438th AAA AW BN
APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.
18 February, 1945 0910
Germany
Dearest sweetheart –
It’s comparatively quiet here right now. Most of the boys are at services (Catholic) and the sick boys haven’t come in as yet. There are only periods in a day, darling, and often I’m not ready myself.
This Sunday it’s raining – but a mild gentle type of rain like the rain we have in Boston – March and April. It’s still hard to believe that winter can be over here – but this month is slipping by fast – unless March is a tough month. We had quite a snowstorm the 31st of January, I believe, with the snow piled up quite high. The next day it started to rain – and it didn’t stop until all the snow had gone. I have never seen anything quite like it. You can imagine how mucky things were. Unlike New England – instead of freezing, it just stayed warm – and it hasn’t been cold since.
Everything around here is pretty quiet and the only subject of conversation is that about the various passes and leaves that are being issued. At the moment – leaves to the States just aren’t available. This battalion gets a small quota every now and then of leaves and furloughs of 7 days to England. We’ve had one officer go so far – the lucky stiff. He’s married to a nurse who’s stationed there. I may have mentioned the fact before. Her outfit arrived in England a little ahead of ours and we were never more than 50 or 60 miles apart. And now he gets a chance to go back to see her. The passes are 3 day affairs to Paris or Brussels and we average about 1 officer and 5 E.M.’s about every 10 days or so. As you know, dear, I haven’t drawn any one of the 3 possibilities. I’m not very interested in England – but I would like to get to Paris or Brussels for 3 days – just to get away from here for a short while. I had 3 days off in October or November – and it did me a lot of good. You just can’t imagine, darling, how monotonous things get when you’re technically on duty seven days of every week There just aren’t any half days, Sundays or Holidays. One day is so much like the one that passed. And it’s been 8 months of that.
Darling – you’ve asked me a few times now to send requests to you so that you can send something to me. Honestly, dear, I appreciate it – but I don’t want you to bother. I don’t like to ask for things – and anyway I don’t need a thing I can think of. Now, now – don’t get angry with me, sweetheart – I’ll ask for something at the bottom of this letter – but I can’t be specific because I just can’t think of anything I need. Damn it – yes I can!! I’ve lost about 8 face cloths since landing on the continent and I had to borrow one – the one I’m using now. Sooo – would you please send me a face cloth, dear – and I don’t care what color it is! And if you can get a piece of yourself into the package – please send that!! I’ll love it to death – and send it back and you can spread it – but hell – that’s pretty silly talk – for a grown man – now isn’t it, dear? Well – I get pretty silly now and then – they call it ETO-happy over here – and everybody is infected with the germ. And the only vaccine for it is in the States and the reason we can’t get it is because every soldier has a different type. For example, sweetheart – my type is embodied in you and I’d get no results whatsoever from any other type. What to do about it? I guess I’ll just remain disease-ridden until I get the right treatment – and I do hope it comes soon!
I’ll have to stop now, dear. It’s getting noisy again – as usual – and I've got a couple of things to do. I hope all is well at home, darling, and that you’re managing to keep your chin up. Love to the folks, dear and
P.S. Would you please send me a Greg package including in it – a face cloth?? Thanks!!
It’s comparatively quiet here right now. Most of the boys are at services (Catholic) and the sick boys haven’t come in as yet. There are only periods in a day, darling, and often I’m not ready myself.
This Sunday it’s raining – but a mild gentle type of rain like the rain we have in Boston – March and April. It’s still hard to believe that winter can be over here – but this month is slipping by fast – unless March is a tough month. We had quite a snowstorm the 31st of January, I believe, with the snow piled up quite high. The next day it started to rain – and it didn’t stop until all the snow had gone. I have never seen anything quite like it. You can imagine how mucky things were. Unlike New England – instead of freezing, it just stayed warm – and it hasn’t been cold since.
Everything around here is pretty quiet and the only subject of conversation is that about the various passes and leaves that are being issued. At the moment – leaves to the States just aren’t available. This battalion gets a small quota every now and then of leaves and furloughs of 7 days to England. We’ve had one officer go so far – the lucky stiff. He’s married to a nurse who’s stationed there. I may have mentioned the fact before. Her outfit arrived in England a little ahead of ours and we were never more than 50 or 60 miles apart. And now he gets a chance to go back to see her. The passes are 3 day affairs to Paris or Brussels and we average about 1 officer and 5 E.M.’s about every 10 days or so. As you know, dear, I haven’t drawn any one of the 3 possibilities. I’m not very interested in England – but I would like to get to Paris or Brussels for 3 days – just to get away from here for a short while. I had 3 days off in October or November – and it did me a lot of good. You just can’t imagine, darling, how monotonous things get when you’re technically on duty seven days of every week There just aren’t any half days, Sundays or Holidays. One day is so much like the one that passed. And it’s been 8 months of that.
Darling – you’ve asked me a few times now to send requests to you so that you can send something to me. Honestly, dear, I appreciate it – but I don’t want you to bother. I don’t like to ask for things – and anyway I don’t need a thing I can think of. Now, now – don’t get angry with me, sweetheart – I’ll ask for something at the bottom of this letter – but I can’t be specific because I just can’t think of anything I need. Damn it – yes I can!! I’ve lost about 8 face cloths since landing on the continent and I had to borrow one – the one I’m using now. Sooo – would you please send me a face cloth, dear – and I don’t care what color it is! And if you can get a piece of yourself into the package – please send that!! I’ll love it to death – and send it back and you can spread it – but hell – that’s pretty silly talk – for a grown man – now isn’t it, dear? Well – I get pretty silly now and then – they call it ETO-happy over here – and everybody is infected with the germ. And the only vaccine for it is in the States and the reason we can’t get it is because every soldier has a different type. For example, sweetheart – my type is embodied in you and I’d get no results whatsoever from any other type. What to do about it? I guess I’ll just remain disease-ridden until I get the right treatment – and I do hope it comes soon!
I’ll have to stop now, dear. It’s getting noisy again – as usual – and I've got a couple of things to do. I hope all is well at home, darling, and that you’re managing to keep your chin up. Love to the folks, dear and
All my deepest love –
P.S. Would you please send me a Greg package including in it – a face cloth?? Thanks!!
Love
G.
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