In my reminiscences to World War II (http://nuspel.org/rem5.html), I quoted this from my brother Donald:
I have a great footnote to the activities of your 103rd Infantry Division. A month ago Gene and I were eating at the Riverdale Senior Citizens Center when an older lady sat across from us at the table. She introduced herself in broken English that caused us to ask where she was from.
"I'm from Germany," she replied. "I came to Ogden in 1967."
Then she startled us as she could hardly contain her emotions as she blurted out, "I was 14 years old when the American soldiers arrived in Mannheim. We were afraid that we would be harmed and brutally treated, but the soldiers gave us food and treated us kindly. They played with us. They hugged us and loved us and we cried when they moved on."
When I mentioned that my brother Wendell was part of the 103rd Infantry Division that entered Mannheim, she indicated that she remembered the unit identification very well. So, her story is a great parting note to the 103rd as well as to all other American army units. The U.S. does not go into battle to conquer and enslave people—to keep them down in a subservient position; but the purpose is to free and build people up—to recognize the sanctity of life and the value of each human soul.
So, add that footnote to the 103rd which was a common experience of all American fighting soldiers wherever they went.
June 18. I got interrupted and didn't finish this. Merrill and I were in that same Senior Center a week or so ago, invited by Alan and Jeannie Hall to have lunch there. The coincidence: Across from us at the same table was the husband of that 14-year-old girl in 1945. Unfortunately, his wife was ill and unable to attend but I was able to talk to her on the telephone. How about that?! We both greatly rejoiced to meet again, telephonically, at least, after so many years!