October 10, 1944

Click Here to Enlarge Item

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.