June 1, 1945
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310.182.1-2.2017 Transcription
Dachau Concentration Camp
Germany 1 June 45
Darlin’,
Right off———I’ll admit
that I’m a wee bit drunk—
but you’d be too if {#1 #2:[1] —(#1)
Your last night at Dachau!—
just to get away from here is an
indescribable relief in itself.
This D{amn
{astardly
{irty } is gone/“gone”
{ismal
{en
{achau
as of tomorrow AM @ 8 when we
go to Bad Mertenheim (near Wurzburg)
for a rest-period & then—
[P.S. 95+% of the personel is drunk right now.][2]
(#2) As “reped” 3x—we seem
to be going, thank God in Heaven, via
the U.S.A.. For lotsa previously
explained reasons—lets hope
that (QUOTE) {“I hope I don’t see Dave till Aug 15th”
{“I hope I don’t see Em till Aug 15th.”
Thus, are there not 2 “good” reasons
for getting a wee bit drunk???!! (ans.=NO!)[3]
[Possible missing pages]
[2]
[Loose page from a different letter-3 June]
factors usually (97% of the time) found in Rest Camps.
In a summarizing analogy—Rest Camping is
usually done at a set-up comparable to, let’s day,
Lake Taho[e]; here we are “signed-off” c̅[4] a “tourist-
cabin-set-up-at-Sun Prarie” (outside Madison). Yes, dear,
this does sound like “bitchin’” does[n]t it; well if
T-R-U-T-H is “bitchin’,” lets just call it T-R-U-T-H!
Since I’ll take [have][5] so much time [the 10-30 days hence][6] [unless we can
get turns to go to Paris, London, me “sneak” to Holland.][7] I’ll write
what we can call “Ad-Libs-From-the-Past” viz. I
dont believe I ever told you of sleeping on the
ground back at Arnstein 2½ (or more) months ago
when our C.O. got us half set up in the wrong
Corp Area—anyhooo, your scarf, & shelter half
lean-too, & the sleeping bag “fixed” me like a baby.
P.S. More in sub[se]quent letters of these “Ad Lib From the Past”
However, the main thing in our {hearts & minds}[8] is
that we have a good pla chance of being sent thru
the beloved U.S.A. on (rep) redeployment & (rep 4x) lets
you & I say {“I hope I don’t see Em till Aug 15th” “I hope I don’t see Dave till Aug 15th”}[9] &
thus we’ll understand eachother. [(Rep) Thus the Jap war
could be over before they ever got us “furloughed,” processed,
trained, & “debarked” from San Francisco][10].
Well, we all feel maybe this dump is a
“penalty” for the privelege of going home in July or Aug
so we love to “stand-it.” Lets both pray this
rationa[l]ization is correct.
AML[11], Dave
P.S. My last letter, night before last, “confessed” we were all a wee bit
drunk over the joy of leaving Dachau—(1) I stayed in my room
& (2) was in bed by 12, soooo don’t ever worry, darlin’.
P.S. Boy! did the bombers ever “nail” Stuttgart—its in a valley & you
can[‘t] see the wreckage one bit from above—but get down inside!
[1] In original, “#1” is written above “#2.”
[2] Bracketed text written in small print between lines in original.
[3] In original, “ans.=” is written above “NO!”
[4] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[5] In original, bracketed text is written above crossed-out “take.”
[6] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[7] Bracketed text is part of original.
[8] In original, “hearts” is written above “&,” which is written above “minds.”
[9] In original, “’I hope I don’t see Em till Aug 15th’” is written above “’I hope I don’t see Dave till Aug 15th.’”
[10] Bracketed text is part of original.
[11] All my love.