Lunnie Letter
11: April-June, 1945 || TOC
Date, 11/27/02
Mr. Donald J. Mabry
206 Hiwassee Drive
Starkville, MS 39759
Dear Mr. Mabry
Thank you for your letter to me dated Oct. 30, 2002 concerning Journal for the
3rd Battalion, 26 Infantry, 1st Infantry Division Commencing November 1st 1942.
This Journal was compiled by John D. Stromer and myself on [orders] from Col. John D.
Corley, 3rd Battalion [commander], 26th Infantry Regiment.., after the war Ended in Europe
1945.
We were supplied the "Morning Reports" of the companies of The Battalion, put
on detached service from our company and given space in the office of a movie Theatre in
[Nuremberg] Germany. We could both [type] which was a [rarity] at the time.
John D. Stromer was the Company Clerk of Company I and I was Mail Clerk and Clerk in
the Orderly Room whenever we were in a position that gave us the means to do paper work.
We were both [combat] soldiers since we joined company I as Replacements in the 3rd Rifle
[Platoon] of company I in Sicily. We both landed in Normandy on D. Day June 6th 1944 And
ended the war having participated in 6 of the 8 major [campaigns] of The European Theatre.
Colonel Corley knew both myself and John D. and believed we would give him a thorough and
honest Journal of events.
It took us about a month to compile the Journal and after its completion we started our
long journey home, arriving @ Newport News, VA, Sept, 29, 2945. I put that date in
because [it is] the last time I ever saw or heard from John D. Stromer. He requested at
pour parting that no one from the Army contact him... His wish was to go home and try to
forget about the war, a wish that as a good friend I honored.
I was most pleased when I was informed by Mrs. James T. Lingg that a copy
was available via the Internet, in turn a copy was sent to me by Ms. Claudin Thomas of
Havre De Grace, Maryland.
The Journal brought back a lot of memories, some good, some not so good. A number of
casualties were close friends.
I hope this answers some of the questions you [may] have had concerning The Journal. If
you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely
Paul W. Lunnie
Gilman, Vt. 05904
Copies to:
Mrs. James T. Lingg
Ms. Claudin Thomas
Note: The corrections for the typographical errors were put in brackets. The rest of
the letter is as Lunnie wrote it.
11: April-June, 1945 || TOC
