Wednesday, January 31 (1945)

Up at 6:00. Colder than yesterday. Back to plant and started hunting cause of shaking pipes. Asked Garden about noon relative to it and found he thought it involved trouble in the process. Later on got a hunch it came from pumps which are behaving badly. Finally ran into Albertson and had quite a rag chew. Believe Garden's right and whole pipe trouble may be caused by steam hammer and sound. Had an accident. 1/8" cross line on a rack let go. Say the ensuing fumes are poisonous. Not very however. I think. Back at guest house. This is my last day in the U.S. Army. Tomorrow, I'm a cit.

Tuesday, January 30 (1945)

Up at 6:00 on a clear, frosty morning. Tried the "call" and found it A-1. Got my first introduction to the bus transport here. Its quite a right to watch the buses move out. Reached plant about 7:40 with sun rising. Started checking plans and comparing them with plant. Kept it up all day and had pretty good luck checking out condensate pumps still giving plenty of trouble and two engr. Colonels and Chief from Cleveland down. Found pipes swaying quite a bit and Roberts asked me to run it down. Source not clear. Suspect air compressor. Dinner at Call. Wrote Mary and Johnny. Turned in.

Monday, January 29 (1945)

Up at 6:30 in Knoxville yard. Up to Andrew Johnson for breakfast which was good. Car came for me about 8:00 and I spent all morning on physical ex. After glass of milk at noon went over to power house learning intake and overflow of cooling water. General layout of high pressure steam and watching work on a one of the condensate pumps which was acting badly. Proved to have screen chock full of cinders! Begin to get an idea of the process. Theory is very simple. Practice rather complicated. Am beginning however to get the idea. Short of steam all day more than half the plant non-operating. Dinner at "Guest House." Went to Chas Laughton's Ghost of Canterirlles at the "Center" Theater.

Saturday, January 27 (1945)

Still very cold. Went down town. Used up my last shoe ration bought some civilian sox. Finished packing up. In evening went to punk movie. Read mysterys in bed and turned in. Thus endeth the career of Lt. Col. John H. Ruckman one time C.O. 2nd Bu 354th Inf 89th Div. Donned civies. Mary cried when I gave her my dog tags. Finished packing. About 11 took car down to depot and checked baggage. Light lunch at home. Katie and Margaret came in to say good bye. Mary with us to train at 2:00. No heat in car to Washington. Later Southern got us comfortable new Culpepper.

Friday, January 26 (1945)

Bitter cold. Probably the coldest ever. Thermometer on back steps -5 but official temperatures were around zero. Waited for car salesman from Newark during morning. When he had not shown up afternoon Mary and I walked down town to pick up reservation and odds & ends. Bitter cold and high wind. Finally got my clothes having to use taxi. Quiet home in evening. Russians have lapped around Konigsberg, Brefau and Poren.

Thursday, January 25 (1945)

Very cold. +5 or so. Wind still blowing and hard to keep furnace right. Margaret recommended car dealer in Newark, who was supposed to come up. Talked to ration board. Dozens of regulations. Later talked to dealer. Just too damned much red tape. Came home and made some coat hangers. Packed rest of books. Reserved RR birth for Sunday. Finally got house fairly warm.

Wednesday, January 24 (1945)

Mary to hospital. Her car conked and I had to check it but found nothing much wrong. I began sorting books and clothes. In PM, we drove down town to do some errands and to try to find some trunk coat hangers. No use. Nothing else of importance. Toward wenning began to blow terrifically from the north. House got very cold.

Tuesday, January 23 (1945)

Woke up late in fact train had nearly reached Lynchburg. Some snow on Blue Ridge in spots. Train late. Crowd across the isle greatly interested in dismissal of Jesse Jones as Sec. of Commerce. Not surprising, the South must be boiling. Train ran later and later. First snow near Manassas. So late at Washington we missed two connections and didn't reach Wilmington till after six. Mary had been down to meet me but had to go home. Alice Johnson and some of Snook's friends for supper. I ate up at the B&O Restaurant and brought ice cream home for supper.

