March 3, 1945
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310.119.1-7.2016 Transcription
Somewhere–France
c̅[1] 7th Army
4 Mar 45 @ 9 PM
Dearest,
The past day & a half have been
such nice days! Yesterday, especially,
was so nice!—& I tried to
write you so hard but just never
could get a letter off to you. (∴ skip on 3 Mar).
I got a shower & good hair wash; had a
chance to send lau[n]dry out; had my
first decent unhampered visit c̅
Dobie; got a much coveted tanker-
type of field jacket from his accompanying
pal who is a supply sgt; got Dad’s
cablegram; 3 wonderful letters from
you; ate chicken tonight & got your
swell cablegram! Didja ever hear
of so many nice things happening
to one guy in side of 2 days?!!
Your Feb 16th’s:- (Stamps ↔ Tanks)
Thanks a million for sending the Capitol’s
clipping. They abbreviated the A.Press’
original quite a bit but it was
still nice. Since when did I get a
B.S. degree from U. of W.[2]—oh yes,
pardon me, that’s one of those things
called a military secret.
I’m convinced you never received
the most “written-up” EFM[3] blank.
[2]
Also, when all French
francs arrive you will
have $2.34 cents.
You mention you wrote Margery.
In her letter that came tonight she was
very very pleased by that letter [Also,
was Carterel Lawrence (from a past letters of yours) which
also came tonight Thirdly, Fred Chard wrote
lots in todays mail—“the” point being
that they expect another baby in May].[4]
Your Feb 17th’s:—(“tank”-stamps—
must be the kind Dobies ilk uses—huh?!).
That silly V-mail to Dad conveyed
novocaine inster inserting dope as
accurately as the “novocaine-deal”—
just handled in a different way.
(P.S. I wrote 2 Vmails to Dad in the past 48 hrs;
one re: his cable, & one re: his 6-pager letter.).
Honestly——& truthfully——
I remembered specifically that thought
about not/or maybe “robbing” Mom of
Fels Naptha but I would have sworn
I spoke it rather than write it. Well,
lotsa people go crazy overseas, ya know!
Yup, darlin’—“really” means
R-E-A-L-L-Y—whatinhell do
I want coffee for; and I have more
black tea in my foot locker than
you have. Green tea is puke!
[3]
I could really use
that Arrid, airmail
stationary, & subsiquent batches of
hair tonic that I’ve repititiously dwelt on.
Now [to the most important thing][5]—
I can’t tell you how relieved I am
about your deciding for us & Thump[6]
about a possible 20 days in the U.S.A.
I still, dear, hope as millions that
we don’t come home until we can
stay at home—B L E S S E D HOME !
I agree c̅ all your thoughts
darlin’ about abandoning posessions in
Etousa.[7] We will just have to see
what the command [not the wish][8] is.
Someplace I have military clothing, etc
sales slips or the equivalent thereof.
Do you know where they are? I saved
them as they said they were income-
tax-deductable. If its easy———
send ‘em—if hard to find—forget
‘em (as I might 50:50 never use them).
P.S. “Valpac” is the name of any military-like hand
bag—remember we bought it up at the Boise (?) [POCATELLO][9]
Idaho (defunked)[10] air base PX[11] enroute to Bis
Carlisle. True original “Valpacs” Companie’s article
sells for $65-$85—many companies copied on
a cheaper-scale-basis. Yet all are called “Valpac;”
even in Army directives.
[4]
Someday when I’m
home let this be a reminder
as to something re: the discussion
of souvenier hunting:—What happened
to/at our Mess Officer the 2nd day we
were here in this town as he “souveniered.”
I quickly read the “Foreward” for
the day you wrote [Feb 17][12], & I agree c̅
you on everything you say—
but to me so many other pages in
“Foreward” over the past months have
so “outshone” that page/thought.
P.S. Just for example:—As you know soldiers argue
& debate violently all points in the world from
merits of French whores to Mohamedism. At least
5 times I have seen “Foreward’s” January 24th’s
just “nail” even agnostics “between-the-eyes.” I
wish that page was compulsory reading to every
person in the U.S.A.. And—for God’s sake
let them realize: “responsibility not privelege; work
not glory; & [hard as it is to comprehend][13] darkness not
light;” etc; etc. This all is just one example
of dozens in “Forewards” the past months.
As you [rep.][14] know, all your f “Forewards”
arrived in due time, dear.
Your Feb 22nd’s:—(A stamp = Danke) [Ger.][15]
Iz I burned! Iz I boined!—
10 letters missing in one month. Shucks
shoot—infact, S—H—I—T! Ü卐⋆
P.S. Yes, darlin’, I just raved about that first batch
of Thump’s new-camera pictures. I’m so sorry the
letter never made-it-through.
[5]
Oh, yes, here is an address
you will want to know
after a few months + a few (purposely)
scattered writings on the subject all
finally amass. Viz:—P.F.C. Mickey
Iacobuzio, A-207613, Company11-21st
Regiment, Ft Ogilthorpe, Georgia. This
is Chet Derbin’s girl friend. One letter
has stated half the problem already;
tomorrow nights letter will state
another “phase.” (Chet is very Polish, so don’t
let that horrible name mislead you too much).
Dear, I hope I don’t make you
mad—but here goes:—anatomically,
histologically, & neurological taste buds
as endowed into a human being are
pretty much the same. From there the
psychiatrist {takes “carries”[16]} the “ball” of terminology,
but why go into terminology. What
we humans can “get-by-with” c̅ our
parents (including Miriam Bentley & John Ben Belk)
is what makes for “taste.” To see these
starved European babies G-O-B-B-L-E
incontrovertably defies/denies (QUOTE)
“has inherited his Mother’s peculiar
taste buds, etc, etc.” Anyhoooo, your
expression was awfully cute about
“philosophical” “delighted” egg yolk. Paper
weight “air-rived;” I’m not mas; I so hope
your not; & you know you have—AML,[17] Dave
[6]
5 Mar 45
11 PM
27 hrs later
Lordy, dearest,
Whadda day!—believe it
or not things were so serious in the O.R.
one right after the other in the O.R. that
I just couldn’t leave to drop your letter
in the box.
Anyhoooo, Im so pleased as now
I can report 2 more joyous thing[s]:—
(1) The pf, stationary, brushes, pliers, bars, stoppers,
Fels, etc box C A M E—thanks a
hundred thousand million, dear ! ! ! ! !
(2) Your Feb 23rd & 24th letters to Capt DBW
came too, today. And, were they ever
“swelleligant” [sic] letters. I meant to answer
them here when I started this page of
paper but Ill just stop cuz Im “pooped”
& do it tomorrow.
I love ya! I love ya! I love ya—
Allmylove,
Dave
P.S. Yes, “Capt” starts the minute the orders arrive
P.S. #2 I PTAed[18] Thump money [$50][19] to go see his
ol’ side-kick Arley Barnes. (Your name of course).
This was on March 1st.
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] University of Wisconsin.
[3] Expeditionary Force Message, with numbers corresponding to messages for quick correspondence.
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[7] European Theater of Operations, US Army.
[8] Bracketed text is part of original.
[9] Bracketed text is written above “Boise (?)” in original.
[10] Defunct.
[11] Post Exchange, for shopping while deployed.
[12] Bracketed text is part of original.
[13] Bracketed text is part of original.
[14] Bracketed text is part of original.
[15] Bracketed text written in the right-hand margin of the original, with an arrow pointing to “Danke.”
[16] In original, “’carries’” is written above “takes.”
[17] All my love.
[18] Personal Transfer Account for sending money back home.
[19] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.