December 26, 1944
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310.67.1-5.2016 Transcription
Somewhere – France
With 7th Army
26 Dec 44 @ 9PM
[As
I didn’t have
a decent chance to
write Xmas night.][1]
Dearest,
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY,[2] darlin!
No, I’m not slippin’!—its all a long story
For days ‘n days I’ve “secretly”
waited to hear that my “Happy Anniv.”
cablegram for Nov 26th arrived—
the more I waited the more dis-
heartened I became & the madder I
got. An assuring & love-expressing
cablegram should have arrived on
or before Nov. 26th. Then about 4 or
5 days later another should have
arrived just containing assurance.
For awhile thereafter the ERM-cable-
grams were “shut off” & I have
kept waiting for them to “open”
again so as to again wish you
a Happy Anniversary for 26thDec
but they are open in only certain
zones—not ours, damnitohell!
Darlin I may as well tell you outright that I’m in
a pretty vile mood tonight for about 5 reasons.
However I just must write, so please bear c̅[3] me.
OVER
[2]
Again, I repeat that as far as going
out browsing & bartering around
these stinkin’ lousey towns & cities
I just do not do it for the sake
of you & Terry[4] (‘cuz things might/can happen).
That Milano fellow, as millions of
others, must be a browser & barter—
all the power to ‘em if they want to.
I have never been over 200 yards
away from out entrance (except once
to hurry ½ a mile for a shower, I wrote you about)
Sooo dear, I just don’t have
anything to send you—damnitohell!
Im sorry—you’ll say you don’t
care at all—yet I’m griped
as “Hell,” to be honest.
Another thing that burns me
a little nearer the core every day
is that no letters come through on
that new APO[5] of 758. WHY IN “HELL”
can Edna Guichu get a letter to
me from Nevada (via A.P.O. 758) in 8
days & I get nothing in days &
days from you except “ancient-
November-history” (& then those are all 17346
& jumbled as to sequence). Please don’t mis-
construe that I don’t love every
letter I get from you, but why
[3]
the “Hell” can’t the postal service get
December mail through to me along
c̅ the other fellows in our gang.
Naturally, you’ll say I got that one
from December (7th) (8th) or (9th) [in fast time][6] bearing
APO 758 but why don’t they continue
since the fast routing has been
established in your addressing?!?
[To be honest, I’ve suspected something wrong
for days now—either some absoloutely
innocent sentence of mine was misconstrued
by you or something is wrong c̅ you or Terry
in the early days of December, & you’re just
letting a “silence-period” soak-in first.][7]
Next you’ll say this ais all sorta
“backwards-double-talk” when I
tell you that I have received today
Frank Brown’s pictures of Terry via APO
17346 mailed Nov. 29th & Dads
[THANK HIM LOTS!][8] Nov 29th letter. I
am appreciative for Terry’s pictures but
if each of us are honest, I believe
we will agree we want a different
type of picture and new pictures.
Why! one fellow’s wife takes up a
roll about every 2 weeks & he has
the grandest picture book. I once
(in a letter recently) razzed you about
(OVER)[9]
[4]
this, but I mean it sincerely that
I wish you’d shoot up a “hoarded”
Devens roll of film about every 2 wks.
[I have had a picture taken for you & have seen
the negative but cant send it—printing
paper is the real problem over here but I’ll keep
“hounding” for a print.][10] The nurse won’t relinquish the negative
Also, you may consider it more
“backwards-double-talk” when I
tell you that I was appreciative/thankful
for a Dec 2 letter via APO 17346 which
did come in Christmas Eve-mail
that meant so much to all the guys,
but they received 8, 9, & 10 day RECENT
letters on Xmas-eve. I know I’m talking
like a spoiled-brat & that should be more
appreciative/thankful for any letter—but—
but—I guess that it is that I’m (#1)
worrying [about] no mid Dec or la[t]er Dec news
about you & Terry & (#2) & just cant figure out
why only one APO 758 comes through & then they
stop like a cold-potato. Please dont
think, dear, that I’m “riding” you—
maybe I’m just nervous or
something.
