January 11, 1945
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310.81.1-9.2016 Transcription
Somewhere –France
c̅[1] 7th Army
11 Jan 45
Oh Precious! Precious! Precious,
This has been
the most wonderful day in my overseas
life—gee! I just can’t write
fast enough. First we have fresh & good
food; then I get a chance to shower;
then real medical help comes to
relieve us from this [medical][2] nightmareish-Hell
of 10 days (It eats your guts absoloutely right out to
see swell GIs lying torn to Hell on a floor & you
just CANNOT get too them because of super human load
on your unit); AND THEN I get 8 (viii!)
(eight!) of the loveliest [batch of][3] letters any many [sic]
could get from his wife! 8 just absoloutely
perfect letters! (even your blue-lonesome one—honest!)
Oh, Emily, I’m so God-thankful for all
these things today. Golly! I almost
cry I’m so happy—sort of a tingling-
all-over cry-like! Ummmmm!
I’d like to write & write all night
but I just should sleep. [Oh before I forget—
a 5th thing happened that means so much to me—
I was told by the postal clerk that airmail stamps
could be gotten [now][4] so I quickly gave him $3.00—as
of the moment I dont have them in my hand but I
feel lots safer—I was down to my last 3 stamps].[5]
Anyhooo, Ill list your letters & write as
[2]
many question-answers as I can tonight.
The 8 that came were:- Dec 22nd (3 or 4 days
ago I did get your {Dec 24ths Dec 26ths),[6] Dec 27th, 28th, 29th
30th, 31st, Jan 1st, Jan 2nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Before I forget—did Zeph
Hollenbeck (Hollenbach?) have a brother of
military age? A few days ago an
anesthesia-emergency occurred to a
Hollenbeck (Hollenbach) boy whose nativity
was listed somewhere in Eastren [sic] USA &
(this isn’t bragging) he would have died of this
happening, if I hadn’t pulled him out
as the the result of Dr Waters fine fund-
amental ground-work instilled into me.
[While Im at it—this braggin (?) (?) (?)—I [illegible deletion] can
count up about 9 nice American boys whose whom
I have done similarly for. My main reaction—is that
it makes ya feel good to be able to give 9 such fellows
at least a chance to get home to precious-ones, rather than
have their chances end right in an operating room.][7]
Anyhooo, the Army’s “nativity” (UNQUOTE) listing
doesn’t really mean much as, for example,
I could say in an off hand manner
Wisconsin ↔ Nevada ↔ No[rth] Dak[ota] or a
brother of Zeph’s could say his wife’s
residing c̅ her mother in Eastren [sic] USA.
Guess one of the reasons I’m so pleased
—so so so pleased!—about todays
mail is that it tells me lots ‘n lots about
little ol’ Thump[8], & answers those worrisome
things I wanted so much to “make-it-
through” the mails. P.S. Yes dearest, both your
copies of that beautiful Xmas letter came—[REAPITION [sic] 2, or 3 times][9]
[3]
things like 3 EFMs[10] [our package request “did” at tops a sheet][11] PTA[12] $50 (I also sent you a
New years present of $50 via PTA & a “Present-Letter”),
& certain letters. Oh, yes, use my 2 recent
[explained][13] requests for CE Lewis’ book as
sendin’ excuses. Ill write another one
atop page #4 tonight. Yet, no packages or R[ea]ders Digest
have “made-it-through” from you, dear.
Now if you could only shoot up a roll of
film [REPITION 7777 times][14] of you & Terry together
every 2 weeks my life would be ummm!
