October 10, 1944
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310.21.1-2.2016 Transcription
[Tickled that Terry[1] gained to 7lbs 4oz.
Babies ALWAYS makes noises—allmost continuously.
Lactic formulas prone to loosen stools, sporadically.} PLEASE RELAY][2]
Tues. 10 Oct 44
Emily,
When a soldier is preparing
to go overseas a first / temporary
Army Post Offices number is sent to
people concerned about that soldier.
This is done for security reasons
primarily, & secondarily to make it
possible for him to receive mail
while at a staging area, as often
his stay runs into days or weeks
at a staging area. Thus you can
see from the above that “APO” does
not mean in the case of the first
Army Post Office number that the
soldier is as of that moment
overseas. Also, further proof of the
public’s misconception that the first /
temporary Army Post Office number is
synonymous c̅[3] overseas is that
many units in this country always
carry an “APO” for years. [Lt. Col Shrader
in Calif. for 2 years on the desert always
had an “APO” – title][4]. Though not
invariably true, the first/temporary
Army Post Office number which
[2]
facilitates mail to arrive at the
staging areas usually have 4
digits to them.
A second Army Post Office
number is sent to people concerned
upon the soldiers actual arrival
overseas. This second number
is usually the “final”-&-permanent
APO number. These permanent
numbers as a rule have 3 digits
to them, though this is not an
infalable rule
Thus, it is pointed out that
folks at home should not erroneously
assume that a soldier has been
shifted to a f different organization
just because a second Army Post
Office number has come through.
In summary --- the first
APO number merely facilitates the
receiving of mail at a staging
area, & the second APO number
facilitates the receiving of mail at
overseas areas.
Always,
Dave
P.S. There is nothing silly
or foolish about all this.
[1] Their infant son.
[2] Bracketed text written on the back of the original Airmail envelope.
[3] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.