November 14, 1944
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310.35.1-5.2016 Transcription
Somewhere Southern France
14 Nov. 44
Dearest,
If I wasn’t kinda tired [a full
day of anesthesia plus doing washing all evening][1]
I’d probably be more exuberant about
4 things that happened today. As
it is, I’ll write these 4 things &
go to bed as it is already 2 hours
past my 9am bed-time [what war won’t
do to people!?!—as re: their bed time].[2]
#1:- The scarf you knit for
me was found since I wrote
last night about its loss.
Gee, I’m so darn glad! The
circumstance surrounding its
“find” by a GI are sorta suspicious
but I’m so glad to have it back
that I don’t care.
#2:- I gave the most difficult
& critical anesthesia today that
I have ever given it my life, &
it came out perfectly—so
said the surgeons & bystanders &
I concur. A poor guy some weeks
ago got a bullet through his
chest c̅[3] resultant air inside
the chest cage which collapses
[2]
the lung completely in such cases.
Then the whole inner chest cage
became infected & drained pus for
weeks. He is skin & bones &
a terrible operative-risk as well
as lousy anesthesia-risk. BUT,
it was either do one of the most
serious operations known in
Medicine to let him “live” or
operate & have him die on the
table. Sooo, Surgeon Blass
opened his whole chest up wide
(you could see the heart, major blood vessels,
etc) while I kept him both
asleep & alive by special
anesthesia techniques. He is
still living & has a good chance
of making it. It all was
phenomenal, dramatic, & gratifying
to see & be 50% of the success in
the peeling off of the pus thickened
wall that kept his lung bound
down to the size of a pancake.
#3: I got into a bath tub
c̅ HOT WATER in one of the
hotels & scrubed my head &
body for half an hour. This seems
[3]
small fry to you to you youz guys at
home probably but its so so grand
to a “field solger.”
#4:- Last—& best—I
am bef being called back to
MY GANG ON ORDERS (whoopie!)
Tomorrow morning at 8 oclock!!
Isn’t it wonderful, darlin?!?!
I so hope they never “loan” me out
again as it always hazzards
a chance of being kept. I’m
modesty, yet truth, this General
Hospital tried to “finigel” to
keep me. I did work awfully
hard from wee hours of the
morning until supper or later
each night c̅ practically no
lunch hour but I enjoyed it &
was glad to help those soldiers
as they certainly need careful
& accurate anesthesic care. I’ll
be able to rest up again now for
at least a couple days before
we push on & up. P.S. A letter of
Commendation is allegedly forthcoming but the business
[4]
of war may never let it materialize—however
that such a letter was recommended is gratifying.
After being back c̅ the gang I’ll
write more tomorrow night about
what seems to be forthcoming but
right now I’m awfully out-of-
touch.
Gosh, I am pooped—I must
close real soon—but no
matter how I feel, dearest, I
love you & Terry[4] so intensely
every minute of my waking hours
that I still just “float” and
dream and live so well for
both you two——with
All my love,
Dave
[1] Bracketed text is part of original.
[2] Bracketed text is part of original.
[3] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[4] Their infant son.