438th AAA AW BN
APO 339 % Postmaster, N.Y.
15 June, 1945 0755
Leipzig
My dearest sweetheart –
I’m off to an early start this morning because I have beaucoups things to do. We stayed at this C.P. for a fairly long time and as a result, we’re spread out – clothes, boxes, pajamas, bed-slippers – articles which we usually left packed away when we were moving rapidly, are all over the place now. I think there’ll be enough clothes left behind in France by departing troops to take care of all of France’s poorly clothed population. I know personally we’ll just have to leave a lot behind.
Tomorrow we have a rather early breakfast and then take off. The weather has been rotten here this week – but I’m hoping that it will clear up and warm up by tomorrow. It makes it nicer traveling.
And our mail situation seems to have deteriorated completely. Nothing at all has been coming in – and there’s sure to be a lapse now that we’re changing locations. I wonder if my mail has been reaching you regularly.
Say, dear, I was glad to read that you were doing a little driving. Could it be in anticipation of my return home? As I remember it, you were going to have your license before then – and you’d better keep your promise. As a matter of fact I don’t know whether I’ll want to do all the driving at first – or note at all. I’ve been chauffered around so long now, I’m getting used to having someone else do the driving. Army rules are still strict about officers not driving. I believe the reason is that in case of an accident – an officer can be held responsible and made to pay damages; a soldier cannot.
I enjoyed your little card “Missin’ You”. I got a bit dizzy getting it unfolded correctly – but the sentiment was correct, dear, and thanks for sending it. Gosh this country hasn’t got a store in it where you could buy anything like a card with a little color in it – or just a card. I’ll really be glad to get out of here. It’s the drabbest most morbid place in the world – and I’m fed up with it. The whole of Europe is literally lousy and dirty – and the United States are really going to look good. It was the same in England – and the fact is there’s just no place anywhere – quite like America. This side of the world has taken quite a beating. A lot of things you see don’t get into the papers. The once proud super-race of Germans is quite the opposite now. Men, boys and girls gather around in front of the movie entrance and dive for the cigarette butts the soldiers throw away. These are well dressed people – and not hobos. At every meal there are dozens of kids and adults lined up near our garbage pails – yes, dear, that’s true; and when the slop is thrown in – they each in turn have a crack at it. Some of the bolder kids will ask the soldier to dump his mess kit with a little cereal left in it or a half-pancake – into the pail – and some of them do. It’s sickening – but I haven’t yet felt sorry for the bastards. There’s always a terrific scramble for the coffee grounds and the left over bread crumbs. It will be the same in France – and it’s the same in every country around Europe’s border. I’m sick of it – although I’m in sympathy with all the peoples except the Germans who obviously hate us and yet come begging. But boy oh boy! Are they ever scared of the Russians who, they know, will be taking over this territory soon. As tough as it is for them now, it’s going to be worse – because at least we don’t bother them.
Well – I didn’t mean to get started on such a sorry subject, sweetheart. Actually – despite my morbid feelings of the past few days, I’m very happy inside. The fact that I’m heading westward – even if I can’t make it home in one session – is a very enjoyable feeling. I love you so, darling – my one regret these days is that you have to go thru the uncertainty of waiting, waiting. But, sweetheart, I just can’t help it. We can find solace in the fact that the war is over, and I will be coming home – a little sooner, a little later – but I’m coming back. And when I do – our lives begin anew.
Gotta go – dear. Love to the folks and
I’m off to an early start this morning because I have beaucoups things to do. We stayed at this C.P. for a fairly long time and as a result, we’re spread out – clothes, boxes, pajamas, bed-slippers – articles which we usually left packed away when we were moving rapidly, are all over the place now. I think there’ll be enough clothes left behind in France by departing troops to take care of all of France’s poorly clothed population. I know personally we’ll just have to leave a lot behind.
Tomorrow we have a rather early breakfast and then take off. The weather has been rotten here this week – but I’m hoping that it will clear up and warm up by tomorrow. It makes it nicer traveling.
And our mail situation seems to have deteriorated completely. Nothing at all has been coming in – and there’s sure to be a lapse now that we’re changing locations. I wonder if my mail has been reaching you regularly.
Say, dear, I was glad to read that you were doing a little driving. Could it be in anticipation of my return home? As I remember it, you were going to have your license before then – and you’d better keep your promise. As a matter of fact I don’t know whether I’ll want to do all the driving at first – or note at all. I’ve been chauffered around so long now, I’m getting used to having someone else do the driving. Army rules are still strict about officers not driving. I believe the reason is that in case of an accident – an officer can be held responsible and made to pay damages; a soldier cannot.
