03 Aug Little Dutch boy, Nov. 9 & 11, 1944
9 Nov 1944 V-Mail
Holland
GOOD EVENING, DARLING, RECD YOUR LTR OF OCT 20. WAS SORRY TO HEAR THAT OL’ KAREN WAS AILING, BUT GLAD THAT SHE’S OK AGAIN. WAS ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT WHEN SHE WAS GOING TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT SEE THAT THAT HAS BEEN PUT OFF FOR A WHILE. WRITE A LOT ABOUT WHAT SHE DOES, AND SAYS, AND THE GAMES YOU PLAY WITH HER AND STUFF LIKE THAT. YOU CANT OVERDO IN YOUR NEWS FROM THAT ANGLE. I GET A BIG KICK OUT OF EVEN THE TINY, SEEMINGLY INSIGNIFICANT THINGS ABOUT YOU AND HER. THERE ISN’T THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF NEWS FROM AROUND HERE, EXCEPT THAT WE HAD SNOW TODAY. YOU’VE HEARD OF PEA-SOUP FOG? WELL, WE HAVE PEA-SOUP MUD HERE. THE SURFACE OF THE ROADS ARE HARD ( BRICK, IN MANY INSTANCES) BUT WHAT WOULD BE DUST IN DRY WEATHER IS NOW AN INCH OR TWO DEEP PEA-SOUP MUD.
GOLLY, BUT IS IT DARK OUT!! I’VE JUST COMEBACK FROM DELIVERING A FEW MESSAGES, AND MY OLD FLASHLIGHT IS DOING YEOMAN SERVICE. THAT WAS A VERY GOOD 89 CENT INVESTMENT. DON’T KNOW WHAT I’D DO WITHOUT IT. MY LIGHTER AND MY KNIFE. USE THEM MANY TIMES EACH DAY. BY THE WAY ***REQUEST*** FLINTS. I’M ON A BORROWED FLINT RIGHT NOW, AND DON’T KNOW WHERE THE NEXT ONE IS COMING FROM AS WE CAN’T GET THEM. SO PLEASE SEND ME A DOZEN OR SO IN THE NEXT LETTER. WRAP THEM IN A LITTLE RAG OR SOMETHING AND GET THEM HERE AS SOON AS YOU CAN, WILL YOU, DARLING? WE HAVE A VERY COSMOPOLITAN MESS HALL HERE. BESIDES HUNDREDS OF ORDINARY GI’S, WE HAVE COLORED BOYS, DUTCH SOLDIERS (WHO HELP GUARD ENTRANCES, ETC) AND LIMEY’S, ALL EATING TOGETHER **** AND WHY NOT? BUT THE GUY WHO CAUSES THE MOST COMMOTION OF ALL IS A LITTLE DUTCH KID ABOUT FOUR YEARS OLD WHO IS COMPLETELY DECKED OUT IN REGULATION GI CLOTHES. HE’S BEEN ALL BUT LEGALLY ADOPTED BY ONE OF THE OUTFITS HERE, AND HE EATS ALL THREE MEALS HERE, AND STAYS WITH THE GUYS ALL DAY LONG. AT NIGHT HE GOES HOME TO HIS GRANDFATHERS, WHO SAYS WE MAY TAKE HIM WITH US IF WE WANT. DON’T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY, OR HOW MUCH OF IT IS TRUTH, BUT THE WAY IT GOES IS THIS. HIS FATHER WAS KILLED AS A BELGIAN SOLDIER. HIS MOTHER CONSORTED WITH THE JERRY (IS THAT WHAT WE CALL IT OVER HERE? NO.) AND HIS GRANDFATHER IS NOW TAKING CARE OF HIM. BUT BEATS HIM, AND HAS NOTHING TO FEED HIM. SO HAS OFFERED HIM TO US. THE BOYS HAVE HAD A LOT OF LAUGHS OUT OF HIM. FOR INSTANCE SUPPLY FIXED HIM UP WITH THE CLOTHES (INCLUDING STAFF SERGEANT STRIPES) AND THE GUY WHO IS EVERYTHING BUT FATHER TO HIM TOOK HIM OVER TO FINANCE. WALKED IN AND SAID TO THE FIN. OFF. “SIR, THERE IS A SOLDIER OUT HERE