29 Sep Rumors of Hitler’s death, April 28 & 30, 1945
Dad seems to be coming to the end of his rope. The only thing that he has enthusiasm for is volleyball and ping pong! Not what you usually think of soldiers doing during war duty! But he does make some interesting comments about the rumors of Hitler’s death. Tomorrow, I’ll begin posting his letters from May 1945 – count down to victory!
28 April 1945 V-Mail
Germany
Hello, Sweetie, Doggone, this mail situation is really acute!! No mail again today. It is cold and rainy again (NATurally, because I have guard tonight!) We have been having a hell of a lot of fun playing volley ball and ping pong lately. Most, when my buddies Spaulding and Trombly are on the other side from me, because then we can really let go with the razzing dept. Spalding is also blessed with a big nose, and he comes out with such stuff “I’ll bet Floyd Collins isn’t lost in the Mammoth Caves at all, but is wandering around somewhere in Nei’s nose!” To which I come back with something like “A German farmer came in today who had lost all of his cultivating equipment and he wanted to turn Spalding upside down to plow with” Kind of forced, but it all gets laughs. Lt Col Bettman (who is really a GI at heart – a wonderful guy) has become my partner in the ping pong games, was overheard to remark to one of the other officers leaving the volleyball court the other night “Did you ever see so many wacks in one outfit before?”
We also have a Jewish boy from the Bronx (Kipperman —I’ll be sending you some pictures soon so you can see what they all look like) who does a terrific Irish brogue whom we call Pat O’Kipperman. All corny stuff, but with the right delivery it lays ’em in the aisles!!
Golly, but I’d cer’ny like to get a letter,,,,, did you ever stop to think how much I love you? and miss you? Well, give it some thought but you’ll never really know. All my love
Pappy
30 April 1945 V-Mail
Germany (typed)
Hello, Sweetie, I finally got a letter last night!! A letter of April 9. Must be a lot of them still kicking around somewhere. You speak of Mickey’s probable arrival, and I still haven’t heard what the deal is yet. Hope that you were able to get together with your Dad in Chi.
My gosh, but it has been cold here lately! Last night we even had a wet snow! (Melted as it hit, of course, but still snow. Yes, we too hear all kinds of rumors (but nothing official, dammit) about Hitler being dead, in Berlin, dying in Norway, shot by Himmler, dying of syphilis — make up your own!! But, anyway, it shouldn’t be too long now. Sure would like to find out what is going to happen to us, though.
That garden of ours sounds like a pretty incredible place. The way I feel now, I (like Bar) would prefer just to loll around on the grass and watch you do all the work! I simply have no enthusiasm for anything except our volley ball and ping pong games. There is plenty of stuff around to drink, but I doubt if I’ve had a dozen drinks in the past two months (including Nice). Drink lots of beer, or course, but the darn stuff is little more than water (which I practically never touch because it’s so full of chlorine & junk that it smells and tastes like ditch-water) Oh, me. Here I am again — sitting here with a far way look on my puss — wondering what the hell to say .. Weel, baby, there is simply nothing more, except an attempt to tell you how much I love — you…
Pappy
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