Your Dec 22nd’s:—Speaking of coming
home—this will be hard for you
to understand & I wont even try to
get in down on paper—hundreds of
thousands of us feel that we just dont
want to go outside the front door of HOME
for one solid week after we once have that
marvelous privelege [sic] of once dashing in
the door. Guess maybe we feel that we “fear” we
might be denied [(by some quirk of Fate—not via our Loved Ones)][15] getting back in again once we have
attained this supreme God-send/thrill—it probably
all arises from having so many things denied us that
once we do get this-or-that things, we just “cling” to
it—just for an example (maybe silly to you folks)
would be airmail stamps which are so “denied” us
that we “cling” them right in a breast pocket. Anyhooo,
dont worry, you Precious Thing, I’m just
bursting to take you to dances, ‘n
dinners ‘n shows ‘n parties ‘n ‘n ‘n, but
boy! oh boy! for one week will we just
dash back inside that wonderful door—
huh??!! Oh, dearest, just to even think
about it a tiny bit takes your breath away.
[4]
Please send me 6 cans of those
delicious rudabegas [sic] like
Sam martin use to sell at
the Safeway grocery store in Elko
Before I forget, I V-mailed Helen-Emmy
& Jean McElrath.
(Back to your Dec 22nd’s) You know what—
for months I have just known! that Terry
was so valuable in helping the Folks.
Infact, when I read your sentence I
thanked God so so so hard for having
sent Terry to help Mom & Dad. I never
wanted to write all this s̅[16] you having
said so in words—gee, Im so
happy & so humbly thankful! Gosh,
I’d feel sorta “sunk” if little ol Thump
weren’t in there a pitchin for my
interests c̅ you, too. Why! I honestly
bet he can kiss 100Xs better than I can
c̅ those lovely lovely soft baby lips. Gee!
Darlin’, I just purrrr in a manner
beyond your imagination about those
things concerning Terry’s hand & his
miniature-ness of me. Truely, darlin’,
I can s-e-e him windin’ up into
a hands-in-mouth ball to get off a laugh.
didn’t I ever tell you the most pleasurably fa[s]cinating &
adorable part of a baby as far as I’m concerned—its
their cute little ol’ poochie bab tummies. I’ll bet
little ol’ Precious Thump is just about developing such
a tummy.
[5]
Please send my 4 (or 6) cans
or jars of that delicious
honey that we always had on our table.
A few times (for only a few hours
duration) I sorta “forgot-myself” & my
vow to you about NOT “killing myself”
(UNQUOTE). Fairly quickly I remembered
& “backwatered.” However, any anesthetist
in an Evac[17] always does the work of
2 people. Its when they asked/bickered/
heckled/”scrounged” me into doing 3 or
4 anesthetics at once, that I rebelled
after my vow to you. AND right here
before my eyes in your handwriting I
see something important [to me]:[18]—you “W-A-N-T”
me to do as I vowed. P.S. Say! be sure to tell
me specificially whether or not that letter “makes-it-through”
in which I told you about 2 certain disgusting Majors
who would almost certainly “spike” any Captaincy I’d
have coming if they can at all do it.
Your Dec 27th’s:—Whumpf! whumpf!
whumpf!—may I be the first to
congratulate you Mrs Emmie P.(ackage) S.(haker)
Schmaltz, on your supreme accomplishment
of not learning what was inside that
“Dont Open Till Xmas” letter. Whumpf! whumpf!
Anyhooo, I am real real happy that you & Mom-Dad liked my
presents to you.
AGAIN, please please (!!) dearest, play
that record I had Aunt K send you as an
Anniversary present lots—“DONT WORRY!”
(REPITION—did it arrive?) We can get get-out so
fast from any place it would make your head spin.
[6]
Please send some me some of
that delicious North Dakota
sauerkraut that Mom makes.
send it in glass or can containers (6 cans).
Yes, the Allies did learn, as you say,
a bitter lesson in the “Belgian-Buldge”
into the 1st & 9th. The Krauts “buldged”
after materiel as much as anything
else, & boy, oh boy! how they “collected.”
Tell those damn goldbricking & “union-ing”
factor[y] workers to get-tha-Hell-goin’!
For your peace of mind (AND IT’S THE TRUTH)
since that time all “materiel” {unhuman & human[19] has
been overly carefully handled.
