23 Jul Winter’s comin’ on, 10-8-1944
Sunday 8 Oct
Hello, Mary Darling – it’s a beautiful Sun. afternoon – I’ve been listening to the Polavetskian (spelling) Dances, and I feel pretty good.
I’m enclosing a bunch of paper money. We were paid in M.S. printed (Invasion) francs when we arr. in France. Buying from French & getting change we picked up reg. French money. our U.S. franc notes were of 2F, 5F & 10F (all same size) and 50F, 100F & 500F (same size as U.S. dollar bill). I’m also sending a Belgium 5F, and French 5F & 10F pieces. French franc is only worth 88% of Belguim franc. German mark is worth 10 cents. We now have all three kinds of money! Maybe you think a crap game isn’t complicated!? But I did all right, so I’m sending you Alzo a $50 money order. Are you mad? That’s good.
Haven’t heard from you for a few days. Presume the mail is late again. We haven’t been issued any cigarettes in about a month. I’m not sure if you should send me some or not. By the time you send ’em, we’ll probably be getting plenty again. Oh well, how’s about a carton, anyway? I hear they’re tough to get back there. If too much bother, forget it. Right now I’m on my last pack.
We were issued two more Limey (British – quite inferior to US) blankets today, and a mackinaw, wool knit cap (to fit under helmet) and gloves. Now all set for cold weather except for galoshes. Not to bad while we’re inside like this (which is most probably (blacked out) but I was really miserable that last week in our old area with wet feet all the time.
Saw quite a poor show “Can’t Ration Love” a few nights ago – and “Knickerbocker Holiday” (about as dull as you’d expect Nelson Eddy to be) a few days before that. Another, tonight, but what it is I don’t know. We’ve worked out a schedule now, so I’m finished work at about 5:30 PM except every fifth night when I work in Msg. Cen, and on another roster I work as runner every sixth night. So I hang around with the medics in the meantime. There are only about 3 guys from Hqs. that the medics will have anything to do with and I’m one of them. The two docs are regular, and we play rummy and have bull sessions – better gang all the way around. For the first time, I’m beginning to feel at home here – and I feel much better for it. Still a long way from my home, though.
8 PM. Just got back from the latest stinker “Hi, Good Lookin”. It was so bad that we left half way through – and, boy, when you walk out of a free movie “over here” – that’s bad!!
I read “My Name is Aram” a few days ago. Enjoyed it immensely. Also, “Beat to Quarters” – a “Seahawk” type of book. Good. Am now reading selected stories of Paul Galico. Think it will be good.
You can see (by my spare time) that we’ve settled down a bit and our lives are a bit better organized. But, golly, honey – I look forward to the day when I can sit around with you and Karen. Are there any woods that we can go for walks in the evenings there? I’d like that. And a dog that we can teach to retrieve sticks. What ambitions I have. Mostly – to make love to you. My wife.
Rollin
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