26 Jun June 12, 1944 letter to Mary
From what I could originally deduce my Dad landed on Omaha Beach on D Day + 6 which I would have thought to be June 12th, but this newsy letter about playing golf with a major would not indicate that. Still waiting to hear about hitting the beach!
12 June 1944
Good evening, sweetheart,
Here’s some flowers for my babies (poppies, I think) and a S & S. Hope you like them. Also, yesterday I sent a little box with my hair brushes, sweater, some letters (I got seven Sat.) and junk. Probably take it years to get there, but let me know. Now I have received letters 1, 2, & 3 from you. And while I think of it, when you send another box, send me some toothpicks, will you? Yes, toothpicks!
I had a fine time yesterday. After another clothes inspection (honest-to-gosh) I overheard our C.O. ask a sergeant if he could find him a caddy – so I immediately volunteered. Another guy caddied for another major (our C.O. is a major – and a fine fellow, really) and we went to a little course near here and did eighteen. It was fun – even caddying – and they let me play the 17th hole! Golf with a
Pg 2 major all ready!! and when we finished, he offered me a mess of change (darn near a pound) but I wouldn’t expect more than a buck-fifty (didn’t lose a ball, so I figure I was worth it – at a buck a crack for old rebuilt Pinehurst balls, which couldn’t cost more than 25 cents new in the old days. There are practically NO balls in the U.K.) You would sneer at the clubs they rented (I only mean, dear, that even the old crocks you use are better, yet) and green fees are paid for by Red Cross. I could play – if I can find balls (no – don’t send any darling) – and I may yet – I hope. I got a five on my hole – and was duly complemented. It was very chummy, and no feeling of officers & E.M. whatsoever, but we were discreet – NATurally. Corny might be interested in the fact that greens & fairways are in pretty good shape – but the rough is rugged. And traps all over the place. And hills – whew. But a good deal – and a good day.
Pg 3
The C.O. told me some interesting things. I knew that old Roman roads still existed here, but he ran across some old stone coffins on a golf course one day! Just lying around, and common place to natives. And some huge hills here have looked extremely impregnable (from a military point of view) with ridges running around them – but I only thought – how odd (all grown over with grass & stuff now). But it turns out that the Romans actually built those embankments & ramparts etc for defense. Ain’t it interesting? The size of them makes the impression – let’s see (this section was literally cut out with scissors) in Seattle, for instance.
Gotta go, sweetheart. Are you being a good girl? I miss you, baby. I hope to hell we get this thing finished in a hurry – and by what I read, it’s fairly good. Are you asking around about a house? Write often, Mary, because it means a lot to me.
All my love, Rollie
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