November 15, 1944
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310.36.1-7.2016 Transcription
Somewhere in So. France
15 Nov. 44
Dearest,
What a hectic day this has been!
Maybe by the time I’m done writing it will
all make sense, but at the start (at least)
it will be pretty jumbled. I’ll admit
(tell) you somethings that I hope will be
permissable — so here’s hoping. Just
where to begin is difficult: —
Well, last night I wrote you sort
of a jubilant letter [even though pooped][1] about
orders to return back to our own gang.
Well — those orders have all been
(Army quote) “recinded.” We were ordered
to be packed & ready to be taken back to
our gang at 8AM today. We waited all
day & then learned at 5:30PM that those
orders were (QUOTE) “a mix-up.” We are
to stay an indefinite number of days
longer & the average guess is 3 days more
but Lord knows it may be 3 “years” more.
Howz about you hoping c̅[2] me that there
are no more future “recindings” or
“mix-ups” to keep me away from our
gang?!?!
Despite this disappointment, there was
a greater compensation in that your
second & third (overseas) letters arrived.
Whoopie! Whoopie! Hoooray! Peculiarly,
[2]
[but typically army][3] the two letters I
received today were written before your
Nov. 1st letter which was the first one I
received overseas. Dearest, dearest, it is
wonderful-beyond-expression to receive
your letters! — I’ll answer them
in detail later on in this letter.
While on letters, I must tell you
something that I [honestly][4] take as a good
joke. As I stepped off the boat I dropped
an air mail envelope along c̅ a V-mail & a
written-out air-mail) containing a mimeo-
graphed “newspaper”-like souvenir that
the ships personel printed for all the
passengers. Today I got it back c̅ an
admonition from the base censor. Why,
I had even written on the front of it
that the Transport Censor & the Ship’s
Censor had approved it over the ships
lowd-speaker system, as they did —
yet the base censor bounced it. Oh,
me!! All this time I thought you
knew about that novel, unique, &
priveleged spinal anesthesia I did in
the middle of a tossing ocean on a
ruptured appendix, which was the main
reason I sent this ships-souvenier as
it was “written-up” in the “newspaper.”
Gosh! I hope no others have been
[3]
bounced.
Which brings up something — gee,
darlin’, Ive written so many “pieces-
of-my-heart” in the recent weeks
that I’ll just curl-up if they never
reach you. I want so very very much
for you to know these things about
my love & living for you; my love &
thrill re: your letters about the ol’
Thump[5]; our future hopes, etc; etc. If
the censor will bounce as mildly
censorable as thing as that mimeographed
souvenier [after ship’s big shots approved it][6] I hate
to think about other letters containing
my love & our hopes. Damitohell!!
Anyhoooo, I’ve written many things
recently that I know you would love
to read — & whether they reach
you or not, all I can do is pray.
Also on this hectic day I learned
something that pleases me real deeply.
above ol’ Thump’s Pistol Expert Medal
(now be nice & meet & make it real symmetricaly)
I want you to pin a EUROPEAN THEATER
RIBBON WiTH ONE BRONZE STAR iN iT.
I’ve tried so hard to get one to enclose
in an envelope but maybe you can
get one via Frank Brown, Maj Smith,
[4]
Mrs Jack Lee, or somebody. American PXes[7]
have them by the gobs, & where we are
there aren’t even PXes. The Army newspaper
“Stars & Stripes” just published that
we are “hereby, to-wit, etc, etc” authorized
said ribbon. Say, won’t ol’ Thump
look pretty spiffy to have color & a
stars setting-off his rawther dull
Pistol Expert Medal?!? I’m tickled
just pink!! [If you get Thump’s permission,
you too can pin said ribbon on your coat, but don’t
you dare do it unless Thump says so — see!!!][8]
Maybe I better [again][9] itemize my
mailings to you. Firstly I mailed
as on page #2. My second mailing a
few days later was another “3-series”
[a written-out airmail; a printed-piece (French) of
material in airmail envelope; & a written-out
airmail][10]. Then I sent a “3-series” but that
time it was 3 nights writing added
one after another inside the same airmail
envelope. Then I sent a non-pertinent
ad-liber [sic] airmail. Then this morning
I sent an airmail containing points
(paragraphs) #1, #2, #3, #4 only, as I was
pretty pooped when I wrote last night.
Lordy, how I hope they reach you,
dear! Oh yes, I also sent in a separate airmail envelope a
yellow printed “newspaper” called a wireless newspaper, inbetween.
[5]
Now to answer points in your Oct 28th
letter:- (1) Again, I ask you [for postmaster’s sake
in Bis.][11] to send me airmail paper as well
as color-edged airmail envelopes as I
did previously. I just wont waste paper-
weight to cuss out that additional
postage you have been having to pay.
(2) Please, darlin’, don’t apologize (or try)
re: writing a letter each night —
even though I love your letters so, I
want you to be “easy,” & let have Terry
have my time — honest! (3) Thanks
for telling me I am #1881 in Amer. Soc.
of Anesthe[tists], Inc.. Pay whatever you
need to. [Oh, yes, my Metropolitain Insurance
is due, I believe, in Nov — & Auto Ins in
Dec.].[12] (4) Your letter c̅ airmail stamps
never arrived — damn-it-to-Hell!!
(5)Don’t feel badly about $15 for a scale if
it is a good one, dear — War is War;
I know!! (6) I agree c̅ you 101% about
Keeping Clarice’s sewing machine. [Now Oct 30th letter][13] (7) I
saw that (& those) moons you wrote
about — don’t ever think I was
thinking about anyone or anything except
that most wonderful girl in the world
named Emily Elizabeth. (8) Gee, dear, you
have no idea how truly you speak
[6]
when you y say you know I will want
those peaceful & quite [sic] evenings at home
after this War is over (such as you described).
(9) I’m pleased (& praying) that the Truax
Transp. Officer will not snafu anything.
Say! your forgery (was it really such) on the
bottom of the letter was really “tops.”
(10) So far, I haven’t been able to detect
any censoring of your letters & I don’t
believe it is S.O.P. (pardon me — Sending
Operative Procedure) to censor your letters.
[NOTE: I just dislike this having to write #1, #2, etc, etc, etc, #10, but
this damn paper-weight factor forces me to it, dear][14].
[Lastly][15] Every minute I live for you
& Thump so that we can have our own
apartment or house, our own things, our
own life, that you write about. You
are so right when write viz. “I know
you are thinking of us & that’s what
counts” — all you omitted, precious
was, “thinking of you EVERY MINUTE”!!
Oh, Em, I thanked God so hard when
I read your first overseas letter
telling me that you & cute little ol’
Thump were fine & progressing. I
just know now that he nightly
answers my prayer to watch and help
and keep you both real carefully.
Add [weakly][16] to His help — All my love,
Dave
[1] Bracketed text is part of original.
[2] Medical abbreviation meaning “with”
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[5] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
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[7] Post Exchanges for shopping.
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