I enjoyed your little card “Missin’ You”. I got a bit dizzy getting it unfolded correctly – but the sentiment was correct, dear, and thanks for sending it. Gosh this country hasn’t got a store in it where you could buy anything like a card with a little color in it – or just a card. I’ll really be glad to get out of here. It’s the drabbest most morbid place in the world – and I’m fed up with it. The whole of Europe is literally lousy and dirty – and the United States are really going to look good. It was the same in England – and the fact is there’s just no place anywhere – quite like America. This side of the world has taken quite a beating. A lot of things you see don’t get into the papers. The once proud super-race of Germans is quite the opposite now. Men, boys and girls gather around in front of the movie entrance and dive for the cigarette butts the soldiers throw away. These are well dressed people – and not hobos. At every meal there are dozens of kids and adults lined up near our garbage pails – yes, dear, that’s true; and when the slop is thrown in – they each in turn have a crack at it. Some of the bolder kids will ask the soldier to dump his mess kit with a little cereal left in it or a half-pancake – into the pail – and some of them do. It’s sickening – but I haven’t yet felt sorry for the bastards. There’s always a terrific scramble for the coffee grounds and the left over bread crumbs. It will be the same in France – and it’s the same in every country around Europe’s border. I’m sick of it – although I’m in sympathy with all the peoples except the Germans who obviously hate us and yet come begging. But boy oh boy! Are they ever scared of the Russians who, they know, will be taking over this territory soon. As tough as it is for them now, it’s going to be worse – because at least we don’t bother them.
Well – I didn’t mean to get started on such a sorry subject, sweetheart. Actually – despite my morbid feelings of the past few days, I’m very happy inside. The fact that I’m heading westward – even if I can’t make it home in one session – is a very enjoyable feeling. I love you so, darling – my one regret these days is that you have to go thru the uncertainty of waiting, waiting. But, sweetheart, I just can’t help it. We can find solace in the fact that the war is over, and I will be coming home – a little sooner, a little later – but I’m coming back. And when I do – our lives begin anew.
Gotta go – dear. Love to the folks and
All my deepest, sincerest love,
Greg
* TIDBIT *
about Navajo Code Talkers' Code
Navajo Code Talkers
about Navajo Code Talkers' Code
Navajo Code Talkers
Taken from the Official Site of the Navajo Code comes this:
A revised edition of the code was published on 15 June 1945. Here are some examples: the alphabet and the names of countries.
It is the only unbroken code in modern military history. It baffled the Japanese forces of WWII. It was even indecipherable to a Navajo soldier taken prisoner and tortured on Bataan. In fact, during test evaluations, Marine cryptologists said they couldn't even transcribe the language, much less decode it.
The secret code created by the Navajo Code Talkers was a surprisingly simple marvel of cryptographic innovation. It contained native terms that were associated with specialized or commonly used military language, as well as native terms that represented the letters in the alphabet.
In a simple, memorable way, the military terms tended to resemble the things with which they were associated. For example, the Navajo word for tortoise, "chay-da-gahi," meant tank, and a dive-bomber, "gini," was a "chicken hawk," (a bird which dives on its prey). Sometimes the translation was more literal, as in "besh-lo" (iron fish) which meant submarine; other times it was metaphorical, as in "ne-he-mah" (our mother), which meant America.
English words that didn't have an associated term could be spelled out using Navajo words that represented letters of the alphabet. The selection of a given term was based on the first letter of the English meaning of the Navajo word. For instance, "Wo-La-Chee" means "ant," and would represent the letter "A". Other "A" words such as "be-la-sana" (apple), or "tse-nill" (ax), would also be substituted in order to eliminate excessive repetition, which might allow the code to be cracked.
Widely acknowledged to be instrumental in the success of every major engagement of the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, this brilliant code allowed embattled regiments of Marines to communicate quickly, concisely, and above all, securely. It saved countless lives and helped end the war.
The secret code created by the Navajo Code Talkers was a surprisingly simple marvel of cryptographic innovation. It contained native terms that were associated with specialized or commonly used military language, as well as native terms that represented the letters in the alphabet.
