438th AAA AW BN
APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.
Germany
18 October, 1944 1735
My dearest darling –
I’ve just finished supper and I’m back at our Dispensary. I intended writing you earlier today, dear, but six or seven things turned up and I was busy until now. A short while ago we received some mail and I got my share from you, sweetheart, so I’m feeling excellently right now.
Yesterday was a blue day, on the whole – the weather being in part to blame. We had a movie in the p.m. We don’t have them in the evening any longer because it’s not considered safe. It was another Class B – a Falcon picture but not too good, “Falcon and the Coed”. In the evening I played bridge at the Colonel’s place, the other two men playing were our S-2 – Stan Sargent, from Portsmouth, N.H. by the way, and our Exec Major Bolick, from Virginia. They both play very well – and I believe that my continued play with better players has helped me a great deal. Anyway I ended up winning 12 marks and played some swell hands. Two hands were particularly interesting, dear: one – I bid game, 4 hearts and made 7; I don’t think I underbid though because my opponents had two aces and a king to go with them and I had no short suit. Had I bid a small or big slam – the Aces would have beaten me. As it was, the Ace was not led and they never got a chance to use them; the other hand – I bid one heart and went down 5 tricks – if you can imagine it. All in all – it helped pass the evening, and as I’ve already written – today I was so busy, I didn’t have a chance to feel blue.
I got your letter of 30 September today and I was damned angry at reading about some of those snaps being missing. There wasn’t anything of military value that I could see that might be censorable and it’s a damn shame. Not knowing which letter had which – I’ll never know which are missing. I suppose I should have held on to the negatives – but it’s so difficult to hold on to things over here – I decided to send them all along. The only figure you give me is that you received 19. I do hope you got a lot more because as I remember it, I sent about fifty or fifty-one, all told, dear. I’m glad you liked those that you did get and I’m pleased that it helps give you a little picture even of some of the things I’ve seen. There was a lot more to photograph in the early days – but I didn’t have enough film to take shots of everything interesting. That will have to wait for a verbal report, sweetheart, and I’m just as anxious to tell it as you are to hear it.
I was interested in your interpretation of some of the pictures. I wasn’t in Paris long, darling, and didn’t get to the slums – but I was amazed at all the people I did see who were well-dressed and apparently well-fed. One other thing about Paris – and this is the truth, dear, I just didn’t see one girl who could be called unattractive. They all have smart hair-do’s and they put their cosmetics on well. It may all be a fleeting impression that I received – but that’s the impression I did get.
I did snap some scenes of destruction – as I recall it now – but not many. Perhaps those were the snaps taken out. You refer also to a jeep without your name on it. I sent two of those to you, sweetheart, and I’ll be g-d’d if I can figure out why a censor would want to keep those from going through. I don’t know what picture of a jeep you refer to, dear, but the name is on the front, right underneath the windshield. If I find you didn’t get those, after all, I’ll try again.
Well, sweetheart, it’s getting noisier and noisier in here and consequently more difficult to think clearly. I got back here quickly after chow while no one was around and now the boys are starting to drift in. It’s not too noisy though dear to tell you that I love to read that you love me and want me despite the hardship of waiting. I guess you know by now how much I love you, darling, and how much you mean to me. With that common knowledge – I’m certain that all will turn out well. Until later then, sweetheart, so long and love to the folks.
I’ve just finished supper and I’m back at our Dispensary. I intended writing you earlier today, dear, but six or seven things turned up and I was busy until now. A short while ago we received some mail and I got my share from you, sweetheart, so I’m feeling excellently right now.
Yesterday was a blue day, on the whole – the weather being in part to blame. We had a movie in the p.m. We don’t have them in the evening any longer because it’s not considered safe. It was another Class B – a Falcon picture but not too good, “Falcon and the Coed”. In the evening I played bridge at the Colonel’s place, the other two men playing were our S-2 – Stan Sargent, from Portsmouth, N.H. by the way, and our Exec Major Bolick, from Virginia. They both play very well – and I believe that my continued play with better players has helped me a great deal. Anyway I ended up winning 12 marks and played some swell hands. Two hands were particularly interesting, dear: one – I bid game, 4 hearts and made 7; I don’t think I underbid though because my opponents had two aces and a king to go with them and I had no short suit. Had I bid a small or big slam – the Aces would have beaten me. As it was, the Ace was not led and they never got a chance to use them; the other hand – I bid one heart and went down 5 tricks – if you can imagine it. All in all – it helped pass the evening, and as I’ve already written – today I was so busy, I didn’t have a chance to feel blue.
I got your letter of 30 September today and I was damned angry at reading about some of those snaps being missing. There wasn’t anything of military value that I could see that might be censorable and it’s a damn shame. Not knowing which letter had which – I’ll never know which are missing. I suppose I should have held on to the negatives – but it’s so difficult to hold on to things over here – I decided to send them all along. The only figure you give me is that you received 19. I do hope you got a lot more because as I remember it, I sent about fifty or fifty-one, all told, dear. I’m glad you liked those that you did get and I’m pleased that it helps give you a little picture even of some of the things I’ve seen. There was a lot more to photograph in the early days – but I didn’t have enough film to take shots of everything interesting. That will have to wait for a verbal report, sweetheart, and I’m just as anxious to tell it as you are to hear it.
I was interested in your interpretation of some of the pictures. I wasn’t in Paris long, darling, and didn’t get to the slums – but I was amazed at all the people I did see who were well-dressed and apparently well-fed. One other thing about Paris – and this is the truth, dear, I just didn’t see one girl who could be called unattractive. They all have smart hair-do’s and they put their cosmetics on well. It may all be a fleeting impression that I received – but that’s the impression I did get.
I did snap some scenes of destruction – as I recall it now – but not many. Perhaps those were the snaps taken out. You refer also to a jeep without your name on it. I sent two of those to you, sweetheart, and I’ll be g-d’d if I can figure out why a censor would want to keep those from going through. I don’t know what picture of a jeep you refer to, dear, but the name is on the front, right underneath the windshield. If I find you didn’t get those, after all, I’ll try again.
Well, sweetheart, it’s getting noisier and noisier in here and consequently more difficult to think clearly. I got back here quickly after chow while no one was around and now the boys are starting to drift in. It’s not too noisy though dear to tell you that I love to read that you love me and want me despite the hardship of waiting. I guess you know by now how much I love you, darling, and how much you mean to me. With that common knowledge – I’m certain that all will turn out well. Until later then, sweetheart, so long and love to the folks.
My deepest love,
Greg
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