Monday, January 22 (1945)

Was supposed to be picked up by car at 9:00. At 9:30, no car. Phoned plant at 10:00. They promised car. At 11:30, no car. Phoned Roberts. Seems first car broke down. Promised another. It got in about 12:30. Stopped in with Hardin at the Andrew Johnson. He had his wife with him and there was not room for all. Got out to plant about 2 PM and was processed and processed, mugged, finger printed, social security numbered etc etc etc. Finally got over to see Roberts for a minute. All prelims now fixed except physical. Late getting back to town (after 7:30) got my supper picked up my reservation, telegraphed ? and read detective stories. Down to depot about 10:30. Train however nearly an hour late. Saw one hospital train going south.

Sunday, January 21 (1945)

Nothing to do. Walked about four miles. Crossing two bridges across the French Broad and visiting the Univ. of Tennessee campus. No movies open on Sunday. Read detective stories. Felt much better.

Saturday, January 20 (1945)

Fairly comfortable night. Got pretty good sleep due to time zone change. Had nearly an hour outside of Knoxville by the derailment. Called up plant and was taken out. Met same engineer colonel again. Sewed up job @ 7200 and looked it over. Interesting but puzzling. Supper with Roberts. Back at hotel late.

Friday, January 19 (1945)

Went down to Equitable in morning and drew $100 and got my ticket. Then hunted all over town for a decent pair of gloves. Mary finally mended my old army gloves for me, doing a really nice job. She walked up to car line with e to see me off and I got rouge smeared on my face. When I got to depot found I was early due to watch being off. Then took The Champion at 210 the original Chattanooga choo choo (or one of them). Uneventful trip, losing a little time but not bad. Had dinner with an ordnance civilian "expert" recently from Canada. Joined by a wounded paratrooper captain and an engineer Lt. Col.

Thursday, January 18 (1945)

Finally got up. Still feel a little gassy and mean. Went down to B&O but found B&O doesn't go to Knoxville. Back to lunch. After lunch down to the Penny and reserved a birth. Went to movies. Quiet evening. Due to pull out at 1410 tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 17 (1945)

Bitter day but still pretty cold. Still feel rotten and am pretty well fed up with aspirin. Outside trees till look like glass forrest. I read one mystery story right through. Felt a little better. Late in the evening got a telegram from Tennessee. To come at once. Read Mary a good detective story of war-time Washingtons.

Tuesday, January 16 (1945)

During night started to rain. Rain changed to sleet and finally to snow! Whole country in more of less of a fairyland, trees ice sheathed and evergreens carrying so much snow that some have bent double. Felt rotten. Didn't go out. Just lay in bed and slept and studied. Mary walked up to Capeau's and got some orange ice.

Monday, January 15 (1945)

After morning chores went down town and phoned Sneddon. He has been dropped from FerCleve! Then called the plant in Tennessee. Found that they have not even looked at my application!! Spent rest of the afternoon going to movies. Nothing good. Was interested in pictured supposed to be Port Arthur episode of 1904. Apparently taken in England. Must have cost plenty. Had been heavily reworked. Feeling punk. Believe I've caught cold from others. Got ice cream for the crowd.

Saturday, January 14 (1945)

Snowing. Mary convalescent. Girls played cards all morning. Had big chicken cold for supper. Really didn't do a thing all day.

Saturday, January 13 (1945)

Rained all night. Warm and sloppy under foot. Mary still laid up. Snook able to get about however. Fell a bit rheumatic myself. Down town to look for a movie. Couldn't find anything good. Home early. In evening read Beowulf and Rustum Bay. Ho hum. Big tough chicken for supper. Snowing. Mary convalescent. Girls played cards all morning. Had big chicken cold for supper. Really didn't do a thing all day.

Friday, January 12 (1945)

Mary in bed. Snook still in bed but feeling better. Did chores and ran errands. Bitterly cold and slippery out. Didn't try to do much. Snook up toward evening and helped out a little. Radio reception rotten and hard to gear news. Philippine campaign seems to be going well. Wrote Hammer.

Thursday, January 11 (1945)

Mary up at 5:00 for Red Cross work at air base. Had breakfast and went back to sleep. She returned about 7:30 half frozen and disgusted. It seems the call for nurses had been cancelled but the people in charge at the R.C. had neglected to notify the nurses aides. Snook still in bed. Did some errands in morning and in afternoon went movie thriller at the Grand - very punk. Mary feeling rotten. Our dispatches ignore situation on 7th Army front. Germans are gaining. Apparently much friction in European command.