Authors

Mary Metcalfe

Document Type

Personal Letter

Transcription

Dearest Mommie,

This is where we have been put for sleeping quarters temporarily.[1] It is just around the corner from the Statler Hotel.[2]

Mimi met us at the train this morning. She looks very snappy in her uniform.

This is not the snappiest hotel I have ever been in, but Ruth and I have a nice corner room with six windows.

I got my notice to be out at the University at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning to be taken from there by bus to the Pentagon building to get shots for something.

We have already procured our $1.25 passes for the bus and have been back out and back again by bus to the University. It takes about half an hour to get out there from here. My rising hour tomorrow will be at about 6:30 A.M. as you can see.

We are going to have dinner tonight with Mimi, Addie (who used to live on West Pine with Mimi) and Blannie. We ran into Blannie at the Women’s Residence Hall and asked her to eat with us.

I think that Mimi, Addie, and Blannie will all be leaving very soon. They may all be going together.

Mimi and Addie are at the Burlington Hotel[4], which is just around the corner from here.

You had better send me my ration book. I may need it. I think I should have my social security card too which is in the handkerchief box in my bureau drawer.

Our train trip was very pleasant. We spent most of the time sleeping. I changed uppers with a very nice young major so Ruth and I had all of sec. 1.

There was a commander in the Coast Guard just across from us. He took great delight in all the things Ruth had packed into her P + P Hat box.[5] He kept telling us that he felt sure we would be sent to E. St. Louis on an assignment.

We must rush out to dinner now as it is 7:30.

My mailing address is the American University.

Please call Miss Ochs and see if the 7 ½ black gloves ever came for Ruth. If so tell her to mail them to Ruth at the American University.

Will write again soon.

Lots + lots of Love,

Chichi

[Transcription Ends]

[1] The letter is on the stationery of The New Colonial Hotel, 15th and M Streets Washington, DC. For Photos of the interiors of this and other hotels mentioned in the letter see: The Theodor Horydczack Collection, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/horydczak/

[2] The Statler Hotel built in 1940 Washington DC. Opened in January of 1942. The architects were Holabird and Root. The hotel was sold to the Hiltons in 1954 and renamed The Statler Hilton. Now it is the Capital Hilton and part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

[3] She is referring to American University here. For a history of American University and their support of the military in World War II see: http://www.american.edu/about/history.cfm,

[4] The Burlington Hotel on Vermont Avenue and Thomas Circle in Washington, DC.

[5] P and P hat box probably refers to Peck and Peck which was a New York based department store beginning in 1888 by two brothers. It was known for classic women’s clothing and had a very distinctive hat box decorated with a kind of plaid and the top was bright red.

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