Critique of French lavishness

Critique of French lavishness

310.279.1-3.2017

United States--Armed Forces--Military Life

Wilsey, David B., MD

The Wilsey Collection

The Holocaust Center for Humanity

310.279.1-3.2017 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 (241^st Gen Hsp)

15 Nov 45 Thurs

Dearest,

I just came from seeing the

movie “The Story of G.I. Joe” by Ernie

Pyle. There’s so much to say—

yet words are an incongruous

thing concerning the such as

this—incongruous at an

(emotional)-time like this. Millions

were as this show; millions of

us were practically as this show

or on its closest fringe; & [hundreds of][1] millions

have no damn idea that this

show is every-inch The Truth!

It’s these latter millions that

should be forced to see it—

but like Dachau movies, they’d

hide their faces. God help ‘em! (they need it.)

[2]

To try to “lighten”-up a bit

Ill tell ya about my trip today:—

The hospital Red Cross took a bus

load of patients to Fontainebleau,

the “glamorama” summer-palace

of all the Louies & Napoleon. Its

about 40 miles [southeast] of

Paris. [On the road there, at the outskirts of Paris,

is an equivalent of Chicago’s Maxwell Street—

geeeee! how I “dreamed-back” to taking you (Ginny

& Wally) through Chicago’s more “picturesque”

counterpart][2]. Anyhoooo, Ill just

summarize Fontainebleau, for

the time being, as:—²/₃^rds the size

of Versailles Palace yet ²/₃^rds more

“glamorama” (if such could be possible!). It

is appauling & somewhat disgusting

how those kings splurged

money so lavishly, unwarrantedly,

& unequitably.

On the way back the bus takes

a 4 mile detour to Barbizon (yup! Just

like American women’s famous Barbizon slips). It

is here that the famous Barbizon

[3]

School of French art arose—&

they say, still rises. “The” attraction

is Millets home-studio; his

“Angelus;” Rossau his contemporary

& pal Rousseau; the field where the

“Angelus,” “Gleaners,” etc were done.

All in all the trip was very worth

1. Ill carry most of the snaps

& picture-cards rather than send

them.

Well, dear, for the second time

I’ll “rep” something seemingly,

supposedly, & allegedly important:—

the U.S.S. Francis Slanger is

“emptying” Paris this weekend,

the 18^th & 19^th of Nov.. The ship can

do it as it’s the biggest & finest

hosp. ship we have. One Wilitzski[3]

& hundreds & hundreds of heinously

delayed Z-Is[4] are processed, etc, etc

[4]

to go onto it———leaving

Sun AM on a hosp train for direct

ship-side detraining. Take it

c̅[5] salt (again!) dear, but this

should be The-Real-Thing. Things,

feelings, emotions, science-facts,

& ramification already stink

so badly that they hardly dare

let this present plan “snafu.”

Sooooooooooooooooooo,

maybe I’ll get-under-the-wire of

my long ago password i.e. “Home

Sometime In November.” One

ramification of all the past

shameful delay is that at this

rate (above) my 30 day sick leave

would assure stretching past

Xmas-At-Home c̅————

All our love,

Dave

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

[2] Bracketed text is part of original.

[3] Wilsey’s nickname for himself.

[4] Refers to being sent back to the Zone of the Interior (The United States).

[5] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”