In a simple, memorable way, the military terms tended to resemble the things with which they were associated. For example, the Navajo word for tortoise, "chay-da-gahi," meant tank, and a dive-bomber, "gini," was a "chicken hawk," (a bird which dives on its prey). Sometimes the translation was more literal, as in "besh-lo" (iron fish) which meant submarine; other times it was metaphorical, as in "ne-he-mah" (our mother), which meant America.
English words that didn't have an associated term could be spelled out using Navajo words that represented letters of the alphabet. The selection of a given term was based on the first letter of the English meaning of the Navajo word. For instance, "Wo-La-Chee" means "ant," and would represent the letter "A". Other "A" words such as "be-la-sana" (apple), or "tse-nill" (ax), would also be substituted in order to eliminate excessive repetition, which might allow the code to be cracked.
Widely acknowledged to be instrumental in the success of every major engagement of the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, this brilliant code allowed embattled regiments of Marines to communicate quickly, concisely, and above all, securely. It saved countless lives and helped end the war.
A revised edition of the code was published on 15 June 1945. Here are some examples: the alphabet and the names of countries.
REVISED 15 JUNE 1945
(DECLASSIFIED UNDER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DIRECTIVE 5200.9)
ALPHABET NAVAJO WORD LITERAL TRANSLATION
A WOL-LA-CHEE ANT
A BE-LA-SANA APPLE
A TSE-NILL AXE
B NA-HASH-CHID BADGER
B SHUSH BEAR
B TOISH-JEH BARREL
C MOASI CAT
C TLA-GIN COAL
C BA-GOSHI COW
D BE DEER
D CHINDI DEVIL
D LHA-CHA-EH DOG
E AH-JAH EAR
E DZEH ELK
E AH-NAH EYE
F CHUO FIR
F TSA-E-DONIN-EE FLY
F MA-E FOX
G AH-TAD GIRL
G KLIZZIE GOAT
G JEHA GUM
H TSE-GAH HAIR
H CHA HAT
H LIN HORSE
I TKIN ICE
I YEH-HES ITCH
I A-CHI INTESTINE
J TKELE-CHO-G JACKASS
J AH-YA-TSINNE JAW
J YIL-DOI JERK
K JAD-HO-LONI KETTLE
K BA-AH-NE-DI-TININ KEY
K KLIZZIE-YAZZIE KID
L DIBEH-YAZZIE LAMB
L AH-JAD LEG
L NASH-DOIE-TSO LION
M TSIN-TLITI MATCH
M BE-TAS-TNI MIRROR
M NA-AS-TSO-SI MOUSE
N TSAH NEEDLE
N A-CHIN NOSE
O A-KHA OIL
O TLO-CHIN ONION
O NE-AHS-JAH OWL
P CLA-GI-AIH PANT
P BI-SO-DIH PIG
P NE-ZHONI PRETTY
Q CA-YEILTH QUIVER
R GAH RABBIT
R DAH-NES-TSA RAM
R AH-LOSZ RICE
S DIBEH SHEEP
S KLESH SNAKE
T D-AH TEA
T A-WOH TOOTH
T THAN-ZIE TURKEY
U SHI-DA UNCLE
U NO-DA-IH UTE
V A-KEH-DI-GLINI VICTOR
W GLOE-IH WEASEL
X AL-NA-AS-DZOH CROSS
Y TSAH-AS-ZIH YUCCA
Z BESH-DO-TLIZ ZINC
NAMES OF COUNTRIES
AFRICA ZHIN-NI BLACKIES
ALASKA BEH-HGA WITH WINTER
AMERICA NE-HE-MAH OUR MOTHER
AUSTRALIA CHA-YES-DESI ROLLED HAT
BRITAIN TOH-TA BETWEEN WATERS
CHINA CEH-YEHS-BESI BRAIDED HAIR
FRANCE DA-GHA-HI BEARD
GERMANY BESH-BE-CHA-HE IRON HAT
ICELAND TKIN-KE-YAH ICE LAND
INDIA AH-LE-GAI WHITE CLOTHES
ITALY DOH-HA-CHI-YALI-TCHI STUTTER
JAPAN BEH-NA-ALI-TSOSIE SLANT EYE
PHILIPPINE KE-YAH-DA-NA-LHE FLOATING ISLAND
RUSSIA SILA-GOL-CHI-IH RED ARMY
SOUTH AMERICA SHA-DE-AH-NE-HI-MAH SOUTH OUR MOTHER
SPAIN DEBA-DE-NIH SHEEP PAIN
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