May 22, 1945
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310.172.1-3.2017 Transcription
Dachau Concentration Camp
22 May 45 @ 9 PM
Dearest,
Before I forget—do not fail to
read about “me” in “Time” mag for 7 May 45.
(vol #45) as well as (rep) “Time” for 30 Apr 45
(vol #18). Also, as “reped” Reader’s Digest for
Jan (or Dec). I just cannot write as many
words as they do. (P.S. 1 in a million; I was in a newsreel).[1]
now I’ll start—really
Honey,
Youz looks like yet breakin’ yer
back—& I’ll bet you are—in
those swell pictures of holding Thump[2]
outside 710-4th St. that just came
today as the May 8th’s & 10th’s letters. (2 in one 4 in another[3]).
‘N, dearest, you look kinda tired & (1)
you are either letting hair grow or (2) there
is no time for beautician-hair-cutters
or (3) there are no beautician-hair-cutters
[P.S. ALSO YOU LOOK TIRED DEAREST—OH! HOW I WISH…][4]
Which? anyhooo, it was darned good to
see your “face” after so [seemingly][5] long!
P.S. I havent “finigeled” myself infront of a camera
for soooo long. that I’m sorry I cant promise reciprocation.
Your May 8th’s:—Your V-E Day &
mine were almost identical as to attitude.
[2]
kiddo! when you wrote (QUOTE)- -“in this
“civilized” world there are beasts…&
cry for mercy…”—I’VE SEEN
BOTH REACTIONS outa the same guys.
Please do not fail to read those “Time”
magazines—you’ll know “briefly”
my life; sorta “live-it”/understand it
c̅[6] me. P.S. Did I “confess” how PASSIVELY my
canteen cup was used to pour icy river water down
SSers half naked backs as they stood for hours c̅ a
two-arm-up-Heil Hitler before being shot in the
cold-blood I wrote about. A truely blood thirsty [I’d never
seen it before][7] combat engineer from Calif asked to
borrow my cup in performing his “preliminaries”
to roaring his .45 automatic right into the face
of 3 S.S.ers—He was blood thirsty & nothing
else would have ever “satisfied” that boy for his
brother’s death at the hands of the S.S.
I’m glad the $25 P.T.A.[8]-“shoes” arrived.
Dad also explained your shoelessness in
a letter that came today too (I had just answered
one of his last night too, via V-mail).
Sooo Mrs McNulty didn’t like me?!
Whumpf! Anyhooo, I’ll explain the details
of a secret of when home how——
those guys would never have gotten
married if it hadn’t been for me. Seeeee!
Gosh Im sorry about no letters—‘n
lordie!—Just about then a 6, 7, 8, or 9 day
infected-finger-gaposis musta come, “adding-on.”
[3]
Id better run some “reps”:- 5 E.F.M.s[9]
have been sent since V-E Day (you mentioned
2 but didnt you get a Love-to-the-best-Mother-
in-the-World,” etc, etc EFM?). That pkg.
c̅ the swell cheeze Mom & Dad sacrificed
came (as did almost 2 identical pkgs containing
leather-laces, Arrid, bars, etc). The whisk-broom
is just “superflomgloptious”! Im going
to start, in a day or two, to mail some
“liberated”[10] S.S.-Dachau-warehouse items
& tho some seem like junk, they all
have some use (this late afternoon I etched
my name or initial on every metal item c̅
a slick electric-pencil to “embarrass” anyone
to posesses [sic] them via package pillaging). All
pkgs you unwrap you had better do
it on a bed ontop of a newspaper—
German lenses, [medical items][11] small tools, etc, etc
will come kerploping out of every
fold of each cloth item as Ill use
the cloth items to protect/pad the
other items. Only if I cannot register (rep)
the 2 electro-16mm-F15 (lens) cameras
will I send them; I’ll carry them one
in a musette mag, & one in the foot-locker
(or bed roll).
MID-NITE:— I just spent 3 hrs packing & tying. Ive
split things up among 7 (sizable) pkgs so no one has
all the value. They probably will be months in arriving.
Unroll every corner & fo[l]d of a cloth article for small things.
AML[12], Dave
[1] In fact, his daughter Clarice did see him on such a news reel years later, in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
[2] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[3] In original, “2 in one” is written above “4 in another.”
[4] Bracketed text written in small print in between the lines in original.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[7] Bracketed text is part of original.
[8] Personal Transfer Account for sending money back home.
[9] Expeditionary Force Messages, with numbers corresponding to messages for quick correspondence.
[10] Looted.
[11] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.
[12] All my love.