One huge increment of this
“SOMETHING” is a “100%-fed-up-ness”
c̅ every ramification you can
think of as regards “European-Un-
Hygiene.” naturally I’m a doctor;
[5]
naturally, I’m a little more “persnikety”
than average; BUT—oh how
I loath the basic/fundamental/inate [sic]
un-hygiene of Europe. I’ve been
in one of their finest hotels; I’ve been
in their rottenest house; yet they
equal eachother only in the degree
of basic/fundamental/inate un-
hygienity [sic]. I could cite examples
all night but I’ll stop c̅ the most
perti[n]ent-everpresent-unescapable
example:—our mess hall has
European-helper-outers; their rotten
habits, acts, practices, & hygiene-
ignorance has made it so that
I (& others) just detest going to eat.
One reason I feel so vile tonight, it
AGAIN, I (& others) have gastrointestinal
trouble because of the “UNHYGIENE OF
EUROPE.” I could repulse/revolt/
& nauseate you by no less than 100
detailed examples
Oh! oh! ——when I come
home I’ll verbally describe what this (above)
“Oh! oh!” stands for——the “reminder-keynote”
will be: “Day After & Day Of Xmas Presents.”
[6]
[24 hrs later][11]
I shouldn’t blow off steam like
I did last night—but some
times a “foot-soljer”[12] just cant
help but imbibe in that very
swell & frequent-Army-habit of
“bitchin” [lamenting/squaking/greiping][13]
MOM & DAD:—Thanks a million
for those swell (AND SO MANY!) Xmas
presents. Gee! Boy! Umm! I havent
used the lighter yet, but Ill get
airplane high octane to burn in it
(P.S. You cannot send inflamables)
Dearest, thanks again (in case other
letters didn’t get through) for that super-swell
gift of Readers Digest. No issues have
come through as yet.
[Before I forget—due to circumstance,
consider this letter in the letter sequence as
the Dec 26thand Dec 27th issue. There just will not be
more time to write as we likely will be moving
from our cozy-snuggled setup—well! we
had our wish of not having to move during
Xmas-Eve-Xmas Day.][14]
Hurriedly I’ll rush through your
questions:—(1) Umm! 11 POUNDS 7 OUNCES
[7]
Why! that’s a million percent better
than havin’ a “7-11” or “11-7” in a
dice game (P.S. I’ve never yet touched ‘em)
(2) Prepuce is the word to describe
what Dr. B. stretched on Thump[15]—
Im sorry it made the sweet little
ol’ duffer cry. All docs (me too) have had
to do it, though. (3) Again (3rd x or 4th x 4 letters lost[16]) those
Truax papers have been sent. Again
today phone wires are trying to
find the location of a JAG[17]-army lawyer
for your Power of Att[orne]y. (4) Any silliness
in US newspapers or elsewhere
should make all you Americans
devoted to intensive & minute
map reading courses at home-fire
sides. (5) Thanks for telling me of
the Columbia portrait & allotments.
(Sigh—of relief!) (6) Ill keep my
eyes & ears open for Tony Milano—
it could be.—but a little moderate
distance is a long distance, over here.
Dearest, I just must stop writing right here & now.
I love you both so so deeply
c̅ all my prayers & love——
Dave
[1] Bracketed text written in the upper left-hand corner of original.
[2] In original, there is an arrow pointing from “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY” to the “26” in the date.
[3] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[4] Their infant son.
[5] Army Post Office.
[6] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[7] Bracketed text is part of original.
[8] Bracketed text is part of original.
[9] Written in lower right-hand corner of page
[10] Bracketed text is part of original
[11] Bracketed text written at the top of the page in original.
[12] Soldier.
[13] Bracketed text is part of original.
[14] Bracketed text is part of original.
[15] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[16] In original, “3rd x or 4th x” is written above “4 letters lost.”
[17] Judge Advocate General.