The Lincoln Times

GENTLEMEN GI'S
ENJOYING EASY
LIFE IN GERMANY

With the Third Army in Germany.

You'd hardly know the Third Army men since they settled down to occupy this corner of Germany. That they are strictly gentlemen soldiers-the GI's, general and all.

KP is a thing of the past. German soldiers peel the spuds and wash the dishes.

Mess kits and canteen cups have been put away. Meals are served on honest to goodness plates and eaten with knives and forks. There are usually flowers on the table and the waitresses are not bad to look at.

In most outfits it is compulsory for the men to participate in an afternoon recreation period-play softball or volleyball or go horseback riding or swimming.

By shifting duties around, a work schedule has been arranged so that most of the men are on a five and a half or six day week.

There are plenty of hired hands to take care of such items as laundry, boot polishing and making beds.

The MPs are trying valiantly, but they are fighting a losing battle. They apply a new coat of varnish to their shiny helmets every day or so and cruise around in jeeps looking stern with their chins thrust forward menacingly. But there is little for them to do.

They hide in the bushes along the autobahn and try to bag someone driving faster than 40 miles an hour.

Occasionally they catch a fellow without a helmet liner.

(A helmet liner is a lightweight plastic-coated head covering which fits inside the tin hat. It won't stay on a man's head if he is riding in a jeep or walking too fast. It is part of the regulation uniform for the occupation army.)

Peace in Europe also has gone a long way in erasing the sharp line between the enlisted man and the officer. There is plenty of help to go around and living accommodations are just about equal.

But the man in brass still enjoys a few minor privileges-especially officers of field grade.

There is a 9:30 p. m. curfew for the German population and GI's have to be in by 10. But a lieutenant colonel can stay out all night if he wants.

Tens of thousands of soldiers have visited Berchtesgaden, going up the mountain to see Hitler's Berghof and climbing the peak to the eagle's nest.

The last few hundred yards are rocky and rugged going. It takes about an hour on foot.

Hitler's elevator is repaired now and negotiates the same distance in about three minutes.

But it is reserved for officers of field grade.