November 25, 1944

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310.42.1-3.2016 Transcription

Somewhere — France

AM 25 Nov. 44 [I wrote you last 23rd AM][1]

Again! — back c̅[2] my gang

Dearest,

It was impossible to write you

yesterday — just impossible for

reasons you can imagine. Anyhooo,

again its so good to be able to say

I love you! I love you! Em. The

mail-outlet for this is a bit questionable

but I imagine [& pray][3] it will be OK.

When I tell you someday about

my last 44 hours you will either be

fascinated or horrified or appauled:—

famous French mud to your knees

24hrs a day; dead ‘n rotting Germans;

leaking tents during the 24hr rains

that has rained constantly for over

3 weeks; French wine dug out of

the hiding places (from the Germans) in the

ground as Thanksgiving-time (not Day)

toast of appreciation by French officers;

giving anesthetics till 6 in the morning;

etc., etc. etc.

Each day we get [{to at}][4] just a

little lower living-level — by this

I am not complaining — I’m just

trying to describe a “phenomenon” that

is humorously interesting as one looks

[2]

back on it. Each day our situation

& “convenience”-possibilities become a

little less & a little less. Anyhoooo,

I’ve had no trouble or gr[ief] adapting to

it — infact, there is a certain

exhilaration about doing it & realizing

you can & are doing it.

Information just came back

from the censors office via our unit

censor that I can tell you [that][5] some of

us docs came here by airplane.

Harry McLean’s method of traveling

is fine enough in the U.S.A. but

Harry McLean’s airplaining-principle

in war zones is a horse of a different

color. I’ll tell you some fascinating

things (& details) about this someday.

Just to make a point blank

statement incase you have (or have had)

any doubts — I am physically

just fine & have been fine. God is

listening to your prayers, just as your

letters let me know that He is helping

& keeping you & Terry[6] super-swell that

I pray, c̅ all this wet & mud & cold 24 hrs

a day I have sorta imagined that my sinuses

would really kick up but they haven’t. Hooray!

Gotta hurry, dearest — I’ll enclose a

letter from Billy to make this more a

real sizable letter. I should & must sleep

quickly now that I have the chance. Ill be dreamin’

of you both c̅ All my love

Dave

[1] Bracketed text written in small print to the right of “44.”

[2] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”

[3] Bracketed text is part of original.

[4] “To” written above “at” in original.

[5] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.

[6] Their infant son.