June 16, 1945
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310.191.1-6.2017 Transcription
Bad Mergentheim, Germany
16 June 45
Dearest,
In a way Im glad your letter today
(of June 4th) brough[t]-up-something—in
a way you may not be glad that it came-
- Yet it gives me a chance to explain
an apprehension/“secret” Ive waited on
for 19 days [(The next day I realized it & oh how Ive sweat it out)][1]—towit—that
on May 26th as I wrote I didnt make
particular mention in that letter
about that day being The Day it was.
It’s all attributable to Dachau—
a “Something” that always will defy even
a verbal definition/clarification. Living
at Dachau was [literally][2] out-of-this-
world—& unfortunately that same
“Something” ramified over into making
me make no note that The Day was the
day I was writing that letter. I could
“sign-off” this whole subject by
blankly saying “I forgot”—but
its more than that! Its just that
ones life at that D {astardly [d]en}[3] was
not living; if you dont live right,
you dont think right. Infact—
[2]
I know of two examples/proofs of this
same weird phenomenon of being out-
of-this-world:—[both tragic][4] (1) One you
should know already, about that doc
I’m closely associated c̅[5] every day who
used me as a “Father-Confessor” regarding
his infedility his (& her) “Last-Night-At-Dachau”
I tell ya! its was something more
than “average-reasons” for that infidelitous
occurrence—it was that
wierd {“Something” phenomenon}[6] I’m writing about.
(2) For 9½ months I’ve (naturally) observed
all of our nurses. Of all 40 there was
only one who I’d have bet my last
dollar on as being truly decent—
she always had seemed/been a refined,
considerate, neat, intelligent, religious,
reserved & fine girl. She too, Ive
learned was “gotten” by that out-of-this-
world “Something” [which ramifies through all
facts, acts, & aspects of Life][7] while at Dachau!
Sooooo, if Dachau can do to other
fine people’s “Beings”/Minds/Lives such
big things—I feel I can ask you
to understandingly forgive me—NO!—
not me—my Dachau-“status”—for not
[3]
mentioning in a May 26th’s letter that
it was May 26th. [Twice before, as you mentioned
in your letter, I had “mentioned” (via {artists sketch & Anniv. EFM[8])[9] THE DAY
& thus maybe my “real-mind” hads sorta by-passed it
all as a having-been-done category. ANYHOOOO, IM VERY
SORRY I COULD’NT HAVE SNAPPED-BACK INTO-THIS-
WORLD LONG ENOUGH ON MAY 26th TO HAVE MADE
MENTION. Forgive me, huh?][10]
This (above) 21/3 page-paragraph is
difficult to catch—really impossible
to put into any words {written or verbal.[11] Maybe
its been worth-it to try to present
the facts—yet maybe its has
only made things worse.
Along c̅ your one June 4th’s came
a 24 sheet small-sized pkg of printing
paper. Thanks a lot, dear. I dont know
how much of a biznezz-man I was
on the first pkg (larger size) that arrived;
I “sold” it for those Dachau atrocity +
me standing in Italy [snaps][12] + the trouble of
taking my picture in Italy. Thus I
got for my “pay”, 10 (or 12?) pictures out of
a 12 sheet pkg. I dunno?
For the first time in months I
have something to look foreward to as
regards “which-day-in-the-week” it is.
Namely, Whoopieeeeeee!, I can go to a
[4]
Eucharistic Service tomorrow at 8:30AM.
I received a letter from Clyde—not
a very long one because his hands were
too recently out of bandages from having
been pretty badly burned [WHILE DOiNG
ANOTHER HEROiC THING HE WOULDNT iS TOO
MODEST & FINE TO SAY WHAT IT WAS][13].
However, he was recommended for
The Soldier’s Medal because of it—
which is “personal heroism outside of
combat regarding your fellow man.”
That swell guy! I’m so damned proud
of him! (First, just a simple, measly, little house
hits him in the ass (UNQUOTE “rep”). Then he messes around
c̅ quiet, nice, little Kraut[14] machine-gun nests. Then
he saves one or more guys (probably) out of a burning plane,
car, house or something—to add a Soldiers Medal to
his (already mentioned) Silver Star. Geeeeeeeeeeeeeee!).
Ive always been so sorry you never really
“saw” Clyde; training had whittled him
down till he looked like Hell; his teeth
were pulled’ & circumstances in general
were bad. Maybe I could ad lib
something in an expressive, yet explainatory,
way:—Clyde & Hans[15] are the two finest
men (excluding Clergy) I know.
To finish your June 4th’s:— I notice
that my original letter about pkgs sent
home said 7 was the total number. You
[5]
surely must have been “reped” more than
once by now that the “last-minute-total”
mounted up to 8 cardboard containe[r]s (& maybe
a 9th) & one more chest high wooden. Anyhooo,
they’ll probably all never make-it-through
& you do have the important point—
folds, pockets, “insides”, etc to be searched.
So ol’ Thump[16] has big mits on
him. First I knew of it & Im glad!
[P.S. I wear a bigger surgeon’s glove than most docs——
this is what a Psychoanyalist [sic] would call vain “fatherly
identification” but Im glad—& unashamed–see!][17]
That he is handy c̅ his mits is a real
joy too. [P.S. Did ya ever see his Ma on a tennis court, etc, huh?][18].
Anyhooo, I’m so damned proud of the
boat uz youz twoz guys. that I damn
near cry a dozen times a month when
I “transpose” myself & am right “there”
c̅ you———where always—are
All my prayers & deepest love,
Pop Dave
P.S. Thanks for ad libing he was right handed—
a Lug like me is always curious about those million-
&-one details.
[1] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[2] Bracketed text is part of original.
[3] In original, “astardly” is written above “en,” with both stemming from “D{”.
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[6] In original, “’Something’” is written above “phenomenon.”
[7] Bracketed text is part of original.
[8] Expeditionary Force Messages, with numbers corresponding to messages for quick correspondence.
[9] In original, “artists sketch” is written above “&,” which is written above “Anniv. EFM.”
[10] Bracketed text is part of original.
[11] In original, “written” is written above “or,” which is written above “verbal.”
[12] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[13] Bracketed text is part of original.
[14] German.
[15] Hans Gerritsen, a Dutch paratrooper Wilsey became friends with while liberating Dachau.
[16] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[17] Bracketed text is part of original, except for “[sic]”.
[18] Bracketed text is part of original.