May 19, 1945
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310.169.1-2.2017 Transcription
Dachau Concentration Camp
19 May 45
Dearest,
My 8-pager last night will sorta
hafta make up for a “skimpy-deal”
tonight—I just must write
other people whom I’ve owed for so
long. (also Ill enclose humorous “French-English” to
make the letter more readworthy). This all
isn’t cuz mail didnt come today,
dearest—its just a “must.”
At a meeting of docs today it was
revealed we had admitted 1515 patients
(we—a 450 bed organization!) but of
course we have (only!) 1260 right
now as the balance were so far gone
physically & physiologically after their
Dachau treatment that nobody could
“perpetuate” the spark of life left in
them. Rep:- have you done as I
“insisted”—read 30 Apr ’45 (vol #18)
“Times” magazine & Jan (or Dec) Readers
Digest, & multiplied each word by
my V-I-S-I-O-N 100X. (P.S. All Readers
Digests have finally come through).
Also rep (for 3X & probably last time, &
please acknowledge it, dear) is that possibly
[2]
in some very distant month you might
receive a Leica camera in the mail direct
from Hans[1] if he was lucky enough to
“liberate” one from an S.S.er enroute home
2 days ago. However, he hopes (& I hope)
that I might Rest Camp in England &
thus cross the channel for a visit &
personal pick-up if he “hit-it-right.”
I have a ward of at least 50 pts
to run (& possibly 110 pts) in addition to the
Ames work which of course is way
down to only one or two cases a day.
Reps:- (1) Income blank to Fargo
some days ago. (2) I never raved about
the whisk-broom as such in ack[n]owledging
your swell pkgs in other letters, but
that w.-broom surely is “superflomglopcious.”
I hope my 4 EFMs[2] (past V-E) arrived to
prove my “victorious-safety” to you.
My finger is no longer actually infected,
but I still (& probably will for 14+ days) wear
a bandage—again, Im sorry it
“cancelled” your letters for 6, 7, 8, or 9 days
awhile back.
Geeee, I gotta write those oodles
of other way over due letters, darlin’.
Anyhooo, you know Im—
Living All My love,
Dave
[1] Hans Gerritsen, a Dutch paratrooper Wilsey became friends with while liberating Dachau.
[2] Expeditionary Force Messages, with numbers corresponding to messages for quick correspondence.