12 Aug Christmas preparations, Dec 5, 1944
5 DEC 1944 V-MAIL
HOLLAND
DEAR DAD, THESE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF VERY EXTRA SPECIAL DAYS FOR ME. WHY? BECAUSE I FINALLY GOT A XMAS PACKAGE FROM MARY, THE XMAS BOX OF CANDY FROM RENE, AND SEVERAL LETTERS, INCLUDING THE ONE FROM YOU WITH HAROLD’S ENCLOSED. VERY GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU DAD, AND KNOW THAT YOU’RE SO CHIPPER. WASHINGTON’S FOOTBALL TEAM SEEMED TO BE AN UP AND DOWN AFFAIR THIS YEAR DIDN’T IT? LOOKED AWFULLY GOOD SOME DAYS, AND AWFULLY SAD OTHERS. IT WAS REALLY AN AWFUL LOT OF FUN TODAY GETTING THE PACKAGES AND LETTERS. RENES CHOICE WAS VERY GOOD. IT IS NOT ONLY TASTY, BUT BEING SMALL PIECES IT GOES A LONG WAY WITH SO MANY GUYS TO PASS IT AROUND TO!! I’VE ALSO PASSED OUT THE LOOSE CANDY FROM MARY’S PACKAGE, BUT AM SAVING THE LITTLE INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES INSIDE TO OPEN ON XMAS DAY. THE BOYS HERE IN NINTH ARMY HQ ARE PREPARING FOR XMAS ALREADY. SOMEONE WENT OUT AND CHOPPED DOWN A FIR TREE TODAY AND BROUGHT IN AND SET IT UP IN THE HALL. NOW THE BOYS ARE TIEING ON BITS OF TINFOIL FROM CANDY BARS, COLORED PAPERS FROM THEIR XMAS BOXES FROM HOME, ANYTHING WITH COLOR TO MAKE THE TREE LOOK LIKE XMAS, AND STRANGELY ENOUGH, IT DOES!! IT IS WONDERFUL WHAT A GI CAN DO WITH NOTHING WHEN HE HAS TO. YOU SEE IT HAPPEN IN DOZENS OF WAYS EVERY DAY. THANKSGIVING WAS JUST ANOTHER DAY FOR US EXCEPT THAT WE HAD ONE REAL FRIED EGG FOR BREAKFAST (INSTEAD OF THE USUAL POWDERED EGGS SCRAMBLED) HUGE HELPINGS OF TURKEY, DRESSING, DEHYDRATED SWEET POTATOES, CARROTS AND PEAS, AND PIE WITH CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM (AN UNBELIEVABLE LUXURY) FOR DINNER, AND FINALLY STEAK FOR SUPPER…OTHERWISE, WE WORKED AS USUAL, INCLUDING UNTIL NINE PM FOR ME (I WORK EVERY OTHER NIGHT GOING TO THE MOVIE ON MY NIGHTS OFF). MARY AND KAREN ARE FINE AS ALWAYS. MARY SEEMS TO BE BUSIER THAN HELL WHAT WITH FIXING UP THE HOUSE AND WORKING AT THE OFFICE, BUT SHE IS HAPPY, AND I CAN’T ASK FOR MORE. BUT, GOLLY, I’D SURE LIKE TO BE HOME FOR XMAS. HOPE YOU GOT MY PICTURE AND XMAS CARD OK. ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND AUNT MAG, HAROLD & RENE.
