January 8, 1945
Click Here to Enlarge Item
310.78.1-2.2016 Transcription
Somewhere –France
9 PM 8 Jan 45-c̅[1] 7th Army
My dearest,
In two different previous letters
I explained how so many times I’m kinda
lucky to be able to get to writing you a
letter at all—last night & 3 nights
ago I just couldn’t even come close to
having a chance to write via this 12 to 19
hours a day of “Hell.” Tonight I must at
least get off one sheet in response to your
Xmas Dec 26ths which told me 99% of the
things I so so so wanted to hear about
what Xmas AT HOME meant/was for you.
P.S. the 1% disheartening “spot” in your letter was no
mention of the $12.50 I sent to you (each) you, Terry,[2]
Mom & Dad $50 via PTA[3] guess you just forgot it, come
to think of it, as I did receive one letter saying
the “Dont Open Till Xmas” letter had arrived. Sooo
to all Terry’s & your gifts I’ll mentally add $12.50 each.
Your Dec 26th’s:- I’ll write Helen &
Emmy if & when this indescribable
nightmare ever lets up a little. [Again, dear,
you nor I (until recent months) never know what
7 (seven) (VII) days a week means—each time
I say this it is not complaining—its just
numb dumbfoundedness re: what the
relentlessness of 7 days a week can do to your
body & mind].[4]
Im darned sorry, dear, that my “minds-
eye” picture of you treking down a Fitzsimmons
stair-way all flushed from hot showering
is spoiled—you came in your robe!
[2]
I always felt it superfluous [infact,
sorta incongruous][5] to say in words:—
“Bishop Lewis is the most-greatest-“firstest”
real Christian I know.” I have written him
twice but apparently they never got through.
Darlin’—write him every once in awhile;
for my sake, for his sake, for His sake &
for your sake. Promise? [Dont misunderstand this, dear.][6]
I pray somebody can appreciably
help Jean McElrath. The Lord in Heaven
knows I tried to, through the feebleness of
a doctor. Im glad your mention of her
reminds me to write that (QUOTE) “Valiant girl.”
Which (sorta circuitously) reminds me—do
you honestly suppose, dear, that Nazi [anesthesia][7] doctors would have
“gone-out-of-their-way” & worked hard to save 3 fast dying
American boys on the operating room table, who would
have otherwise outright died under his left hand holding
the mask?! Nazi’s would have died today—there are
5 or 6 others in the past whom I did similarly for.
All I do know—GOD IS OBSERVING!
This hurridly hits the high spots in
your letter. Oh yes,—darlin’, if you
don’t start [or rather if I dont start getting][8] airmail
stamps, I just dont know what Ill do!!!!
Heres just a t[h]ought—you decide:-send
one stamp in each letter; then pillaging, etc
won’t “hurt” (financially) too much: None
of your packages have ever “made it through,”
& only one batch of 5 (or 6) stamps one time.
I just gotta fall into bed Precious—
but please know there are four more pages to
this letter just covered c̅ I LOVE YOU,
I LOVE YOU TWO PRECIOUS PEOPLE c̅—
All my love,
Dave
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] Their infant son.
[3] Personal Transfer Account for sending money back home.
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] In original, bracketed text is surrounded by outgoing arrows pointing to “for His sake” and “Promise?”
[7] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[8] Bracketed text is part of original.