10 Aug Airing out the tents, Nov 28 & 30, 1944
28 NOV 1944 V-MAIL
HOLLAND
GOOD EVENING SWEETHEART, TWO LETTERS FROM MY CUTIE TODAY!! (AND STRANGELY, A LETTER FROM JIM ABRAHAM SAYING THAT YOU’D RECEIVED THE PICTURES FROM HIS DAD, BUT I HAVEN’T HEARD SAME FROM YOU YET???) LTRS OF NOV 10 & 11TH. PERHAPS I’M MISSING SOME IN BETWEEN AGAIN. DAMN MAIL SITUATION. I’M ALSO MAD ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU HAVEN’T YET RECEIVED MY BOX FROM ENGLAND YET, FOR GOSH SAKES!!HAD MY OLD HAIR BRUSHES AND WOOL SWEATER IN IT, TOO. BUT AS YOU SAY, IT MAY STILL SHOW UP. HAD A VERY NICE DAY TODAY. IT STARTED OUT TO BE BEAUTIFUL, SO THREE OTHER GUYS AND I WERE SENT OUT TO OPEN UP ALL OF THE TENTS (WHICH JUST SIT IN THE TRUCKS NOW THAT WE’RE INSIDE) AND DRY THEM OUT SO THEY WON’T MILDEW. WE FOUND A LIKELY FIELD AND PROCEEDED TO EMPTY THE TRUCK AND STRING UP THE TENTS ON THE FENCE AND TREES. THE WIND WHIPPED THEM MERRILY ABOUT AND WE SAT DOWN AND ATE OUR K RATIONS LIKE ON A PICNIC. IT KEPT GETTING COLDER AND CLOUDIER, SO WE FINALLY GOT THE STUFF ALL ROLLED UP AND PACKED BACK IN THE TRUCK, JUST IN TIME, IT STARTED TO HAIL AND RAIN. AND IT HAS BEEN BLOWING, COLD AND RAINING AND SLEETING SINCE.
OUR “GARDEN” SOUND PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, DARING. EVERGREENS AND EVERYTHING. I’M SO ANXIOUS TO SEE IT ALL, AND WATCH KAREN HELPING WITH THE HOUSEWORK, AND TAKING YOU BOTH FOR WALKS WITH OUR DOG, AND JUST DOING WHAT I FEEL LIKE DOING FOR A LONG TIME. I CAN’T HELP FEELING WHAT A TERRIC WASTE THIS ALL IS. SO STUPID. OH WELL, IT CAN’T LAST FOREVER, BUT BY GOLLY SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE IT.
THIS IS NO DOUBT TOO LATE TO BE A SOLUTION, BUT WHY DON’T YOU GIVE MONA ONE OF THE PAIRS OF WOODEN SHOES FOR XMAS? (I’M ASSUMING THAT ONE OF THE BOXES YOU GOT FROM ME CONTAINED THE SHOES) OOPS, HERE COMES THE END OF THE PAPER, BUT IT WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE PAPER THAN WAS EVER PRINTED TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I MISS AND LOVE YOU AND KAREN.