YOUR SON
ROLLIN
5 DEC 1944 V-MAIL
HOLLAND
LETTERS, PACKAGES ….AH’M IN HEAVEN!! TWO LETTERS FROM YOU AND ONE FROM MOM YESTERDAY, AND YOUR XMAS PACKAGE AND A BOX OF CANDY FROM RENE TODAY, ALONG WITH A LETTER FROM YOU, ONE FROM DAD AND ONE FROM FREDDIE D TODAY!!! DOING FINE, AIN’T I? FIRST, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE, SWEETHEART. ALL I KNOW ABOUT IT IS THAT I OPENED IT AND PASSED AROUND THE CANDY (THAT KAREN HAD TOSSED IN PIECE BY PIECE, DIDN’T YOU SAY?) AND SAW THAT THE OTHER STUFF WAS INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED, SO I’M SAVING THAT FOR XMAS MORNING, OK? IT ALL LOOKS EXCITING, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY “JUNK” AS YOU SAY. THE BOX FROM RENE WAS A SOCIETY BRAND (REMEMBER, IN SEATTLE) MIXTURE OF SMALL JELLIED CANDIES OF ALL KINDS. VERY GOOD FOR PASSING AROUND BECAUSE IT GOES SO FAR. NOW FOR YOUR LETTERS. (AGAIN IT IS FUN TO HAVE SO MUCH TO WRITE ABOUT). YOUR SKETCH OF THE DRESSING TABLE AND ROOM LOOKS VERY IMPRESSIVE. YOU’VE EVIDENTLY DONE A DARN GOOD JOB THERE (IF YOUR DRAWING IS TO BE BELIEVED, AND WHY SHOULDN’T IT? I DON’T KNOW, JUST THOUGHT I’D MENTION IT). BUT ISN’T THAT A SHAME ABOUT THE ONE BOX OF PLATES BEING ALL SMASHED. DAMN. STUFF WASN’T ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR, BUT AS LONG AS I WENT TO ALL THE TROUBLE TO GT IT THERE IT’S TOO BAD IT HAD TO BROKEN. OH WELL, GUESS IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. IS THE WEDGEWOOD THING ANY GOOD? DO YOU THINK IT IS WORTH (?) DOLLARS? OH, BIG DUMB BARBARA!!! IT’S UNBELIEVABLE, THE SCREWED UP MESSES THAT GAL GETS HERSELF MIXED UP IN. CRIPES …(THAT IS THE END OF THE DELAYED OCT 30TH LETTER THAT ARRIVED AT THE SAME TIME AS YOUR NOV 15 & 17 LETTERS, WHICH I WILL NOW AGAIN POUR OVER, HMMM) (BUSINESS OF POURING….) AU CONTRAIREY, THE BANK AND MORTGAGE DEAL IS FAIRLY CLEAR TO ME. OF COURSE, I DON’T UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE DETAILS, BUT THE RESULTS SOUND VERY SATISFACTORY. NOW I CAN FEEL AT LEAST THAT THE MIGHTY BUCKS A MONTH I SEND HOME WILL PAY FOR RENT ANYWAY. YOU DONE A GOOD THING, HONEY. DID I ASK YOU ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE RENTER OF THE OFFICE SPACE YET? WHAT EVER HAPPENED THERE. YOU’VE NEVER MENTIONED HER SINCE YOU’VE MOVED IN. THE NEW YORKERS AND THE DIGEST WILL BE A SWELL THING TO TUCK INTO THE XMAS BOX, BUT DON’T BOTHER TO ORDER ME A TIME SUBSCRIPTION. SOME OF THE GUYS OVER HERE GET IT, AND BESIDES, I NEVER WENT MUCH FOR IT ANYWAY. IF YOU STILL ENJOY THE NEW YORKER, I’D LIKE YOU TO HAVE IT, THOUGH DARLING. SUIT YOURSELF ON IT, OF COURSE. I THINK THAT THERE IS STILL ANOTHR PACKAGE EN ROUTE TO YOU (BESIDES THE ONE I JUST MAILED WITH THE DUTCH COINS) IT IS ONE WITH TWO TINY CUPS AND SAUCERS; ONE GREEN STRIPES, AND THE OTHER YELLOW STRIPES: ALSO HAS THE EGG CUPS FOR BREAKFAST. LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT. THE LIST OF THINGS YOU’VE PICKED OUT SOUNDS VERY GOOD. DID YOU SEND SOMETHING TO RENE? SEEMS TO ME YOU DID MENTION IT, BUT I’M NOT SURE. AND SO ENDS THE LETTERS. BUT IT HAS BEEN LOTS OF FUN READING THEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN, MUCH BETTER THAN STEINBECK, FOR MY MONEY. AND NOW FOR WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING. LAST NIGHT SAW “MR. SKEPPINGTON”. CLAUDE RAINES DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB. A SCENE WHERE HE TELLS HIS DAUGHTER HE CAN’T TAKE HER WITH HIM BECAUSE HE IS JEWISH TORE MY HEART OUT. BEST BIT I’VE SEEN IN A PICTURE IN YEARS. BETTE DAVIS IS BETTE DAVIS. GOOD JOB, AS USUAL. IT WAS FUN TO SEE BOB SHAYNE AND ANOTHER GUY (CAN’T REMEMBER HIS NAME, BUT KNOW HIM AS WELL AS ANYTHING) WHO PLAYED THE PART OF THE DIETICIAN APPARENTLY MAKING GOOD IN PICTURES. WEATHER STAYS FINE AND WE ARE DELIGHTED TO SEE THE BOYS BUZZING AROUND “UP STAIRS”. OH YES, HAD ANOTHR V MAIL FROM MRS. NESBIT. WELL, MY VERY DARLING, I SEE THE END OF THE PAPER COMING UP. WISH I COULD TELL YOU HOW WONDERFUL YOUR LETTERS MAKE ME FEEL. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PACKAGE CUTIE PANTS. HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU?
PAPPY.
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