January 24, 1945
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310.93.1-7.2016 Transcription
Somewhere–France
c̅[1] 7th Army
24 Jan 45 @ 8 PM
(I may have misdate last nite’s letter)
Oh, dearest,
Today has been such a swell day
that I’m “bubblin;” so hard I dont know
where to start:—
You can see that your box came!!!
Ummmm! I’m so thankful—‘n
nuthin’ pillaged. It is the APO[2]17346 box
c̅ tweezers, grand nail clipper (I tried it), forceps,
candy, milk, cigarettes (IM SORRY! as you know)
AND THIS WONDERFUL AIR-{PAPER ENV’LP’S![3]
Thanks so very very much, darlin’, for
every bit of it. I can’t tell you how
relieved I am about now being able
to have some reserve of color-edged envelopes.
[Yes, I found the 5 stamps in the bottom—“tanks”].[4]
Gee! Golly! I ju could just jump c̅ glee!
Also today were 3 letters from you, EVEN
THOUGH they were O-C-T-O-B-E-R, they
were my Beloved’s. I’ll just go quickly,
as they weren’t a’ needin of much answerin’:—
(Also, Margery Hughe’s got a Jan 9th airmail to me, & U of Wis[consin]
Alumni sent a Football Letter mailed in Oct ∴ 5 all together.)
Randy is in PARIS—maybe someday!
Your Oct 24ths:- (1) Atta girl—you
weren’t “the-little-girl-who-didnt” (on that grand-bide-slam)
(2) My bridge just hasn’t been, ever since being
c̅ the 7th Army [Which circuitously reminds me—
one night recently I wrote how I was going to eat eggs &
have champagne—both never materialized].[5] (2) Ill
try to squeeze out time to send my regrets to
[2]
Duncan McGillis—it’s a shame that so
nice a lady had to have carcinomatosis. [Again!
I am circuitously reminded—I forgot to answer in
last nights letter from you again L I T H O P E D I O N—a
“calcified baby.” It wont seems [sic] so unusual to you
when you recall all the times you know of Mother
Nature throwing up a wall of calcium around
foreign bodies, tubercle bascilli, etc, etc—even the
“foreign-body” of a dead baby. Its really not rare at all.][6]
(3) I am glad about Cornelia Crail—on
paper is no reason place to discuss my hunch.
(4) NO WONDER (an Oct letter in Jan) that I kept
asking if Aunt K’s record success was complete.
Your Oct 25th’s:—[Again—twice in the
same day—whoopie!][7] I’m so relieved to find
airmail stamps. this is the second bunch,
in a letter, that ever got thru to me (5 of ‘em).
(1) Just quickly—that ancient duplicate-
letter-misunderstanding” is now laughable
(tho sad, of course). Dearest, certain things
just must happen to us before we do
“follow” eachother—& I’m now glad
that this one possibility is done-&-over-with.
(Yup! War psychology is [was][8] War psychology—re: NYC liquor.)
(Some call it “gang-plank-jitters”—but this was different
from the regular “ “ “ .)
(2) Kilmer sending the footlocker so soon is an
Army slip according to S.O.P. (standing operative procedure)
(3) Thanks, God, for blowing the nursing bottle
the other way—ya know, dearest, every
day God blows lotsa things off the other
way all over the World; AS HE SEES BEST!
P.S. This is just a general statement.
Your Oct 29ths:—Only one thing really
prompts answerin—& its your mention
of beautiful night + my waiting to buy a gala coke +
[3]
dreaming to the Hour of Charm—Ill answer
it all via the poem “Dreaming” clipped out of
todays Stars & Stripes.[9]
Let me just ad lib [repitition][10] that I hope my
last nights letter ge makes-it-through as it has the first
snap shots + souvenir Kraut[11] stationary to act as a
Happy-Jan 26th-Anniversary present [the two add up = Present][12]
Now—————————
to the 3rd catagory of thing that has me bubblin’
today. As written before, I’ve been so damned
made so many times about being foiled on
getting Anniversary Presents to you—BUT
this time (I SO HOPE) I have the “upper-hand.”
Your Wedding Anniversary present for May 26th
will be mailed tomorrow morning as it
is all [fin]ished-wrapped tediously-addressed
right here beside me tonight, AND IF IT
DOES’NT GET THERE IN F-O-U-R MONTHS
of mail-service-time I’m gonna scream!
You know, darlin’, how much I’d like to have
it a surprise to you on May 26th but since
it may make-it-through before 26 May, I
just must tell you about it sometime
ahead of time—so why not tonight.
[Guess about all I can do is “string-her-along” on paper here for
a few sentences to act as a “Suspense Element” trans-
muted way over into the month of May—ho! ho! hum!][13]
Well———the pkg is about 14” X 20”
in size of the strongest 3-ply + 2-ply wood
you ever smashed you fist against (I tried it!)
