December 22, 1944
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310.65.1-3.2016 Transcription
Somewhere – France
22 Dec. 44
c̅[1] 7th Army
Ummm! dearest,
Santa Claus is really a-sledin’
when he once gets to sleddin’! Bestest of
all Mom & Dads pkg. came!—yup, c̅
just 48 hrs to spare [P.S. And thats an awful close
squeeze in overseas terminology re: pkg delivery.][2]
Yup! I shook it good but Ill be darned
if my diagnosis by palpation is worth a
darn (we Anesthetists, ya know!—thats out of
our field & left to the Internal Medicine docs. Ho! Hum!)
MOM & DAD:—Thanks a hundered [sic] million! I
cant say thanks for this-or-that ‘cuz Ill
respect your rotation, “Xmas Pkg.” P.S. I’m
not like that kittenish daughter of yours who shakes
all pkgs so thoroughly that she knows exactly whats
in ‘em days before Xmas Eve! HO! HO! HO! —such 卐Ü
Ill write again after opening the pkg.
Then——“Samie”-Santa-Claus
“came through.” We got our first ration
as the 116th Evac[uation Hospital unit]. It was really abundant,
I think, & I guess its [on] a-counta Xmas. Viz.
8 candy bars, can of peanuts, bar of soap, a
writing tablet, this pad of paper, a bar of
soap, 3 cigars (Hooey!), & 2 bottles of beer.
A’course we had to pay 96 Francs to get
it——but even so it is a “gift” &
a Xmas-gift. (Oh yes! a comb too.) Say! howz
about me right here & now opening one of those
bottles of beer 7 well drink it “together.” OK?
OK! Kerplupp! Say! that tastes like-home!
One day in Southern France I drank a small
(OVER)
[2]
glass of French beer just to be a’ tastin that
famously-lousey French beer—& boy!
was it lousey! Have another swallow, Wilitzski![3] —OK
The bottles aren’t really glass at all—they
are that disposable type of synthetic that looks
like glass. Guess you’ve seen coffee, etc, in
such containers even while I was still in
the States.
Only 2 more things could make my
Xmas [more][4] “complete” here in 48 hrs—(1) To
know my Dont-Open-Till-Xmas-letter had
arrived & was on your tree & (2) [not to “harp,” dear
but just ‘cuz it seems so so long since I asked][5] to
get some pictures of you & Terry[6] together.
Please, dear, use those films I “hoarded”
so diligently (YET c̅ METHOD TO MY MADNESS)
back at Devens. Maybe, sez she, he expects me to
shoot up a roll every 2 weeks——HOWDYAGUESSIT!
P.S. yup! I know it takes time to take pictures, but
I’m still full-headed & “inconsiderate” on this subject
yup! I’ll just heckle the “Hell-outa-ya” every letter
if you don’t start a’ shootin’ pictures. See!—you
precious Lug, you!
Again (for erepititions sake) it goes s̅[7] saying
that a big increment in my Xmas-completeness
is the fact that I will be able to attend
an Episcopal Xmas Eucharist at 10PM Dec 25th
as I wrote in an earlier letter (as to details).
Soooo, I’m really sittin’ on top of the world
——that is as best a “foot-solger”[8] can
sit on top of the world so many miles
[3]
‘n oceans away from his Precious Ones.
Wanna know a secret? ——I just open that
second (& last) bottle of “home.” Boy! oh boy! “ain’t” we
just havin’ a super-druper [sic] party “together” here tonight,
darlin?!?! Well——were havin’ a good “talk,”
anyway.
The enclosed clipping is absoloutely
one of the cleverest things that has ever
been written! You may not be “wowed” by
it as extremely as is a soljer[9]-father, but
read it slowly, & many times, & I’m sure
you’ll “see-through” the extreme cleverness
of it.
Well, dearest, I wrote more than I thought
I had time for. I’ve a dozen little jobs I
just must do. Soooo, here’s hopin’ ‘n dreamin’
for pictures of you & Terry together before Xmas.
Gosh, I love ya!!!!!!!,
Dave
P.S. I received a {letter} [card][10] from Margee [Parrott][11] today & one from a 40 yr old
Wrs Gen’l nurse who was on the same boat c̅ us—
‘sfunny, but letters dont mean a thing to me unless
they are from you—now, why couldn’t those 2
letters today have been from The Most Precious Gal
In The World?!? However, I am truely & sincerely
thankful for Mom-Dad’s packg, Margee’s & Miss Warren’s letters.
guess you know what I’m trying to express, though.
If mail service is good—why cant it be “good” ?!?
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] Bracketed text is part of original.
[3] Wilsey’s nickname for himself.
[4] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] Their infant son.
[7] Medical abbreviation meaning “without.”
[8] Foot-soldier.
[9] Soldier.
[10] Bracketed text written above “{letter}” in original.
[11] Bracketed text written above “Margee” in original.