Exploring Paris to pass the time
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310.274.1-3.2017 Transcription
[This letter is written on Red Cross paper, with a thick, red cross and the words “AMERICAN RED CROSS” printed on the top of each page.]
Paris (241st Gen. Hsp.)
6 Nov 45 Tues
Dearest,
I keep forgetting to say
for the 3rd, 4th, etc time that
you needn’t write letters to
Europe anymore as I’ll just never
get them. [as explained][1]
I didn’t write cha last
night. After not doing one
damn thing for 10 days [except go
to Church][2] I broke outa these
hospital walls & went to Paris—
like mosta the others guys do
every day (practically) to sublimate
their boredome in this Medical-
Chain-Snafu. Sooo, out I went
after lunch @ 11:20AM.. I used
up 2 hours just amblin’ all
[2]
over Pa[ri]s subways while hunting
down a certain kind of ribbon
holder for aligning campaign
ribbons in a row. I finally
got it by “propositioning” an E.M.
to buy one for me outa their
ribbon-PX[3]. Then I ambled some
more. Paris is an odd, different,
somewhat-intriguing, & interesting
place to amble in. Then I
went to Shirely [sic] Temple’s “Kiss
& Tell” at a very nice [& free][4]
Allied Officers Theater—its
really very clever ‘n cute-like.
Then I walked next door to
a British-sponsored theater for
about 45 minutes of a British-
tech[ni]color-collosus entiteled
“Henry V” but most everybody
kept walking out [bored][5]. Then
I went to Circle Militaire at
St. Augustin place for a (“S.O.P.”[6])
pre-dinner wine; ate at a decent
[3]
“atmosphere;” & then tried a series
of French after dinner liquers
(for the experience of “having-done-so”). While
sitting there in popped Jane
Wilt of the old 116th c̅[7] her 3-day-date
from Karlsruhe, Germany where
he, she, & practically all the 116th
nurses were sent to the 302
Station Hosp. (P.S. When the 116th was busted up in
late Sept or early Oct). Anyhoooo, Jane &
her date are both good eggs & they
hooked excess-baggage-Wilitzski[8]
onto their party-of-two. They had
reservations to The Casino de
Paris (more naked & “raw” tha[n] the Follies Bergier
I saw enroute to the 813th Hsp Center Pool), & this
Lt. Petrosky “finigeled” me into
their box c̅ them. Lordieee, it
was so close to the stage &
(routine) burlesque audience walkway
[4]
ya could almost reach out &
spank the bare butts of the chorines.
(See last page of enclosed program). Last
(after midnite) we went to the
L’Armorial. Nice but (as usual)
the French-price-racket
prevails despite the effort to
keep it down by U.S. management.
P.S. Ya ashamed of me for spendin’ $15—thats [really][9] a cheap Paris evening.
Since Lt. Petrosky is blessed c̅ a
Ford (motor-pool-officer!) they drove
me back to the hosp.. I never
felt even “woozie,” let alone drunk,
at any time but because I
was 1½ hrs “AWOL” [(late)][10] on my pass
I shimmied over a combined
gate-wall combination to keep
from passing the hosp. M.Ps—
THEN, today when I went
back in daylight today to see
what I’d done I could see (he! he!)
that I’d scaled over 20 feet of
somewhat precarious “wall” (ho! ho!)
(Guess my vision was a bit benumbed but NEVER
my inhibitions, fedility, or—Allmylove,
Dave
[1] Bracketed text is part of original.
[2] Bracketed text is part of original.
[3] Post exchange, for shopping.
[4] Bracketed text is part of original.
[5] Bracketed text is part of original.
[6] Standard Operating Procedure.
[7] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[8] Wilsey’s nickname for himself.
[9] Bracketed text is part of original.
[10] Bracketed text written above “’AWOL’” in original.