438th AAA AW BN
APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.
Germany
12 November, 1944 1015
My dearest sweetheart –
It’s a gloomy Sunday morning here, gray and drizzly and were I home now I guess I’d be reading the “funnies” and staying indoors. There hasn’t been much of a sick call so far this morning and that’s why I have a little time to write right now. A little later I’ve got to see a couple of civilian patients and by that time it will be noon and time to eat, I suspect.
I have the prospects of a good Sunday dinner, though – roast chicken. The lady of the house where I stay believes I was instrumental in keeping new troops here from moving into her house and moving her out. Actually – I had very little to do with it, dear, but anyway – as I was leaving the place this a.m. – she called me and showed me a chicken about to be roasted and told me it was for me. When it’s done – I’ll bring it over to the Dispensary where a few of us will make short work of it. One of the boys will make some French fries – we have bread, butter and mustard, I believe – so you see, darling, it’s not so tough in the E.T.O.
After dinner – rain or cold – I must take some of my men and myself to some showers. That’s turning out to be quite an ordeal in this weather – but if we don’t clean up soon the Board of Health will be after us. I’m having no trouble with my laundry and haven’t had to do my own since way back in France, I guess.
We got no mail yesterday p.m. and what with Saturday night and all – I could have felt a bit blue, but we went over to the Colonel’s and played some Bridge and had a few drinks. The Colonel had some gin and some grapefruit juice – and the two combine will, as you probably know, dear. Incidentally, the Colonel was telling us of a gin drink they used to make in the Philippines when he was there: 9 parts gin, 3 parts Grenadine, 1 part lime-juice; sounds like poison to me and must be stronger than the Hooks’ original – “Purple Jesus” – By the way, dear, did you see the picture “First Comes Courage”? We saw it recently, although I imagine it must be over a year old. Merle Oberon and Brian Aherne were in it. Anyway there was one scene in it which showed the Hooks’ toast just as we used to do it at home in the good old days. And when will those good old days come again, I wonder? Can this life of ours continue to be wasted indefinitely? No matter how slow things seem to be going now – I still think that the over-all picture is good and that it can’t be so very much longer from here in. I know I don’t often talk about things like that – because idle speculation only leads to disappointment. But at some time or other, there’s bound to be a saturation point and I’m betting it will be less far off than seems possible right now. Remember, again, sweetheart, that that is my own opinion and no one else’s. We are allowed to express our own opinion only, anyway.
Say – this would have been a good year for me to be home to help you celebrate your Birthday, darling. I have no calendar here – but it seems to me that your Birthday falls on Thanksgiving, or vice versa. I’d give a lot to be back and spend the day with you – but I’ll be there in Spirit anyway. Chalk up another one that we have to make up, sweetheart. We’ve got quite a string of them now, but it makes no difference, dear, because when I’m back and married to you – every day will be a Holiday and every day will call for a Celebration.
All for now – Sweetheart, love to the folks – and
It’s a gloomy Sunday morning here, gray and drizzly and were I home now I guess I’d be reading the “funnies” and staying indoors. There hasn’t been much of a sick call so far this morning and that’s why I have a little time to write right now. A little later I’ve got to see a couple of civilian patients and by that time it will be noon and time to eat, I suspect.
I have the prospects of a good Sunday dinner, though – roast chicken. The lady of the house where I stay believes I was instrumental in keeping new troops here from moving into her house and moving her out. Actually – I had very little to do with it, dear, but anyway – as I was leaving the place this a.m. – she called me and showed me a chicken about to be roasted and told me it was for me. When it’s done – I’ll bring it over to the Dispensary where a few of us will make short work of it. One of the boys will make some French fries – we have bread, butter and mustard, I believe – so you see, darling, it’s not so tough in the E.T.O.
After dinner – rain or cold – I must take some of my men and myself to some showers. That’s turning out to be quite an ordeal in this weather – but if we don’t clean up soon the Board of Health will be after us. I’m having no trouble with my laundry and haven’t had to do my own since way back in France, I guess.
We got no mail yesterday p.m. and what with Saturday night and all – I could have felt a bit blue, but we went over to the Colonel’s and played some Bridge and had a few drinks. The Colonel had some gin and some grapefruit juice – and the two combine will, as you probably know, dear. Incidentally, the Colonel was telling us of a gin drink they used to make in the Philippines when he was there: 9 parts gin, 3 parts Grenadine, 1 part lime-juice; sounds like poison to me and must be stronger than the Hooks’ original – “Purple Jesus” – By the way, dear, did you see the picture “First Comes Courage”? We saw it recently, although I imagine it must be over a year old. Merle Oberon and Brian Aherne were in it. Anyway there was one scene in it which showed the Hooks’ toast just as we used to do it at home in the good old days. And when will those good old days come again, I wonder? Can this life of ours continue to be wasted indefinitely? No matter how slow things seem to be going now – I still think that the over-all picture is good and that it can’t be so very much longer from here in. I know I don’t often talk about things like that – because idle speculation only leads to disappointment. But at some time or other, there’s bound to be a saturation point and I’m betting it will be less far off than seems possible right now. Remember, again, sweetheart, that that is my own opinion and no one else’s. We are allowed to express our own opinion only, anyway.
Say – this would have been a good year for me to be home to help you celebrate your Birthday, darling. I have no calendar here – but it seems to me that your Birthday falls on Thanksgiving, or vice versa. I’d give a lot to be back and spend the day with you – but I’ll be there in Spirit anyway. Chalk up another one that we have to make up, sweetheart. We’ve got quite a string of them now, but it makes no difference, dear, because when I’m back and married to you – every day will be a Holiday and every day will call for a Celebration.
All for now – Sweetheart, love to the folks – and
All my deepest love
Greg
* TIDBIT *
about More from General Hodges
about More from General Hodges
The snapshots that follow were taken from Normandy to Victory: The War Diary of General Courtney H. Hodges & the First U.S. Army, maintained by his aides Major William C. Sylvan and Captain Francis G. Smith Jr.; edited by John T. Greenwood, copyright 2008 by the Association of the United States Army, pp. 172-173.
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