March 24, 1945

310.129.1-2.2016 Transcription

[This letter was written on the inside cover of “Provident Notes,” the magazine of Philadelphia’s Provident Mutual Life Insurance Company.]

Somewherelse–France

c̅^[1] 7th Army 24 Mar 45 9PM

Dearest,

In a sense I’ll let other-people’s-writing-“write”-for-

me tonight. I wrote 5 pages last night—sorta wrote

myself “out” except for not saying 1000^th enough times that

I love you, I love you, I love you I love you, I love you.

This life in tents is a little more organized as of

now—but we probably will be moving soon & have the

disorganization of “Moving-Mess” on our hands all over again.

(Rep) We probably will move so often that we wont even be

able to keep up c̅ ourselves, let alone anybody else keeping

up c̅ us. There is a vague latrine rumor that they will

string one electric light into each tent maybe someday.

I [sure] hope so as my candles burn out too darn fast

for “talking” pleasure—last night I burned out nearly

3 [candles] just writing 5 pages to you. [P.S. Not much

“candle-ability” was the main factor behind writing you in this

particular way tonight].[2]

I also heard from Herb Gotfredson in todays mail

but—durnit—none from you & I felt sure I’d

get one. However, your Mar 14^th’s did arrive 2 days ago & I

want to again “repitition” for safetys sake that:—

Don’t even for a split second, dearest, even think

that the words you used about Thump’s[3] kerplop are anything

but UNAPPROPRIATE, & wrong (viz “carelessness & “blame”). Just

For some unfathomable reason God wanted him to take

that kerplop.—yet at the same time continued to

give him that “got-what-it-takes” that I told you

even in Thump’s first 48 hrs at Ft. Devens.

Just as Bishop Lewis said—we should

remember that God loves Terry more than we do [but good ol’

God has gotta “go-some” to beat us, huh?!],[4] & what He decides

for him is best—even to kerploping, huh? [Blame

this next thought on the unscientific slump of a war-doctors

medical-mind but—maybe if a patent ductus arteriosus

got jarred/hemostatic-shocked from the height of a 2 story building

it would close it. Wheeeeeee—now there iz!! a scientific

A.[C].A. fer ya, huh].[5] Anyway this guy, this mind, this Life is Y O U R S,

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.