09 Jul 8-2-44 New foxhole
8-2-44 V-Mail
Mary Darling – Ha ah – another good ol’ letter from my honey, direct to 48th (1st with a new address) written just when you got back Maine! How wonderful – the trip, I mean – but since letters #23 through 26 are missing, I missed a lot, too. but what I got from this letter sounds swell – particularly about Karen. Golly, but I’d like to see you guys. Sounds very good about Eddie Dowling, too – but I’m not holding my breath till I hear from him. I’ll try to contact him from this end, too, though. Thanks for such a nice long letter, sweetheart.
Oh, my aching G.I. back. Digging a foxhole yesterday in the hardest mixture of slate & clay I ever saw. Got some corrugated tin to cover it, and now have a crude but roomy and dry hut – foxhole. This is a beautiful area we’re in now, and instead of cows we have chickens, sheep and even a couple of tame rabbits for company. Tomorrow (what a relief) we’re going to send clothes to GMSTR laundry! We’ve done pretty well washing ourselves (now don’t hold that up to me in the future!) but it’s a pain in the neck with such limited facilities, and I’m afraid that we all suffer a bit from tattletale grey. It’s wonderful hearing from you again, darling (and only 10 days for this air-mail letter) give my best to your folks, Bill & E., and the family.
ALL MY LOVE
Letter #26, Pappy
4 Aug 1944 – V Mail
Mary darling – your letter with Elsie’s enclosed arrived today – your letter number 30 (dubious) which means 28 and 29 are missing – but mighty happy to get it. Do send all the pictures as soon as possible. Would love the jam (haven’t received any pkges yet – or letters from anyone else) and any canned fruit that you can scrape up. Was drinking some cider with some boys last night when an old man and a little dog came along. They sat down and joined us – each drinking quantities of cider. About an hour later the little dog got up and said “Pardonney moi, sil vous plait – I got see a dog about a man!”
Weather is really fine here now. Much like Puget Sound in the summer. Haven’t had any rain for a week. As for the French ‘Mzelles – as the song goes – they’re either too old or too young. Same holds for men. In this area we’ve seen no one until yesterday when a farmer and his wife and daughter (whose husband is a German PW) came back with their cattle. Give my best to the Boardmans and Corny & Teenie & the Lamonts – and all my love to you & Miss K
Letter #27 Pappy
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