May 14, 1945
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310.166.1-2.2017 Transcription
Dachau Concentration Camp
14 May 45
[A.S. The enclosed 3 arent Hommel’s
are they?—anyhooo, my first
glums made me dive after them
because I knew Emmy Schmaltz.][1]
Hi, dear,
Ever since V-E day I’ve scribbled [plenty scribble!][2]
you a note of some kind despite/since this (rep) infected
rt index finger has been on-the-heal enough to
let me write [sez she:— on-the-HEEL!, for not writing
me for 6, 7, 8, or 9 days].[3] Anyhooooo, you just better
not be mean to me or I wont give you that
second white, silk-like, staffman’s, “smock” to wear
while making bridge party snacks—that I got
for ya yesterday. Oh, yes, I guess I never did
remember to tell you about “liberating”[4] 2 thermos
bottles (new) the first day I was here.
I never yet in any “Dachau-letter” told you a
secret. As a hospital orderly for 7½ yrs + being a doctor
for 6½ + more years I smelled plenty of rotten, foul,
horrible smells s̅[5] ever tending even, to vomit.
Our first day here upon witnessing rotting starved
50-90 lb men pilled [sic] by the hundreds like so much
cord-wood at the world famous Dachau Crematory;
I came c̅[6]in 1/100% of doing so—the stench was
so terrific & vile that my stomach contents were
½ way up my esophagus but I swolled [sic] it back
down [somehow][7]. [Had enough?—Hell, kid, you aint
heard nothing of what we have S-E-E-N.][8]
Again (rep) I insist all you Americans read &
multiply 10X to 100Xevery word of “Time” magazine for
30 Apr 45; & Jan (or Dec) Readers Digest.
[2]
I hope my VE day letter reaches you first. Much
I’ve written in the past 4 (or 5) days will be “in-a-fog”
to you unless my V.E. (&/or VE 1) arrive first. Say! did
my 7 pager Aunt K letter arrive. I understand if you
dont want to answer [as you wrote:—lets leave controversial-
discussional questions till we talk][9], but just say it
arrived. Also please mention my V-E arriving.
Your Apr 27th’s:—did arrive yesterday (as one of 3),
& Ill answer them all proto pronto so as not to
be so far behind as I once was. = (14!). 2 stamps = safe
‘n untouched. (1) Im sorry my wish for you to have
2 pair $12.50 summer shoes cant be fullfilled. I,
at least, & Im sure 1,000’s of others know you have
no-bed-of-roses back in the USA, dear. (2) ‘Sfunny
but so often I’ve talked & thought of “twin” suits
too—why even Tex Urrutia (on[e] of my 3 roommates
right now) & I talked about The Urrutia’s golfing-
“twin”-suits not so long ago. (P.S. & “rep” I have “twin”
turtle-neck sweaters for us via the courtesy of S.S. Heinrick
Himmeler.)
Your Apr 30th’s:- (1) You spoke of—“many parts of
my (mine too) life Id like to try (live) over”—all
humans, dearest, feel the same including me. Yet
the more I see here; the more I look back; the more
I am C O N V I N C E D that God makes our lives
plenty “rough” or nasty at times so that we “wind-up”
better—“the-bigger-end-of-the-horn.” [P.S. I sure
‘n Hell cant figure why He slipped Thump[10] a patent ductus,
but He sure must have a reason so I will “blindly”
accept His reason.][11] (2) I surely gotta kick outa your
description of Thump bein’ “distrustful” & “quiet little
mouse” when Dr. B. looms up—how many
times haven’t I been tickled by being “peeked-at.” Wheew!
(3) I suppose (damnit!) your guess of seein’ me Apr 30, 1946 is avg.
[Possible missing pages.]
[1] Bracketed text written in upper-left corner of original.
[2] Bracketed text is part of original.
[3] Bracketed text is part of original.
[4] Looting.
[5] Medical abbreviation meaning “without.”
[6] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[7] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[8] Bracketed text is part of original.
[9] Bracketed text is part of original.
[10] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[11] Bracketed text is part of original.