January 31, 1945

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310.96.1-3.2016 Transcription

Somewhere–France

c̅[1] 7^th7^th Army

31 Jan 45

PART #1

[Part #2 is a souvenir ration

book + French money (c̅ 5 Fr, 5 Fr.

& 20 Fr). mailed simultaneously.][2]

Hi, darlin’,

Maybe this wont be the longest letter,

but it’ll at least say I love ya! I love ya!

I love ya, all to “Hell”! Reasons for shortness,

that most all afternoon I ran all over this

town “for” you, “for” Thump[3], & “for” Aunt K.

I just finished putting 12¢ airmail

onto a letter + souvenir ration book to

Aunt K. Her’s appears nicer than yours

(in Part #2) but everything over here [almost][4] is

damn German-racket-ersatz stuff. its

so disgusting/disheartening/unavailing

to go shopping (?!) over here.

Next I finished putting 12¢ airmail

onto a present yet souvenir c̅ accompanying

letter to Master Terrell David Wilsey. Lordy!

how I apologized to the Guy for what

I sent & what it was like, in my

letter—but I forgot to tell him

that everything else was on ration tokens;

[not that it was worth it anyway, even if I’d have

had tokens].[5] I’ll tell you—that just

to prove what I’ve always contended:-

20 minutes after making Terry’s purchase

[2]

of what seemed the only mailable ¹/₅₈^th decent

thing in this whole maze-of-junk, I

passed the same type of gift elsewhere

for less money, nicer looking, & more

approp[r]iately a blue color (& a damn site more

practical. Oh me—infact woe is me!

P.S. Even this “nicer” one I saw was still a “racket-price,”

soooooo figure out what I paid for the one I did buy.

Em, its all such a farce! a “crime”! a

racket! However, dont misunderstand

that I didnt get a kick outa buyin’

something for ol’ Thump cuz I surely did!

Infact, to argue for [illegible deletion] [in the

German language][6] our Son, was a

unique thrill! (argue colors, clean article, etc, etc).

For the 8^th (or is it 9^th or 7^th) day in a row

I was “spoil-brated” [sic] by getting a letter

from you—your Jan 20^ths (c̅ 5 stamps- TANKS)

P.S.! Thank Dad for his Jan 20^th’s too. I V-mailed answer to his Jan 12^th’s (?).

There is [not][7] much for actual answerin’, dear,

except to say HOW MUCH I wish I could

hear him talkin’ to the crib-head teddy bear.

AND LISTEN! dont let me ever let me catch

you giving away YOUR-teddy bear to him!

See!Ü!«!«!卐! (I’ll spank your butt FIRST—&

then his butt, secondly—for accepting personal property.)

Anyhooooo, about the last thing I

can hurri[e]dly think of is———

Boy! oh boy! how we hourly & progressively

lament the possibility of Etousa[8] soljers

shifting into C.hina B.urma I.ndia so we couldn’t

SAY—→ All my love, Dave

[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”

[2] Bracketed text is part of original.

[3] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.

[4] Bracketed text is part of original.

[5] Bracketed text is part of original.

[6] Bracketed text is part of original.

[7] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.

[8] European Theater of Operations, US Army.