 17, the 9th Armored Division's command post quickly abandoned their base in Hollenfels castle and hastily retreated from the German advance. During this hectic period at the end of December Albert made sure to write Freda frequent letters and v-mails (which traveled through the mail faster) to let her know that he was safe.

By December 28, Albert was able to send Freda a cable saying that he was safe and also congratulating her on their wedding anniversary. A long, detailed account of his retreat back to France from Luxemborg makes up his letter dated December 29 - January 1 and includes details of civilians fleeing their homes, multiple movement of his unit via convoy. He writes about destitute civilians and Polish people imported by the Germans to serve as slave labor. He also tells of staying in the house of a French family, and his companion, "the Judge," incorrectly suspecting that the young son living in the house was an informant.

By January the situation had stabilized somewhat, and Albert was able to being catching up on his mail. In his letter of January 4 he talks about the job of a staff officer being a "boot-licking job" and talks about why he's "given up all sincerity" in his job. During this period Albert began thinking more about the baby, a fact which is reflected in letters ofthis period.

Much of Albert's work from this period until the end of the war centered on processing commendations following the recent fighting.

Highlights from this period include:

• A brief description of his duties in processing commendations. (January 20, 1945)

• A synopsis of the process of"publishing the general orders" on awards. (January 31, 1945)

• A paragraph on the inconsistencies of how awards are actually distributed (Februa1y 6, 1945)

• Discussion of the difficulty of hearing about soldiers killed in action and the hardships of the combat soldier. (January 5, 1945)

• A story of a young soldier who, after much deliberation, finally chose a unit to transfer into, only to be killed in the Battle of the Bulge next week with his new unit. (January 22, 1945)

• Mentions his positive opinion of General Patton, who had commanded the 9th while they were under the 3rd Army. (January 23, 1945)

On February 10, 1945, Albert received a cable informing him that Freda had lost the baby and that she was in the hospital following emergency surgery. His letters from this date until February 24, when he finally received a letter from Freda, are naturally full of concern and realization of how important Freda is to him. By February 24, 1945 Albert was again in Belgium and had finally received a letter from Freda which finally brought relief from his worries. This letter, apparently dated February 14-15, 1945, is absent from the collection.

As the 9th Armored Division pushed the German forces back and penetrated deeper into Europe, Albert's letters relay more details of the destruction that lay in the wake of the combat.

Albert also had the opportunity to enjoy the "spoils of victory." His letter of February 24 includes a long tale about moving into a chateau with a Belgian family and meeting an aristocratic owner of a crystal manufacturing plant, A. Collignon-Pichotte. Attached to the letter are a photograph of a crystal vase, some promotional brochures for crystal and an advertisement and souvenir card from A. Collignon-Pichotte. His letter of February 28 gives more details about a shopping trip to the crystal factory.

On March 7, 1945 the 9th Armored Division captured LudendorffBridge at Remagen, giving the Allies their first bridgehead across the Rhine River. Albert's letter of March 27, 1945 mentions details of crossing the Rhine, liberating prisoners, and occupying German factories and houses. Also included in the collection is a copy of a March 10 memo addressed to the 9th and which quotes General Eisenhower in commending their actions. His letter of March 12, 1945 includes memos regarding commendations for 9th Armored Division and a memo from Major General Leonard congratulating his Division on the Rhine crossing.

Of particular interest is Albert's letter of May 4, 1945: a long, detailed letter about a tour through the recently liberated Buchenwald concentration camp which includes descriptions of the site, prisoners and what transpired there.

On May 8, 1945 the 9th received word that the war had ended via a teletype message, a copy of which Albert sent home to Freda.

Other highlights from letters of this period include:

• A description of evicting German civilians to billet American troops, and having to lock up recently liberated Russian and French prisoners to prevent them from taking revenge on the Germans who were their former captors. (March 8, 1945)

• Discussion of the unit's satisfaction at being recognized for their actions and a brief critical commentary on how the Rhine crossing was handled by senior officers. (March 16, 1945)

• Discussion of the wealth of goods left behind by Germans and Albert's growing hatred of them. (March 20, .1945)

• Talks about submissiveness of Germans, an encounter with a German civilian, and comment that the Inspector General stole a woman's dog: "I think it was nasty of him to play a trick like that ... that's even lower than the Krauts or at least on par with it. .. " (March 28, 1945)

