438th AAA AW BN
APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.
Belguim
25 December, 1944 1040
My dearest Sweetheart –
A Merry Christmas to you and to the folks and I hope you spend a very pleasant day. It’s a clear, cold, sunny day here – and it has been so for the past 3 days – and believe me, darling, the clear weather is certainly appreciated. It’s the first cold weather we’ve had in a year – but a good dry cold and nowhere near as hard to take as the raw mess of an English winter. Dressed warmly – it’s really exhilarating – and we have enough clothes to dress warmly.
A good many things must be obvious to you by now, dear, but the whole story will have to wait for some time in the future. The fact is – that all goes well with us and things could be a whole lot worse.
I wasn’t able to write you or the folks yesterday, sweetheart – but that was to be expected. Today things are a bit more settled and I’m getting a fairly early start; I say fairly early because I didn’t get up until 0900 and that’s about the latest I’ve stayed in my sleeping bag for over a year. The reason is that we were up until 0130 last nite – or rather this a.m. – and believe it or not it was because we were celebrating Christmas Eve. We started playing Bridge at 2200, played until shortly before midnight. We drank some Scotch, sang Christmas Carols, ate melba toast and boneless chicken, lobster, peanuts, peanut butter sandwiches, etc. So you see, darling, war or no war – we manage to celebrate. The boys just turned the radio on and I hear President Roosevelt addressing the troops. It’s 1105 now and it’s good to hear his voice; it makes me feel as if I were at home again. How I’d love that, sweetheart! Just for a little while, at least – to see you again, to hold you tightly, look at you, talk with you, love you. I could go on after that so much more easily.
We’re living in a house – and lucky to get it, too. It’s not as warm as we’ve been used to – but good enough. One thing that’s different is the number of civilians that keep coming into our station – just to visit, say ‘hello’, thank us, wish us well. They’ve been coming in all this morning and two men are sitting near me now jabbering away. One just asked me what I was writing and to whom. I said I was writing to my fiancée and I showed them your picture, dear and they told me to write you that you are a ‘belle mademoiselle’ – so there you are.
The Colonel was just in wishing the Medical detachment a Merry Christmas. He stayed only a couple of minutes. This place is noisy and confused and I’m now beginning to wonder what this letter sounds like, darling. Whatever it reads like, dear, I mean to convey to you that I love you strongly, miss you just as strongly and as usual – feel worse about being away from you on Holidays. Somehow or other – it always sees more acute then.
That’s all for now, sweetheart, it’s too noisy to write much more. I hope you’re having a swell day at home. Wish your folks and Mary a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, give them my love and for now, so long.
A Merry Christmas to you and to the folks and I hope you spend a very pleasant day. It’s a clear, cold, sunny day here – and it has been so for the past 3 days – and believe me, darling, the clear weather is certainly appreciated. It’s the first cold weather we’ve had in a year – but a good dry cold and nowhere near as hard to take as the raw mess of an English winter. Dressed warmly – it’s really exhilarating – and we have enough clothes to dress warmly.
A good many things must be obvious to you by now, dear, but the whole story will have to wait for some time in the future. The fact is – that all goes well with us and things could be a whole lot worse.
I wasn’t able to write you or the folks yesterday, sweetheart – but that was to be expected. Today things are a bit more settled and I’m getting a fairly early start; I say fairly early because I didn’t get up until 0900 and that’s about the latest I’ve stayed in my sleeping bag for over a year. The reason is that we were up until 0130 last nite – or rather this a.m. – and believe it or not it was because we were celebrating Christmas Eve. We started playing Bridge at 2200, played until shortly before midnight. We drank some Scotch, sang Christmas Carols, ate melba toast and boneless chicken, lobster, peanuts, peanut butter sandwiches, etc. So you see, darling, war or no war – we manage to celebrate. The boys just turned the radio on and I hear President Roosevelt addressing the troops. It’s 1105 now and it’s good to hear his voice; it makes me feel as if I were at home again. How I’d love that, sweetheart! Just for a little while, at least – to see you again, to hold you tightly, look at you, talk with you, love you. I could go on after that so much more easily.
We’re living in a house – and lucky to get it, too. It’s not as warm as we’ve been used to – but good enough. One thing that’s different is the number of civilians that keep coming into our station – just to visit, say ‘hello’, thank us, wish us well. They’ve been coming in all this morning and two men are sitting near me now jabbering away. One just asked me what I was writing and to whom. I said I was writing to my fiancée and I showed them your picture, dear and they told me to write you that you are a ‘belle mademoiselle’ – so there you are.
The Colonel was just in wishing the Medical detachment a Merry Christmas. He stayed only a couple of minutes. This place is noisy and confused and I’m now beginning to wonder what this letter sounds like, darling. Whatever it reads like, dear, I mean to convey to you that I love you strongly, miss you just as strongly and as usual – feel worse about being away from you on Holidays. Somehow or other – it always sees more acute then.
That’s all for now, sweetheart, it’s too noisy to write much more. I hope you’re having a swell day at home. Wish your folks and Mary a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, give them my love and for now, so long.