It has all sorts of safety-measures incorporated
into the wrapping as well as the labeling
so as to keep censors out, because I know
a censor would never wrap it for its further
[4]
journey as safely/carefully as I did. As a
whole it is a pretty sizable & cumbersome
package (though thin) & it just may take
4 months to get to you. [Getting enough in
suspense—huh?!?!].[14] Well———
dearest, I wish you a very very Happy Wedding
Anniversary in the form of a French artist’s
portrait of Thump’s[15] Daddy in uniform (from
the shoulders up). There’s so much to say from
here on but I’ll summarize as briefly as is
possible. Many times over 6 weeks Ive
finigeled to get a “sitting” c̅ this artist
& something always “snafued” it. [Remember one
time I wrote you how I had stayed up all morning after
working all night & was furious over a disappointment—
Well, he was to have drawn me that morning].[16] The
picture has real artistry in it—but, as
I sorrowfully agree c̅ you, (when you see it) he
didnt exactly “catch” me. He “did” something
to the lower lip & chin—however a
number of people in surveying it, screened
off all but the eyes & nose & feel he “caught”
that fairly well—I just don’t know!
Anyhooo, its yours darlin’, & you decide.
All in all, it does look something like
me & it is French artistry—so it
does make a worthy Anniversary Present.
The artist may someday be famous after he is
dead for 50 years—however, not so
unless his hands get better (physically), as
the Nazi labor gangs & concentration camps
have gnarled-stiffened-hardened his
hands. Carrying liters here in the hospital
go doesnt un-gnarl hands either! Another
[5]
reason why I feel the picture is sorta
“worthy” of being a Anniversary present is that
I never did such a damn hard job in
my life—s[a]t almost motionless for 2¾ hours!
(Can ya imagine Wilitzski[17] sitting motionless that long? Ho Ho)
Try it sometime & see how even one hour goes.
(Why he insists on such “motionless-ness” I dont know).
Anyhooo, I betcha it would be a cold day
in January before I ever “sit” again for artists.
You’ll have to frame the picture, dear—
I soooo hope there is no wrecking of it
enroute so that there will be something
left to frame.
Your box; your (Oct) letters; & portrait
Present are 3 of the 4 things, all in one day,
to make me happy—the fourth
thing is something that you have never
heard me say before—infact, we
Etousa[18]-“foot-soljers” never said it in the
past 5-7 days while (I’m sure) you people
in the United States were exuberant—
namely, MAYBE {we & Russians}[19] can whip these
sonofabitchin’ Nazi’s before August 1945!
If God so helps us—so will it be.
[P.S. Retrospect that as of tonight the appauling Russian drive
is 165 (to 145) miles from Berlin & has 45 Nazi Divisions almost
pocketed up in the East Prussia (Danzig Corridor) drive. ← IMPORTANT][20]
Emily, the Nazi IS the best fighting Thing (not human)
in the World BECAUSE he has it in[n]ate &
inbred & instilled into him. Ask any soldier
who has fought them all of all nations/races.
We are superior in physique, equipment,
materiel, courage & GOD’S HELP—but not
in F-I-G-H-T-I-N-G. (Can you understand
[6]
what I’m trying to tell you—show you—emphasize
to you)? Thus, the Nazi F-I-G-H-T-I-N-G factor
overrules so much of Allies’ advantages, BUT
maybe we can even crush that F-I-G-H-T
if this marvelous recent help from God (→Russ.)
continues so overwhelmingly (as regards time-zone
“stretched-out-ness” really narrow time-zone).[21] Tonight all of us in Etousa
feel better for the first time, & can dream
a little more certainly/beautifully/”actually”
of those who have—
All our love & prayers,
Dave
I express this all[22] pretty clumbsily [sic]—just read
“Foreward” for today, as I just did—Father Glen
Does a better job of getting it on paper.
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] Army Post Office.
[3] In original, “PAPER” is written above “ENV’LP’S.”
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] Bracketed text is part of original.
[7] Bracketed text is part of original.
[8] Bracketed text is written above “is” in original.
[9] A US military newspaper.
[10] Bracketed text is part of original.
[11] German.
[12] Bracketed text is part of original.
[13] Bracketed text is part of original.
[14] Bracketed text is part of original.
[15] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[16] Bracketed text is part of original.
[17] Wilsey’s nickname for himself.
[18] European Theater of Operations, US Army.
[19] In original, “we” is written above “&,” which is written above “Russians.”
[20] Bracketed text is part of original.
[21] In original, “’stretched-out-ness’” is written above “really narrow time zone.”
[22] In original, there are arrows pointing from “this all” to “those who have” a few lines up.