Dearest Gee.
Got a few welcome letters the other day. One from you, one from Mildred, and one from Coe. All v-mail. The latest one was March 9Th 8. That’s not so bad.
I hear tell you have a new red coat. Anything to that? Reckon I’m gonna have to come home yet. I’ve got ten bucks, almost, that I have had for three months. We haven’t been paid for three months but a guy don’t particularly need it. Buy eggs once in awhile or a chicken. The government is sending a bunch of the Italians to a different place from here and they are all trying to get rid of their stock and one thing and another. Most of them are very poor tho. The women wear some of the dang deck (?) looking things for shoes you ever laid eyes on. They take a hunk of wood or leather and sew a sock on it and call that a shoe. How would you like to have to do that? The kids for the most part have to go barefooted. No socks. I don’t see how they do it. That’s what I mean when I say the Americans don’t know what real suffering and hardship is. They don’t know what a luxury is here, that’s a fact. All they are interested in is something to eat, a place to live, and some kind of clothes to put on. I’ve got quite a little family now but I’m going to lose them as they are going away too. One little shana (?) about a year and a half old, I guess. I’m not good at guessing how old kids are. I thought Therina was four and she turned out to be seven! Anyway this little guy has a name too dang long to pronounce so I named him Shorty. His Dad got quite a kick out of that. He answers to the name too. He comes around once in awhile and points at everything and wants me to look at it. He goes barefooted too and no pants! Every time he squats down (which is quite often) there it is! Whenever he gets excited he shakes his whole body back and forth and laughs like hell. Should I bring him home?
Haven’t heard from Chick lately. I see fellows from his outfit and ask about him but they aren’t in his company and don’t know where he is. Never say die.
I received that very fine St. Patrick’s day card. Onliest one I got. Erv said he got one from you too and was going to write you.
Life here is most as usual. Once in awhile we get a right good shelling but so far —. Once you hear an artillery shell going over you’ll never forget it. Even when you know they aren’t going to land close, it makes a guy want to duck. Our artillery is lots worse than theirs, so I wonder how they feel. The prisoners are a bedraggled bunch of specimens but who isn’t? I tried out my high school German on them. Works pretty good sometimes. One time I asked a guy how he’d liked Germany. He said he wished he was back there. The blankety blank yahoo didn’t know hen he was well off. For the most part they are glad to get it over with. The Italians sure razz hell out of them. The Germans stole nearly everything they could lay their hands on and it really burned the Italians up.
So Joe has a good job in England. Don’t see how he does it but more power to him. How is Jenny doing away from her Joe? Guess I’ll have to court you all over again, won’t I? Make it easy, will ya? I haven’t got the strength to carry on another major campaign like that one. How you doing with Linda and how is Esther getting along. The way she sounded it wasn’t a serious operation and now it’s turned out that it was. Hope she gets along okay. What kind of a job has Harry got now? Or should I say “jobs”?
Well, reckon I’d better quit so — I sure love you and miss you like everything. Sure hope I see you soon. Be good.
So long now.
Snook
Letters From Snook 