All my everlasting love –
Greg
* TIDBIT *
about FDR's Address to the Nation
Christmas 1944
about FDR's Address to the Nation
Christmas 1944
Greg heard Franklin D. Roosevelt address the troops on the radio on Christmas Day. The nation heard a speech as well. Here is that address, taken directly from The American Presidency Project's site containing Franklin D. Roosevelt's Address to the Nation, 24 December 1944.
It is not easy to say "Merry Christmas" to you, my fellow Americans, in this time of destructive war. Nor can I say "Merry Christmas" lightly tonight to our armed forces at their battle stations all over the world- or to our allies who fight by their side.
Here, at home, we will celebrate this Christmas Day in our traditional American way- because of its deep spiritual meaning to us; because the teachings of Christ are fundamental in our lives; and because we want our youngest generation to grow up knowing the significance of this tradition and the story of the coming of the immortal Prince of Peace and Good Will. But, in perhaps every home in the United States, sad and anxious thoughts will be continually with the millions of our loved ones who are suffering hardships and misery, and who are risking their very lives to preserve for us and for all mankind the fruits of His teachings and the foundations of civilization itself.
The Christmas spirit lives tonight in the bitter cold of the front lines in Europe and in the heat of the jungles and swamps of Burma and the Pacific islands. Even the roar of our bombers and fighters in the air and the guns of our ships at sea will not drown out the messages of Christmas which come to the hearts of our fighting men. The thoughts of these men tonight will turn to us here at home around our Christmas trees, surrounded by our children and grandchildren and their Christmas stockings and gifts—just as our own thoughts go out to them, tonight and every night, in their distant places.
We all know how anxious they are to be home with us, and they know how anxious we are to have them- and how determined every one of us is to make their day of home-coming as early as possible. And- above all- they know the determination of all right-thinking people and Nations, that Christmases such as those that we have known in these years of world tragedy shall not come again to beset the souls of the children of God.
This generation has passed through many recent years of deep darkness, watching the spread of the poison of Hitlerism and Fascism in Europe—the growth of imperialism and militarism in Japan- and the final clash of war all over the world. Then came the dark days of the fall of France, and the ruthless bombing of England, and the desperate battle of the Atlantic, and of Pearl Harbor and Corregidor and Singapore.
Since then the prayers of good men and women and children the world over have been answered. The tide of battle has turned, slowly but inexorably, against those who sought to destroy civilization.
On this Christmas day, we cannot yet say when our victory will come. Our enemies still fight fanatically. They still have reserves of men and military power. But, they themselves know that they and their evil works are doomed. We may hasten the day of their doom if we here at home continue to do our full share.
And we pray that that day may come soon. We pray that until then, God will protect our gallant men and women in the uniforms of the United Nations- that He will receive into His infinite grace those who make their supreme sacrifice in the cause of righteousness, in the cause of love of Him and His teachings.
We pray that with victory will come a new day of peace on earth in which all the Nations of the earth will join together for all time. That is the spirit of Christmas, the holy day. May that spirit live and grow throughout the world in all the years to come.
Here, at home, we will celebrate this Christmas Day in our traditional American way- because of its deep spiritual meaning to us; because the teachings of Christ are fundamental in our lives; and because we want our youngest generation to grow up knowing the significance of this tradition and the story of the coming of the immortal Prince of Peace and Good Will. But, in perhaps every home in the United States, sad and anxious thoughts will be continually with the millions of our loved ones who are suffering hardships and misery, and who are risking their very lives to preserve for us and for all mankind the fruits of His teachings and the foundations of civilization itself.
The Christmas spirit lives tonight in the bitter cold of the front lines in Europe and in the heat of the jungles and swamps of Burma and the Pacific islands. Even the roar of our bombers and fighters in the air and the guns of our ships at sea will not drown out the messages of Christmas which come to the hearts of our fighting men. The thoughts of these men tonight will turn to us here at home around our Christmas trees, surrounded by our children and grandchildren and their Christmas stockings and gifts—just as our own thoughts go out to them, tonight and every night, in their distant places.
We all know how anxious they are to be home with us, and they know how anxious we are to have them- and how determined every one of us is to make their day of home-coming as early as possible. And- above all- they know the determination of all right-thinking people and Nations, that Christmases such as those that we have known in these years of world tragedy shall not come again to beset the souls of the children of God.
This generation has passed through many recent years of deep darkness, watching the spread of the poison of Hitlerism and Fascism in Europe—the growth of imperialism and militarism in Japan- and the final clash of war all over the world. Then came the dark days of the fall of France, and the ruthless bombing of England, and the desperate battle of the Atlantic, and of Pearl Harbor and Corregidor and Singapore.
Since then the prayers of good men and women and children the world over have been answered. The tide of battle has turned, slowly but inexorably, against those who sought to destroy civilization.
On this Christmas day, we cannot yet say when our victory will come. Our enemies still fight fanatically. They still have reserves of men and military power. But, they themselves know that they and their evil works are doomed. We may hasten the day of their doom if we here at home continue to do our full share.
And we pray that that day may come soon. We pray that until then, God will protect our gallant men and women in the uniforms of the United Nations- that He will receive into His infinite grace those who make their supreme sacrifice in the cause of righteousness, in the cause of love of Him and His teachings.
We pray that with victory will come a new day of peace on earth in which all the Nations of the earth will join together for all time. That is the spirit of Christmas, the holy day. May that spirit live and grow throughout the world in all the years to come.
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