• Long letter with details of travel from Rhine to present, visions of victory, devastation of Germany. (April 2, 1945)

• Comments on Roosevelts' death and his lack of faith in Truman. Description of POWs, stockade, treatment and conversation with German soldier. (April 14, 1945)

• Story about a German Jew who continued to wear the patch proclaiming "Jude" after he was liberated because he was proud to be a Jew. (April 21, 1945)

• Description of talking to liberated slave-laborers about the Germans. Thoughts about the post-war future and the Russians. (April 23, 1945)

• Details about starving refugees and a story about a massacre at Polish labor camp. (May 2, 1945)

Following the end of the war with Germany, Albert's main function was still to processing commendations(" ... after I get out of this man's army I know that I will be a fully qualified eulogizer .... for months now I haven't written or spoken a disparaging word of anymore .... I'm full of superlative adjectives, and I don't mind telling you how nauseating it can be." [August 3, 1945.]) His letters also focus on the increasing possibility of his being able to return home, and many of his letters talk about how many "points" he has towards this On June 13, 1945 Albert wrote that he was awarded a Bronze Star medal for "meritorious service" and on July 25 he wrote that he was also awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster, which brought the amount of his points from 84 to 89. And just six days later, in his letter of July 31, 1945 Albert describes an announcement that all AG officers with less that 85 points were being sent to the Pacific.

Highlights from this period include:

• Story about helping group of Jewish refugees staying with Poles. (June 2, 1945)

• Account of the process of an ordinary recommendation. (June 9, 1945)

• Albert's negative opinion of how the redeployment process is being handled. (August 7, 1945)

• Contemplations on his return to civilian life and what he should do. (August 9, 1945)

By September 10, 1945 Albert was writing from Camp San Antonia, a tempora1y camp set up in France for the purpose of redeploying US soldiers. In his letter dated "September 25 or 26" Albert describes how Brigadier General Thomas Harrold called USFET (United States Forces, European Theater) in Paris and argued until his AGs were finally allowed to be sent home. Albert then boarded a ship, but had to get off again because of a broken propellor and wait until October 4, 1945 when he was finally en route to the United States and to be reunited with Freda.

FREDA SPITZER

Freda (Schwartz) Spitzer's letters detail her day-to-day difficulties in tlying to settle into her new house in Lakewood while also trying to care for herself, Bobby, Ploppy, as well as preparing for the coming baby, and adjusting to life without Albert. At Albert's request she tries to give extremely detailed accounts of her days and especially of Bobby and Ploppy's activities, and her letter of November 25, 1944 gives a "blow by blow" account of her typical day. Her letters also chronicle the development of Bobby and his youthful realization that his father will one day come home. She tends to discuss domestic issues and expresses self-consciousness at the uneventful contents of her letters: "There is so little to write about - its gratifying to know that even tho my letters contain the details of my small day - you like them." (April 14, 1945) Her letter ofNovember 14, 1944 expresses how overwhelmed she is at Albert's expressions of love in his letters, which are quite unlike his reserved nature displayed while at home, a theme which recurs in many of her letters.

Freda also constantly tries to piece together information about Albert's unit based on evidence from his letters, the media and letters received from friends with loved ones also in the service, especially starting on December 19, 1944 when she heard of the German counterattack which was later know as the Battle of the Bulge, during which communication with Albert was at a standstill and German propaganda was reporting that the 9th Armored Division had been "annihilated." She and her friends continued to exchange news and rumors throughout this period up until December 29, when Freda received word that Albert was safe. Her letter from this date also describes some of the sensationalistic news that was circulating at the time. Starting on January 1, 1945 Freda began writing V-mails to Albert as well as regular letters to make sure she stayed in touch with him.

Freda's letter of January 13, 1945 expresses her reaction to reading Albert's account of his hasty retreat and the Battle of the Bulge (Albert's letter dated December 29 - January 1). She also expresses her worry at what these experiences will do to Albert and talks about her anxiety while waiting for word after Bastogne.

