Brent describes waking up to the sound of marching feet in time to see the American army crossing the Rhine into Coblenz. He writes of the historical significance of this moment and the happiness he felt at realizing "the great German fortress on the hill" had fallen into American hands. They played American music and waved the flag, and Brent felt "shivers of inspiration go up and down my back" at this great victory. He could almost hear "the Eagle scream in defiance of that great black imperial eagle now crushed and bleeding in his talons." He describes the parade as more similar to a holiday parade than the invasion the Germans inflicted on the nations they occupied.
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