Letter 218- July 20, 1945 (2)

July 20, 1945-2
(Derdinger, Ger.)

Dear Mudder and Dad,

Boy! Has it been warm around here. Up until 12:00 last night it was so hot that no one could sleep but then we had a storm and now it’s cool and not the least bit sticky or dusty. Thank “Golt” for that. Today we’re having our review and we must wear ties and Eisenhower jackets. If it had been a day like yesterday we’d have been roasted alive. As it is it’ll be a swell day for the review.

No mail again from you and I don’t like it even a little bit. In fact I might be led to say that confidentially it -----. Don’t you think so? I’m thinking of trying to write a letter every day now and number them like you do, just to see if the results are just as confusing.

The ration situation here is becoming acute. I’m down to my last pack of cigarettes. Last week D. Co. didn’t get their rations and this week they only got candy rations. I’m beginning to feel like a civilian. Old. Maybe they’re breaking us into civilian life the hard way.

Gee, it’s hard to write a letter when one’s not getting any mail. I can’t seem to think of one decent thing.

I’m still working on this educational plan. Probably by the time they get their fannies in gear the war’ll be over and my kids will be ready to get their education. That’s the war though.

How about a package, the usual thing: candy, cookies and so forth and please send me a couple of combs. My hair is going in 14 different directions. They have combs in Germany but if you put one in your pocket you’ll have a pocket full of teeth.

That’s –30—.

Best Love,
Bill

Letter 188- April 5, 1945

April 5, 1945
(Germany)

Dear Mudder and Dad,

This letter will have to go “free” as I’ve got no V-Mails or airmail stamps, but most fellows say that these get there about as quick as any. I doubt it but it’ll have to do.

I haven’t received any letters from you for several days but I guess it’s just a normal delay. Such big things are going on that it’s a wonder that anything is running smoothly. I don’t get to see a paper for 3 days and I’m so far behind the news that it’s pitiful. I can’t see how or why these Jerries manage to hang on. Evidently, however, they believe their own propaganda and think that if we capture them we will slit their throats. Wot a life. It’s a sad thing when the only people one ever runs across are a bunch of “jerks”. That’s Germany; a few rats and 90,000,000 jerks. I repeat, “wot a life.” To quote our beloved President, “Ah hate woah.”

That’s enough corn for the present so let’s proceed with the letter. I’m getting over the damnedest cold I ever had in my life. It was a cold to end all colds. I’d get coughing spells and darn near choke to death before I was through. The only thing that seemed to do any good is a cigarette—strangely enough. I have “beaucoup” cigarettes by the way. I have 2 unopened packs of butts in my pocket right now, heh! Heh! I can see you drooling now. A fiend ain’t I! Anyhoo, to get back to my ailment; it’s pretty well broken up now.

I wonder what it is like to be home now. It won’t be long ‘till I’ve been overseas a year. Gee! I’ll probably look like an immigrant when I get back. You know, “no spikka da Englush.” No kidding though. I’m getting awfully homesick. It’s worse here in Germany where no one can talk to the civilians.

We’re having nasty weather today, but I’m in a house and that helps matters immeasurably.

I got quite a kick out of our “assets” in German utilities. Hot stuff. Here I am putting the skids under our own dough. I’m glad that the rest of the money is in somewhat better shape.

Well, I’ll close now. I’d like to get a letter off to Jess before dark.


Best Love,
Bill

Letter 118- August 27, 1944

August 27, 1944
(England)

Dear Mother and Dad,

It seems like Sunday is about the only day I ever get the chance to do any writing. Since I wrote my last letter to you I’ve received two. To get mail over here is really wonderful. These last two that I received were postmarked on the fourteenth but written on the twelfth. Don’t apologize for not sending a birthday present. I probably wouldn’t have received it ‘till Christmas “anyhoo”. However, I won’t say that I don’t want to get any boxes from home. Over here it’s impossible to buy anything. They feed us fairly well but I’m really hungry all the time without any candy, etc. I don’t know how the regulations are but I think they’re clamping down to make room for the Christmas rush. However, if possible make it food.

Right now I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. Maybe this is because I’ve quit smoking. I didn’t smoke at all before Reynolds but since then I’ve been smoking more and more until within two months I was killing about a pack and a half of cigarettes a day. That’s when I stopped. My tongue still hangs out every time anyone lights up. It’s funny how quickly that habit can get hold of a body.

I wish we were having a little of that hot weather over here. It’s so cold and damp that I feel like a wet sponge.

You asked me to send any kind of news and I’ll be damned if I can think of anything. Everything I think of is something that I wrote in my last letter. It seems that the longer I stay in the army the worse I get at writing.

I’m going to start sending some air mail V-mail and see if they don’t go faster. When I write anything about the war, etc. its ancient history before it gets home.

Well, I’ll try to think of something good to write next time.

Best Love,
Bill

P.S. Note new address