ROLLIE
28 NOV 1944 V-MAIL
HOLLAND
GOOD EVENING, DARLING, GUESS WHAT? TODAY I RECEIVED TWO PACKAGES!! MOM’S CANNED FRUIT PACKAGE OF SEPT 15TH, AND ANNE & KEN’S FUDGE OF AUG 31ST (AND THIS IS WHERE YOU FILL IN A LOT OF AIR-TURNING-BLUE-CUSSING) IT WAS ALL MOLDY!!! DON’T TELL ANNE, BECAUSE I’M GOING TO WRITE HER THAT IT WAS WONDERFUL (AND BE PERFECTLY TRUTHFUL, BECAUSE I TOOK MY KNIFE AND CUT THE MOLD OFF OF THE BIGGER CHUNKS AND ATE IT, DAMMIT!! AND IT WAS DELICIOUS). OUT OF THE WHOLE WORKS I PROBABLY GOT SIX GOOD PIECES, AND AFTER SPLITTING THAT WITH THE BOYS HERE (WHO HAVE BEEN MORE THAN GENEROUS WITH THEIR STUFF TO ME) I DIDN’T GET VERY MUCH. HAVEN’T EATEN ANY OF MOMS PACKAGE YET, BUT PLAN TO OPEN IT LATER TONIGHT. I’M WORKING AGAIN TONIGHT. ASIDE FROM GOING TO THE MOVIES ON MY NIGHTS OFF THERE ISN’T MUCH DIFFERENCE WHETHER YOU WORK OR NOT, BECAUSE EVERYBODY STAYS HERE IN THE OFFICE ALL OF THE TIME ANYWAY. THE ROOMS WE USE AS BARRACKS ARE CROWDED AND UNHOMEY, SO ASIDE FROM SLEEPING THERE YOU RARELY SEE ANYONE THERE. I GOT MY PX RATIONS FOR THE WEEK TODAY. TWO CIGARS, AN O’ HENRY BAR, A BOX OF FIG BARS, A CAN OF ORANGE JUICE, A BAR OF SOAP AND A BOTTLE OF AFTER SHAVE LOTION, ALL FOR ABOUT TWO GULDEN OR 80 CENTS. OF COURSE, THIS IS A SPECIAL TREAT, AND MORE THAN WE’VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO BUY HERE BEFORE (AT BN THERE IS NO PX AT ALL. IT’S ONLY IN A BIG ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS WHERE YOU WILL SEE ONE AT ALL). WE GET CIGS (ABOUT SIX PACKS A WEEK NOW) FOR FREE FROM THE MESS OFFICER. THINK I’LL BE ABLE TO GET ALONG ALL RIGHT, BUT YOU CAN SEND SOME IF YOU WANT BECAUSE THEY’RE ALWAYS GOOD FOR BARGAINING. DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU?
PAPPY
30 NOV 1944 V-MAIL
HOLLAND
HELLO, MY DARLING, I AM WAITING FOR THE WATER TO HEAT FOR ME TO SHAVE SO FIGURE THE BEST WAY TO USE MY TIME IS BY WRITING TO MY HONEY. HOW ARE YOU, BABY? I’VE JUST SEEN MOST OF “DRAGON SEED” (I SAY MOST BECAUSE I WAS LATE ON ACCOUNT OF BEING PAID. WHAT A FUBAR SYSTEM FOR PAYING!! STOOD IN LINE FOR ONE HOUR AND FORTY MINUTES TO GET MY STINKING DRIBBLE) AND A VERY GOOD MOVIE IT WAS. AILEEN MACMAHON & HUSTON AND HEPBURN ALL DID VERY GOOD JOBS, AND STORY HELD PRETTY CLOSE TO THE BOOK. YOU SHOULD GO AND SEE IT IF YOU GET A CHANCE. YOU HAVE NEVER WRITTEN ABOUT SEEING A MOVIE, I THINK. DO YOU EVER GO, OR ARE YOU TOO BUSY WITH ALL OF YOUR WORK? WEATHER HERE HAS HELD OUT BEAUTIFULLY. GOLLY, IF IT WOULD ONLY STAY NICE LIKE THIS, I COULD EXPECT BIG THINGS. LAST NIGHT I SAW ONE OF THE PRETTIEST MOONS IN A LONG TIME. IT WAS A BIT FROSTY WITH THIN, OCCASIONAL CLOUDS, AND SHE SAILED ALONG LIKE AN EPHEMEREAL (WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SPELLING IS THAT?) SOMETHING-OR-OTHER. NOW I’M OUT OF THE MOOD. BUT IT WAS MIGHTY PURTY, AND I WAS WISHING THAT YOU AND I MIGHT TAKE A BIT OF WALK ON THE GOLF COURSE IN BACK OF YOUR FOLKS HOUSE. LATER, THERE WAS A BIG RING AROUND HER, AND IF MY OLD PROGNOSTICATOR IS RIGHT, WE SHOULD HAVE BAD WEATHER BY TOMORROW.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, I ESTABLISHED A RECORD OF SOMETHING-OR-OTHER. REMEMEBER HOW I USED TO GLOAT WHEN I COULD GET A COUPLE OF OFFICERS TO SALUTE FOR ONE FROM ME? WELL, A FEW WEEKS AGO, I GOT A 16 STAR SALUTE FOR ONE LOUSY BUCK PRIVATE SALUTE. FIVE GENERALS. (NAMES BLACKED OUT). COULDN’T HELP BUT THINK OF YOU DURING THE MOVIE TONIGHT. AM I KIDDING? EVERY NIGHT. ‘CAUSE I LOVE YOU
MR. B
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