Lost happiness in Dachau
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310.164.1-8.2017 Transcription
VE [day] +4 Dachau Concentration Camp
12 May 45
Dearest,
I so hope my past 4 EFMs[1] arrive—
one to Mom for M.D., & 3 to you; ONE A MOTHERS
DAY that had just better make it through.
Im so brimful of horror sights &
unbelievableness that I’ll never attempt to
mention more than a point or two in any
one letter. However let this remind
me of seeing “herd-run” on 100 civilians
“hoteling” in the S.S. Hospital this
afternoon—along c̅[2] Hans[3] as the
Chief of Police for Internes. Oh yes, ask
about the Gestapo he “sweat-out”
even though he was masquerading as
a staff doctor in long silk white coat
& pants.
Ive had so much “Mess” in
recent days [along c̅ the healing finger infection][4]
that I’ve not even touched the
answerin’-part of 14 (or more!) of your
letters. Anyhooo, here starts & I’ll finish
for sure, someday, I promise. (P.S. Ive
answered or EFMed important things already).
[2]
Apr 7th’s: (1) [PRIVATE[5] Thump[6]:—tear all the
envelopes ya wanna—I’ll “liberate”[7]
1,000,000 S.S. envelopes if you enjoy
tearin’ ‘em.][8] (2) Nope! $155.40 is not “hay”!
I sent the signed return & note to Fargo
last night. (3) The reason I was so
anxious (& now relieved) re: novacaine
insertion is that if we go to CBI[9] it
would take many such methouds [sic] to
get rock bottom silly. You know about
anatomy insertion & word-insertion—
some other unforeseen things might
have to undergo “novacaization” in
future months, so dont let it
throw ya. (4) I told Chet about Oglethorpe
pkg etc & he has since heard from
“The Awful Name” that it arrived—
again, we thank ya. (5) Im relieved
Thumps $50 PTA[10] arrived—surely
your 2 pair of $12.50 summer shoes PTA
has arrived. (6) The bomber piece is
American bomber (superfort). (7) Herbert, LeRoy,
Jr———3 such terrible inflictions!
[3]
Your Apr 10th’s: (1) That “strip-tease”
you did for Thump was rare reading.
What I really wanna know is—
as my agent did he wash your back
good?!? (2) His spring outing wardrobe
c̅ suspenders surely looked nice in
that (rep) one of 2 picture-batches that
made-it-through. (PS I’m pleased for
you—re: your girdle.)
Your Apr 11ths:— Ive tried hard
to devour & digest every word of this
long letter re: “Happiness.” I guess
that this Wilitzski[11] guy who started
as “orphan” around 12 yrs & to date
soaks in the bestial-horror of Dachau
will need teaching/help/first
“seeings” re: this 9 lettered word.
I sure ‘n Hell want to start this
post-graduate-study soon—sooner
the better—Ill even forego
“sightseeing” the beautiful tropical
Pacific, by gum! (To say more on
paper is incongruous)
[4]
Your Apr 14th’s:- (Rep) I got 2 boxes
fairly “identical” viz arrid, leather
laces, stationary, candy, milk, etc.
Theyre swell, dearest, & thanks millions.
Send more of those same bars—
they go like hot-cakes.
Your Apr 15th’s:—(1) Im very very
sorry re: “The Problem Of Pain.” Ill get it
someway if I have to “loot” SS
libraries to find it. (Imagine!—such
a book in this egomanical perverted S.S. “city”.)
(2) Thump’s cardiac reserve surely sounds
as if its adequate. Tell me, dear, how
is his color—look at him like
a doctor would when you answer me.
Your Apr 6ths & 13th’s:-have been
answered 90% previously in sort of a
“combined-manner” except for one point:-
“What Good Am I To God” is the most
deep striking/”moving”/motivating
thing that ever happened to me. It
seems sacrilige to try to talk about
it in letters. (Wanna know something. The
most—most—most “Something”
[5]
10 minutes before V-E news “broke” to my ears
I had been reading Forewards & trying to
think with God—then as I finished, the
news just coincidentally (chronologically) “broke”—
Oh shucks! I cant describe this emotional
chronological coincidence at all.)
Your Apr 17th’s:- brough[t] 2 stamps
& a batch of “honey”-pictures—“tanks”
fer bodt soooooo mooch. Say!
Where did ya get not only envelopes &
stickers & labels c̅ Mrs DBW but now cards?
(1) Im so glad ‘n pleased ‘n tickled you
got to AAUW[12]———any night,
cancel my letter for the chance to go,
dearest. Promise?!?! (2) The “Perdipigen”
2 cc pleases me lots. As you probably
know, he’ll roll small-pox off like
water on a duck any ol’ time now—
the “hump” is over with. (3) Forewards,
thank you, came. I always give one to
Col Shraeder our Chief of Medical Service.
21 days after Easter I had an
indescrib[ab]le thrill of making my
Easter Communion all alone kneeling before a
Chaplain (Lt Col) James E Clarke of the 20th
Armored Division visiting some of his
[6]
boys in our Evac. I was in a
dirty puke & blood covered O.R. gown &
left an operation to recieve this
Thrill/Gift/Pleasure—& Im
sure God didnt mind a bit. Chap
Clarke had Easter Eucharist concecrated
Bread c̅ him for just such as me.
He is New York Genl Therl man & knows
Bishop Lewis & Fr Kelley. He tried to
celebrate for us again but we
had “stolen-away-in-the-night”
as I learned from a nice letter
that came here to “D.[astardly] D.[achau]”[13]
Your Apr 18th’s:- (1) Still no box
c̅ Mom-Dads cheese in it—however
thank them heaps & say they shouldna [sic]
done it! ———their nation points
are too scarce. (P.S. I can always get
ahold of bread or G.I. biscuts to eat cheese
& ham etc on so dont worry about
sending crackers). (2) Nope! scarf wearing
in bed is over now that were out of
cold damp tents—but oh what
a blessing that scarf was at least
4,000 times since you made it.
[8] [Potentially missing page 7?]
Your Apr 20ths:- (1) You have my sympathy
in flat iron slinging—I, too, do it
every so often. (2) The play pen factors
you discussed show good judegment [sic]
m’ dear. (3) I wonder if Thump will
“show” me my “unconscious”-habit that
even you, ha! ha!, have never caught—
& I wont tell ya, either, seeeeee!?
Geee, dearest, Im sorry but I
gotta stop c̅ even 4 more letters to
answer———because Hans &
8+ Dutchmen have invited me to
eat c̅ them at an 8PM supper in
their prison (guard) house. See
ya later, Precious—
All my love,
Dave
[1] Expeditionary Force Messages, with numbers corresponding to messages for quick correspondence.
[2] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[3] Hans Gerritsen, a Dutch paratrooper Wilsey became friends with while liberating Dachau.
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] In original, “PRIVATE” is written above “Thump.”
[6] Nickname for their infant son, Terry.
[7] Loot.
[8] Bracketed text is part of original.
[9] China Burma India. CBI was the US military designation for this area during the war.
[10] Personal Transfer Account for sending money back home.
[11] Wilsey’s nickname for himself.
[12] American Association of University Women.
[13] Bracketed text written in upward-slanted text above “D.D.” in original.