Document Type
Personal Letter
Rights Management
All rights retained by Bryant University
Transcription
[Transcription begins]
17 November 1944
Somewhere in Germany
Darling,
I received two of your letters today, one dated the 4th of Nov. & one dated the 5th of November. Talking about being ambitious and writing letters, I wrote 6 letters last night. You see our nights are so long and since we are wonderfully set up in a wonderful room—electric lights (we generate our own electricity) since the rooms are blocked out on the outside, swell furniture (tables and sofas), we have a lot of time to write.
Before I go a word further I’ve got to tell you that I love you so very completely, butch. You know that don’t you, darling?
Sweetheart, I think you are being taken for a ride on the car repair. I don’t think you can expect the same kind of operation in Louisiana as you will get in Ohio. The weather is much more demanding on a car in Ohio. I was surprised to find all that money thrown into the car but whom [sic] am I to question why?
Before I forget, I read in Stars & Stripes that Frank Rauscher[1] made governor in Ohio. I think he is a darn good man & no petty politician. Isn’t it remarkable that one can afford to be rational about events back home while fighting a war[?]
I’m telling you, darling, I’ve never “had it so good” from a “comfort angle.” War like this can’t be beat! You’ll get a kick out of this when I tell you about it. Need I say more when I tell you that our floor is carpeted[?] Our chow is good and filling. As far as getting more reading done than you will—I probably will if the reading material is available, although the library in this house is staffed with beautiful volumes written in German.
Right now, I’m listening to some elegant music on the Col.’s radio and the room is heated just right. What a tough life this war! However, there are fellows who don’t have it so good. The firing batteries have it rougher than we do. None of this soft stuff for them.
Bubs, you should see my mustache[e]—it’s getting full-grown & is becoming a “genuine mustach[e].” Yes, I’ll shave it off before I come home. See, I’m still hen-pecked (beneath it all)—and I don’t holler at you, that is, I may raise my voice a bit but it does not reach the proportions of an honest to goodness “holler.” Oh, Bubsie, I love you so—you’ll never know!—and I won’t have a beer belly, either.
I’m sorry to hear about Alice P.’s loss. I’ll drop her a V-mail & express my condolences. As I remember her mother, she was a very nice women [sic], too.
Today I took a haircut and a hot shower. I feel like a million bucks. My moral[e] is high and honestly, honey, I’m feeling in the pink. We have a lot of fun in the battery—which reminds me that Capt. Shelton lost tonight and empties the piss pot tomorrow morning.
If you want an idea of our schedule, here it is: We get up about 8 o’clock in the morning and have breakfast about 8:30 A.M. Take care of the duties of the day, eat a combination dinner and supper about 4 o’clock, and at 5 o’clock have the rest of the evening to ourselves, usually go to bed at 8 or 9 o’clock. Really tough, don’t you think so? I’m glad I’m with the outfit. The guys on the other side of our “stuff” don’t like it at all.
Today we had a distribution of PX supplies which we gave to the men absolutely free. It is a weekly distribution which everybody gets free. It include[s] pkgs. of cigarettes, gum, candy, shaving cream, toothpaste, soap, etc. It’s swell and the men are tickled pink over it. We were supposed to get an allocation of rum to give the men (2 oz.), but it’s yet to appear. I’ll say one thin[g], the U.S. Army tries to take care of it’s [sic] men as much as it can[;] we’re getting our men rubber galoshes to wear in this wet weather.
Say, what do you think of our Alma Manny—Ohio State and its football record—[?]
Bubsie, I’ve got to say good-night if I’m going to drop a line to Alice P. etc.
Good-night, my dearest, until I see you—I’ll walk alone.
I love you
Vic
[Transcription ends]
[1] Actually, Victor is referring to Frank J. Lausche, who was elected as Ohio’s first Catholic governor from 1945 to 1947 and then again from 1949 to 1957. In 1957 he was elected to the U.S. Senate and served until 1969.