It was no presurrender flail—it was a materiel grab as I see it
I paid [I BELIEVE][20] $2 (or $3) on those
Columbia portraits—remember how
I kid[d]ed you that Sandy Wilsey had made
his wife pay for her own birthday present?
What to figure is your guess & my guess.
Tonight Im just too happy to write Income Tax “dope”—
& I have to try to recollect anyway. Just like you, huh? But
please pay the A.S. of Anesth[esia] $10. Dear, I cant
go into details tonight (or maybe ever, in a
letter) but even already I feel I could
handle most any anesthesia problem that
was thrown [at] me. Again, isnt it hellish
not to be able to even figure out together
what we should do after this rotten mess
is over? I just do not know 100% what
too do.
Thanks for telling me about my name being mentioned
at St. Georges midnight service.
[7]
Please send me some long
underwear & anything else
you can dig up in that line.
Your Dec 29th’s:—Is all Income Tax—
I’ve “welshed” out for tonight on page #6.
All I can say as a snap panoramic
statement is: (#1) I dont believe we will
have a taxable income & (#2) I vaguely
remember hearing that they cant make
me do paper-work while overseas or for
3 (to 6) months thereafter. I dunnoooo!
P.S. FACT:—overseas adds 10% of base pay; 1st Lt= $166.67 base pay.
Your Dec. 30th’s:—I just devouered [sic]
your description about Thump’s spit-bubbles,
fuzz dome, [PROMISE YOU’LL CUT HIS HAIR EARLIER
THAN GRANDMA WOULD??!!??][21], piginess, grins
around a tongue, boys voice, etc, etc. Geeee!
BUT—how do ya get dat (QUOTE) “Irish”-
(UNQUOTE) grin stuff?! 卐 ! ⋆ ! Ü ! Jolly well
right, maw dear, eez a blasted Englishman.
Your Dec 31st’s:—Not much to
“answer” as such, but it reminds me
that daily I get “feelers” & written notes
& words started to Dobie who is no greater
than 37 miles (& maybe only 27 miles) from
me, yet the messages never get through.
Conditions over here (all conditions you can
think of) make Dobie’s visit a very long
one that would take lots of time.
Oh yes, did Terry read to you from his EFM:- the
“Love to the best Mother in the world—Terrys Mother!!!
[8]
Gosh, I better jump into bed darling for
a wink of sleep before restarting [illegible deletion] another
night of night duty tonight. To shift day
workers to night duty (& vice versa) the
day crew works 8AM to 4PM → off till 12
midnight while the retiring night crew
works a “short-night” of 4PM to 12[A]M. So now
in 1½ hrs I go back on again (as regards today)
& stay till 8AM——thus reestablishing
the cycle (for each crew) of 8AM-8PM & 8PM-8AM.
This happens every Thursday [today].[22]
I’ll answer your Jan 1st’s & Jan 2nd’s
tomorrow. Till then—I love you
soooooo; my prayers, my life, my
work, all focalize for-&-to you
Precious Ones.
All my love,
Dave
I could really use (& hoard) every single bit
of airmail stationary you can buy, dearest.
Its red-blue envelopes—especially.
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[3] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[4] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] In original, “Dec 24ths” is written above “Dec 26ths.”
[7] Bracketed text is part of original.
[8] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[9] Bracketed text is part of original, minus “[sic]”.
[10] Expeditionary Force Message, with numbers corresponding to messages for quick correspondence.
[11] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[12] Personal Transfer Account for sending money back home.
[13] Bracketed text is part of original.
[14] Bracketed text is part of original.
[15] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[16] Medical abbreviation meaning “without.”
[17] Evacuation Hospital.
[18] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[19] In original, “unhuman” is written above “human.”
[20] Bracketed text is part of original.
[21] Bracketed text is part of original.
[22] Bracketed text is part of original.