2 Recon fellows & Chick
With the company gone there is nothing to do but lay around. Went over to Battalion to get some ice cream. Had four glasses full. Listened to the radio and was on guard from 3 to 5.
Your Son, ‘Chick’
Letter home – July 27, 1943
Dear Mother & Dad;
This is the second letter that I have wrote since I have been here so you see you can’t expect too much mail from me. As long as you are in combat, you move so much that it’s impossible to write. The people seem glad that we are here, dad you would be a surprise at the number that can speak English. A lot of them came back to see their families and then the war broke out so they could not go back. They have little food here and of course the people lined the streets as we go by asking for candy, gum, and cigarettes. I thought when we left Africa of that we would get away from that, but no soap. Oh yes! Sunday I went to two churches one a High Mass an Benediction in the morning and then Benediction in the evening. Boy if they have some beautiful church is over here. Well this is all the news I have left so good bye and don’t worry. I’ll be loving you both.
Your Son “Chick”
July 27, 1943 – Tuesday
Chick Bruns in Palermo
We unloaded the supply truck and tried to straighten things around a bit. After we had finished we sat around and talked. In the evening the company moved out to Prizzi to build a prison camp. The supply and a few others were left behind. I went on the water run with some fellow of the 3rd Recon got my picture taken and had some ice cream. listened to the radio in the evening.
July 26, 1943 – Monday
We have a lot of work to do today and plus that we are moving tonight. We loaded up the truck and I went down for a swim. We watched a big warship & air battle off the coast today. About 12 war ships and 50 German bombers. Boy did they lay in the bombs. One plane was shot down. We moved over to a small town called Santa Flavia. Not much to do but go to bed.
July 25, 1943 – Sunday
I went to mass this morning and it was the craziest mass I ever went to it scared me to death. At the elevation of the host and communion they played a drum and rang a bell, I worked the rest of the day and went to town in the evening, We had ice cream my first since I left the states. We hired a buggy and road all over town. I went to mass in a large church that was really beautiful. Towslee and I went swimming just before we came home.
Walking the streets of Palermo, Sicily
Chick talks about the invasion of Sicily and walking the streets of Palarmo in July of 1943. Filmed 2007 at the studios of WILL, University of Illinois as part of the “WWII Central Illinois Stories” series
Posted in 1943, In his words
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July 24, 1943 – Saturday
We got ready to move to Palermo. We played around until after dinner before we move. Just before we left there was a ration dump across the road from us. So about twenty fellows swiped a case of cigarettes. We hadn’t had cigarettes for some time. Wow we have a few cigarettes. We are just outside of Palermo. We are about 100 yrds from the sea so we are going swimming after supper.
Letter home – July 23, 1943
Dear Mother & Dad;
This is the first chance I have had to write and let you know where I’m. I know you have been worrying your heads off but it just couldn’t be helped. Today is the first day since we landed that we could write. I am well and in good shape, I hope you are all the same. Now don’t expect too many letters as the war is going good and we advance so fast that we have little time to write. The Dagoes are poorer fires and give themselves up by the hundreds. Sicily is a pretty place if you like mountains. There is nothing but high mountains everywhere, and its rugged going. I will write a long letter the first chance I get and tell you all about it. Tell every one polo for me, and I will write to them later. We received our first mail today and a long time. Goodbye an I love you both from the bottom of my heart. Please don’t worry as I’ll be OK.
Your Son “Chick”
July 23, 1943 – Friday
We packed everything up and left for the new bivouac area just this side of Palermo. Boy the roads are just full of prisoners. We got to our bivouac area just before dinner. I wrote my first letter home from Sicily. We played cards and got ready to move. They changed the move until tomorrow.
July 22, 1943 – Thursday
There was nothing to do but wait for them to come after us. The Italian people were coming over and giving us wine and we were giving them food in turn. They are all about starved. We must have had about 2 gal. of wine this afternoon. Wellman came after us about 10 PM. We stayed here the rest of the night.