There is a gap in Freda's letters following February 3, 1944 the day before she lost the baby. Ironically, her final letter of these period ends with the optimistic remark:" ... just take care of yourself- and stop thinking about the new arrival so much - eve1y one of your letters reads between the lines with your concern - remember - I'm just the daisy type - what could go wrong with me." It is unclear as to whether letters following this date are missing or, in fact, never existed. In his letter of February 24, 1945, Albert refers to a letter of Freda's from Februa1y 14-15, not present in the collection, which finally brought him relief from his worries for her safety. Freda's letters resume on March 2, in which she expresses her amazement at Albe1i's expression of emotion during the crisis. In her letter of March 1 O, 1945 she mentions that she will not be able to have another child for at least another year. She reflects on this incident again in her letter of March 25, 1945.

Also in her letter of March 10, 1945 Freda sent Albert newspaper clippings about the 9th Armored Division crossing the Rhine, commenting "Boy -- the 9th AD. hit the front page with a bang!"

As the war news improved, Freda became increasingly anxious at the thought of peace finally coming. In her letter of March 23 Freda mentions that she and her mother were listening to Bing Crosby program on the radio, when it was interrupted by an announcement of"one moment please": "Mama and I got so excited that we could scarcely breathe -- for a minute we thought they had surrendered -- but then the program went on without a stop and were we disappointed. Oh I know it's overoptimism but you just can't help hoping and dreaming that any day now it might end .... " Her letter of April 25, 1945 mentions the San Francisco Peace Conference which "seems to hold out a lot of hope for the future generation - our son to be specific."

In June of 1945 Freda got word from the owner of the house in which she was living that she would have to move, and the remainder of letters in the collection talk about her worries at having to find a new place to live, Albert's mother arranging to buy a house down the street, and finally moving in an making preparations for Albert's return. In her letter of August 9, 1945 she writes "I want to get into the new place for this reason - with things going as they have - Russia entering the war and the atom bomb - feeling runs high here that the war will be over in a matter of weeks .... " She also comments on Having heard a special bulletin "that an envoy from Japan was on his way to Russia to negotiate a peace - and my God if its true this whole damn mess will be over by the time you come home and - oh what a lovely dream." (August 9, 1945)

Other highlights from Freda's letters include:

• Paragraph about keeping election returns to mail to Albert. Comments positively on Roosevelt's victory. (November 8, 1944)

• Mentions the meat and cigarette shortage. (January 11, 1945)

• Paragraph about Roosevelt asking Jesse Jones to resign as the Reconstruction Finance Corporation so that Henry Wallace could take his place. (Janua1y 26, 1945)

• The death of President Roosevelt: "Everything in town was closed from 2 to 5 in honor of Pres. Roosevelt and when I say everything I mean everything. Movies, drugstores, bakeries, candy stores - everything - and Mary [Shapiro] says it was the same in New York." (April 15, 1945)

• Mentions and impasse in San Francisco conference over question of a President. (April 27, 1945)

• Official announcement of meeting with Russians. Hitler is still supposed to be in Berlin. "things seem to be finally tapering off to a final conclusion." (April 28, 1945)

• Emotional paragraph about Albert coming home soon. Mentions Mussolini's death and Rumor that Hitler "died yesterday at noon."(April 30, I 945)

• Freda's explanation of how her friend Ma1y Shapiro came to know Eleanor Roosevelt. (May 9, 1945)

• Sylvia got letter with rumor that 9th was made temporary Army of Occupation and the Gen. Leonard was appointed Governor of 16 provinces. Mentions "42 year rule" and that it dropped from 42 to 40 to 38, and hopes it will drop more and apply to Albert. A week before Albert's birthday. Expresses more worries about what the next assignment will be. (May 23, 1945)

• Freda's fantasy about what Albe1t's arrival will actually be like. She also mentions that there is a bill in Congress to permit wives and sweetheaits if the Army of Occupation men to go over to them. (June 7, 1945)

• Brief comment on Albert's stories of concentration camps. (July 10, 1945)

• Brief paragraph about Russia and their distrust of the Allies. (July 15, 1945)

• Received Albert's Bronze Star in the mail and talks about how Albert deserves it. (July 16, 1945)

• Long paragraph about Albert's "drooling" at women while in the Riviera and discussion of their mutual celibacy. (July 30, 1945)

• Freda declares her ability to be self-reliant in response to Albert's letters of August 24 and 27 which questioned her judgement and abilities regarding buying the new house and handling money (September 4, 1945)