November 30, 1944
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310.47.1-4.2016 Transcription
Somewhere—France
Back c̅[1] my gang (apparently for good)
30 Nov 44 – 3:20pm
Dearest,
Every time I sit down to
write I feel the “urge” to rewrite
all important points in my past
letters as I have never received
one from your that stated you were
getting my letters. ‘Course I’m so
thankful that 7 of your letters did
reach me before our recent-&-last
move. In past letters, important
points have been (#1) I love you so,
so, sooo! (#2) We are “Somewhere In
France c̅ the 7th Army”. (#3) Mail
is going (& coming) via a different
geographical route here of recent
times & it supposedly/allegedly
should be a better route. (P.S. As yet
none has come to me via this new path).
(#4) Our new & (fairly) permanent APO[2] is
758 (#5) I am well—but I miss
you soooo, dearest. (#6) I feel terrible
about not as yet having been able to
click on a PX[3] mail order set up for
getting presents to you, Terry[4], Mom & Dad.
[still, that Xmas present box Dad wrote me that
he sent hasn’t come & neither have any
[2]
letters c̅ airmail stamps enclosed. Let me
ask something—tell me only this about
that Xmas package:—did it have anything
in it that shook like liquid if one were
to shake the package? I ask because
from many many sources it is reported
that all along the line of package-mail-
handlers there is consistent pilaging
of packages that shake-like-liquor.
Apparently, once they pilage them, they
then just throw them away if, to their
disappointment, they got hair-tonic,
shaving lotion etc instead of liquor
for which they were pilaged. It makes
we “tea-totalers” furious, & makes the
recipient men who are drinkers, very
sad][5]. Lordy! how I hope no pictures
of you & Thump[6] were in that Xmas
package.
Let me distertate dissertate (sp?)
on 2 phases of water, WATER, W-A-T-E-R! ho! ho!
Phase I:—Bless, from the bottom of your
heart, every single drop of water that
comes out of every single faucet every
single time you turn one one!!!!!!!!!
Europe, including France, never was
very “water-conscious” for centuries.
Then add bombs & artillery blowing
up what few supplies there were even
before the war—& you’ve really
got somethin’! Surely, there is always
plenty of water to drink, but it
[3]
seems to me in the dim distant
past I remember those treasured
pleasures of a decent, well-rinsed
bathing of the human body below the
chin; fairly frequent washing of the
face; at least a once-daily brushing of
the teeth; adequate water along c̅
said soap for laundrying (let alone
2 or 3 clear water rinses); ETC; ETC;—
ALL OF WHICH REQUIRE W-A-T-E-R!
Phase II:— Now on the other hand—
let us consider water from the
sky. You don’t even need to consider
it—ITS ALWAYS THERE AND
COMING D-O-W-N! First, it rained
s̅[7] let up for 3 ½ weeks; then it only
fogged for 1 ½ days; then it rained
again; then….[oh, why go one!][8]
Thus, m’ love, water in Phase I &
Phase II is real “sumthin’” to not
only millions of us “foot-soljers”
but even/also to one doc who
[right now][9] adores {Nevadas [and] No. Dak[ota’s]}[10] paucity
of rain fall—& dreams about
faucets, clean water, & safe water!
As I wrote last night, I go on
a night working schedule tonight
in just a few hours so, I’d better catch
a nap. Here’s dreamin’ to ya, dearest c̅
All my love, Dave
[P.S. Can I also damn this ¢
postage weight limit?!][11]
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] Army Post Office.
[3] Post Exchange for shopping.
[4] Their infant son.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[7] Medical abbreviation meaning “without.”
[8] Bracketed text is part of original.
[9] Bracketed text is part of original.
[10] In original, “Nevadas” is written above “No. Dak[ota’s].”
[11] Bracketed text written in lower left-hand corner of page.