May 10, 1945
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310.161.1-3.2017 Transcription
V-E [day] +2 (I think)
10 May 45
Dearest,
(Rep) I i-N-S-i-S-T that you
[& I’d hope all Americans][1] read (#1) “Time”
magazine for 30 Apr 45 [(#18)][2] & (#2) Jan (or Dec)
Readers Digest to “see” the—yes, The-
Hell-On-Earth I’m living in called
Dachau Concentration Camp. I’ve
“reped” only high-lights the past
2 letters. Many of the 116th Evac (& 127th Evac)
feel they would rather “face” C.B.I’s[3]
disease & Japs rather than Dachau’s
disease & rotteness-horror-environment.
Say! I have found one good thing
about S.S. Medical Profession—
they have the best tape (adhesive) in the
world & it certainly keeps my [now
healing][4] finger well protected from the
filth of Dachau which [rep.][5] was such
a nasty rt. index finger infection for
6, 7, 8 or 9 days that I didnt/couldnt
write you (for the inability of being able to
decently hold a pen).
[2]
My V-E Day Letter to you told about
the “liberating” (looting-pillaging) of this
S.S. hoard that the S.S. had looted
from all over Europe. I told you some
of the things I did get, but I didnt
mention things I “passed-up” (either
directly so, or just didnt bother to swoop
after them):—a Hollywood-type movie
taking camera; beautiful but very
breakable Dresden ware {statue work [and] dinner ware;[6]
many kinds of firearms; innumerable
clothing articles; radios; every expensive
machinest’s article of equipment in the
world; oil paintings; historic (even
Bronze Age) relics; microscopes;
artillery observers glasses (I’m still waiting
for good 10-power field glasses—lotsa 5, 6, & 7 powers);
etc; etc; at least 1000-ETCs! Say, would
you have wanted a S.S. Kavalrie saddle?;
I passed ‘em up—maybe this makes
you sorry. Also a type of Italian (pillaged by SS)
type of riding boot that was a touch
more military than feminine. Anyhoooo,
I still wait/look/scrounge for only one
thing more—one of those $800 Leica
F2 (lens) cameras. Lots of wines, Congniacs (sp?),
[3]
beers, etc are around to send home
but dont really seem worth it. Oh yes—
I forgot to add in my V-E letter that I
liberated 2 thermos bottles & a good-leather
dispatch case you may find handy for
lots of car-outing-traveling purposes.
(Rep) None of us can tell whether
God has it fixed that we stay here
in this job until enough times
should have elapsed such that the Japs
are beaten by [the][7] other guys. We just dont know.
But———it at least looks
like we are less likely to go to the CBI-
way than the Army of Occupation-way.
Knowing God does have it decided
is all that matters to me.
Again—do not fail
to read 30 Apr’s 45 “Time” mag (Vol 18)—
every word I have S-E-E-N, &
seeing is believing. Oh Em—
To know you & Terry[8] are unstarved,
unbeaten, un-diseased, un-filthed,
untortured makes me thank God sooo,
c̅[9] All My Love,
Dave
P.S. Im tasting Hitlers
Berchtesgaden wine right
this minute. One of our majors has one of his
initialed 3 lb. solid silver dinner plates.
P.P.S. Oh yes—we are sorta 3rd Army now but
I believe its only a screwy transitory military thing.
[1] Bracketed text is part of original.
[2] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[3] China Burma India. CBI was the US military designation for this area during the war.
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] In original, “statue work” is written above “dinner ware.”
[7] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[8] Their infant son.
[9] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”