January 21, 1945
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310.90.1-4.2016 Transcription
Somewhere –France
c̅[1] 7th Army
21 Jan 45 @ 8:45 PM
Hi, Precious,
Today has been a better day—
namely because the constant relentless
grind of 7 days a week was [for the first time][2] broken from
9AM to 4:30PM by attending that
anesthetists-orthopedists-radiologists
meeting I write about last night.
We rode for about 1½ hours to this
place where quite a few big shots
representing the 3 (above) services had
come down from Paris. The meeting
itself was nice—AND did
this organization, where it was held,
ever “splurge” a meal at us—“THE”
meal I’ve had since Abner Wheeler’s in
Framingham (P.S. and to beat Abner is sumthin’!)
Naturally not so fancy & frilly or copious,
but each item served was super
delicious!
Naturally I could write pages
about the scientific part of the meeting
but all I should/will do is make
sweeping summaries:—(1) Again, for
the “umpteenth” time I am so so
thankful that I am a Dr Waters/U of W[3]
trained man—darlin’ its just in
any Wisconsiner’s blood—& (honestly)
[2]
stands out & above so
many other schools.
(2) I could “see”/”feel”/know
that I’m a better Anesthesiologist than
I thought I was [Honest, dear, this isn’t braggin’,
its just a truthful expression that “slipped-out”].[4]
You see, [confession—but dontcha tell][5] Ive
learned so much of my Anesthesiology
by “sweating-out” the million & one
odds ‘n ends & details by myself—
Dr Waters gave us [a] good sound basis,
but not the frills-fruffs-rarities-
unusualnesses-“accidents”-etc—these
I have learned “the-hard-way.” Anyhoooo
at a meeting like today’s, you can sorta
evaluate yourself—in scientific-
s[i]ncerity I can say that I don’t have
to go hide-in-a-corner! [Ya know, dearest,
I never told you outright what the greatest anesthesia
in my life was or probably ever will be—
it was giving intermittant analgesia to the
two most Precious Things in this whole world
on the Lovell-OB-delivery-table—I was so
scared; yet so confident; yet so proud &
happy that I could help you a little bit
while still being scientifically protective of
little ol’ prematurely-delicate Thump[6]—gee!,
when I reminisce over it I both lose-my-breath
& “float.” I know this is pretty clumbsy
Expression, but it is always so, when one is
trying to describe Greatest Moments In Life!
Oh, Em, I love you two soooo severely-deeply-
violently that I just cannot express it!][7]
[3]
Still-yet-again, no mail or packages
from my dearest, today. When I recall
my feelings/emotions the last time this
“big-gap” happened I feel sorta silly—
remember? how I went into a “tizzy”
about just such a thing as this 2-week-
gap?!!?—I figured something
was wrong c̅ you or Terry? Not so
this time—I realize (as quoted in
“Stars & Stripes” [8]) that mail has taken a
secondary “seat” in recent times—
ordinarily mail holds a primary “seat.”
Soooo, via Gods help, I am pretty
complacent about it all.
Ill stop now, dearest, but I would
so like to be able to express on paper
my deep-severe-intense-“violent”-&-
“allness” of love for you Two Precious
Humans————Dave
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[3] University of Wisconsin.
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[7] Bracketed text is part of original, except for [sic].
[8] A US military newspaper.