"Then I made a lot of friends among the American soldiers..."

"The American soldiers were the ones who made the first efforts to get on friendly terms with us. The first contacts were familiar and without the usual formalities, especially among the younger fellows. One even asked me if my mother could do some washing and ironing for him. But it wasn't so much a matter of just getting their laundry done. These were young guys who were homesick and you could see that they were seeking contact with other human beings. All of us did something for the Americans.

Then I made a lot of friends among the American soldiers, particularly those between the ages of 20 and 25. The younger soldiers were not much older than I was and for them I was like a brother. The older soldiers saw in me the son waiting for them back home. We often went out and had a few drinks. I really appreciated their casualness and their friendly, easy- going manner."

Wilhelm W., born in 1930, at the time a railway worker who was also employed as a translator for the US Army (Boltzmann-Institut/Steinocher- Fonds Interview Archive, Salzburg)