WHO HASN’T BEEN PAID SINCE HE’S IN THE ARMY”. THE F.O. WAS FLABBERGASTED, SAID “SHOW HIM IN”. AND IN WALKS THIS CUTE LITTLE GUY. HE IS VERY BRIGHT, AND SPEAKS QUITE A LITTLE ENGLISH ALREADY, AND UNDERSTANDS MOST EVERYTHING. WHAT A STORY IT COULD MAKE *** TO HAVE A UNIT LEGALLY ADOPT A KID. HE’LL UNDOUBTEDLY STAY HERE WHEN WE LEAVE, BUT THE GUYS WOULD SURE LIKE TO TAKE HIM ALONG. WELL, MY DARLING, I MUST BE GETTING ON. GIVE MERCEDES AND DOLORES MY BEST. (HOPE ALL OF YOUR STUFF ARRIVES FROM SEARS) AND GIVE OL’ KAREN BIG KISS AND HUG FROM DADDY, AND GEE, SWEETHEART, HOW I’D LOVE TO GIVE THEM TO YOU PERSONALLY. YOU JUST BE A GOOD GIRL, AND I’LL KEEP ON BEING A GOOD BOY AND ONE OF THESE FINE DAYS (I HOPE, I HOPE PAHOPE) I’LL COME SAILING IN AND WE’LL MAKE UP FOR TOO DAMN MUCH LOST TIME.
MR. B
11 NOV 1944 V-MAIL
HOLLAND
GOOD EVENING, MY DARLING, OFF HAND I CAN’T THINK OF A DARN THING TO WRITE ABOUT. HAVE NOT LTR TO ANSWER. MILITARY SECURITY PREVENTS ME FROM TELLING A FEW THINGS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST. SO I’LL BE CONVENTIONAL AND SAY THAT I SAW “CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY” LAST NIGHT, AND FOUND IT THE BEST MOVIE I’VE SEEN OVERSEAS. REALLY IMAGINATIVE DIRECTING AND LIGHTING AND DARN GOOD JOBS OF ACTING BY GENE KELLY, DURBIN, SONDERGARD AND ETC. FROM A SEXLESS OVERGROWN SHIRLY TEMPLE, DURBIN HAS DEVELOPED INTO A QUITE AN INTERESTING CHARACTER. BEFORE I FORGET IT, IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY SENT THE FOUNTAIN PEN POINT AND THE FLINTS, FORGET IT. GOING THROUGH TOWN TODAY, I TOOK A CHANCE AND STOPPED AT A CIGAR STORE AND GOT A BUNCH OF FLINTS FOR 8 CIGARETTES. AND A LITTLE WAYS FARTHER, STOPPED AT A LITTLE SHOPE AND GOT A PEN POINT FOR ONE GULDEN AND 25 CENTS (OR ABOUT 45 CENTS AMERICAN). IF YOU HAVE SENT THEM IT WON’T HURT, BUT I CAN GET BY NOW ANYWAY. YOU MIGHT AS WELL SEND ME MORE CIGARETTES. WE ARE VERY LIMITED ON THEM HERE, AND THEY ARE GOOD FOR BARTERING ANYWAY. MOST NATIVES DON’T WANT MONEY (THERE IS LITTLE THAT YOU MAY BUY) BUT FLASH A COUPLE OF CIGARETTES AND THE WORLD IS YOURS. SO***REQUEST***CIGARETTES. I LIKE THE FELLOWS I’M WORKING HERE WITH BETTER EVERY DAY. TOO BAD THAT I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN WITH AN OUTFIT LIKE THIS FROM THE FIRST. VERY FEW CLIQUES, AND MUCH LESS THROAT CUTTING THAN IN BN. IT’S BEEN A MOSTLY NICE DAY TODAY, BUT INCLINED TO SPRINKLE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND FIVE MINUTES LATER SUNSHINE —-NOT LIKE MY LOVE FOR YOU WAHICH KEEPS AS STEADY AND UNRELENTING AS, WELL FOR INSTANCE THE WAY I LOVE YOU — YOU KNOW WHO
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