Brief. Manning Haney. Atlanta march. 6 december 1942.

Brief. Manning Haney. Atlanta march. 6 december 1942. Brief van Manning Haney aan zijn moeder waarin hij verteld over de 115 mijl lange mars die hij de dagen daarvoor met het tweede bataljon van het 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment vanuit Camp Toccoa naar Atlanta, als onderdeel van hun verplaatsing naar Fort Benning, voltooid heeft. Haney vertelt dat de mars zeer zwaar was. Opvallend is het dat de brief drie kantjes beslaat, terwijl de meeste brieven van hem vrij kort waren. Ook vertelt hij vrij openhartig, met trots maar zonder bravoure. Vanwege het bijzondere karakter van deze brief wordt de volledige inhoud nu volgend weergegeven: Dear Mom, Sat night and I am at Benning at last and what a place. Reminds me of [onleesbaar woord]. Well mom the 506th got a world record and I helped do it. But I wouldn't do it again. Tue morning at 7 we started out and it was foggy and sort of chilly. At 10 it started to rain. We all got [onleesbaar woord] and wet. To begin with we were tired from the three day manuevers last week. We marched through 22 miles of mud in five and a half hours. A few of the fellows fell out but when they fell they went face forward. They didn't walk out to the side of the road and sit down. I mean they went out cold. We had one mile to go, one big 6 ft 2 fellow from Texas hit the mud. Another fellow (lt. Mcfaddin) pulled him out to the rear to help him. But help didn't do him any good, he was dead, that was the first dead man. I have stepped over, and the last one I hope. The major stopped the Bn. and for one minute we stood at attention, then moved on. That night we stayed on a hill. The wind was so strong we couldn't have fires that gave us much heat. My coveralls froze, the next morning I nearly died, [onleesbaar woord] wasn't so bad, we made another 40 miles, again I nearly died. But I made it. We had a good place to stay overnight and it was rather warm. Fri. we went the rest of the way (35) miles en to show the people we are as tough as those damn Japanese double timed the last mile, and no one fell out. Fri. we marched into Atlanta and recieved a Ribbon to tie on our Batlle Flag. The people were nice to us. We had hot coffee, doughnuts and cig. To [onleesbaar woord] the news real cameramen were there and photographers. They gave a big [onleesbaar woord] up in the papers and put us in the newsreels telling of our hardships. They [onleesbaar woord] told of a few I was their (I know). It wasn't a historical march to us, it was a horrible nightmare. But we made that 115 miles in half the time the Japs did and carried twice as much stuff and are proud of it. Fort Benning is a big place. Camp Toccoa was heaven to the side of Fort Benning. We won't be here long. Thanks I got for that. You know I don't know wether it did much good but for the first time in my life I prayed to God to help me make that 22 miles tue afternoon. I made it, 9 out of 10 were doing the same. We start our training mon. morning and get our wings new years eave. I got you a couple of wings one a necklace and a little ACMY [?] with a pair of wings on it. I will send them to you the first time I get a chance. I have got to right my [onleesbaar woord] war department (boops). I got a [onleesbaar woord] letters and a bop from her today when we had mail call. I got 2 from Peggy, one from Leo (He is ready to go across) and one from aunt Dorthy. But I sat down and wrote you first as you are my best girlfriend and always will be. Well must close for now, will write more tomorrow. Love, Sonny. De brief is geschreven op briefpapier van Fort Benning en verkeert nog in goede staat. De brief is in de originele enveloppe in het album aangebracht. Op deze enveloppe heeft Haney zijn eigen gegevens vermeld, 'Pvt. Guy Haney. 2 Bn. Co F. 506th Parachute Inf.', en het adres van zijn moeder: 'Mrs. W.G. Haney. 305 Park Ave. Fulton Ky.'. Het poststempel op de brief geeft de plaatsaanduiding 'Fort Benning Ga.' en de datumaanduiding '10am DEC 6 1942' weer. De enveloppe is aan de rechterzijde opengescheurd en in het album voorzien van het volgende bijschrift: This is the letter about the above march. It brought tears to my eyes, when I thought of what those boys went through with. De brief is doormiddel van twee stukjes tape in het album aangebracht. Dit object maakt deel uit van het persoonlijke album van Manning Haney (geregistreerd onder nummer 11.31.16). Pfc. Manning G. Haney (ASN 19123417), geboren op 30 november 1924, was mitrailleurschutter in Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division en is gesneuveld op 9 oktober 1944 op de Rijndijk tussen Randwijk en Heteren, Nederland.