January 14, 1945
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310.85.1-3.2016 Transcription
Somewhere –France
c̅[1] 7th Army
14 Jan 45
[(Not one airmail
came in today)][2]
[Gosh! This is my last
stamp. The mail sargent
hasn’t “clicked” c̅ the
money I gave him—as
he t[h]ought he would.][3]
Hi, darlin,
I didn’t get to writing last night;
no special reason; just didn’t get off
my dead butt. Well I did waste a
certain amount of the [very scarce][4] early
evening hours by witnessing a huge
joke (practical joke)—in brief, some
of the MAC-officers fixed up fake orders
transferring a worry-wart-MC out to
a B[attalio]n Aid Station. The whole “scene”
went over perfectly, but in a way it
was just as trajic [sic] as it was funny
to see the guys face turn ghost-white.
Those 2 insincere Majors (written 2x) would like to put me in one.
Say—did you ever receive
my letter telling how I could really use
some “Noxema” (3 of ‘em). So much
alcohol-antiseptics-handwashing really
wreck a guys hands.
Those letters from Carteret Lawrence
& D. Wilsey Skolfield just arrived via
today via 3¢ stamp after I month &
10 days. Gee, dear, aren’t you glad we
aren’t on a “40-day-beam”? The additional
money seems so worth it. However I
surely wish those 2 letters were yours.
[2]
Can you please send me
tobacco that comes in
tin cans. Send about
half an overseas-shipper full. Thanks.
Im afraid we are all getting pretty
“dull” & pretty “janglely” [sic] by the
incesantness of it all here the past 15,
17, 17 days. We aren’t complaining—
its just that the incesantness of War
just kinda eats ya/wears ya-down
after awhile.
The absoloute silliness in Dad’s
V-mail has been & will be the “score”
for some time. Maybe he never told you,
purposely!
Gee, but the mail service is less
adequate the longer we stay here. At
first when things could have been more
jumbled, it was better than now
when things might be expected to be
more “regular” because of established-
channels.
This letter surely demonstrates that
these days/times it takes some
marvelous stimulus such as your [on Jan 11][5]
“8-batch-letters” to pick me out of a
benumbed rut. Guess I better close
& pray for a stimulus/”lift” in tomorrows
mail.
Honestly, though darlin, I love you soooo,
Dave
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] Bracketed text written to the right of the date, along the right-hand margin.
[3] Bracketed text written in the upper-left hand corner of the original.
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] Bracketed text written in a box along the right-hand margin, next to “your.”