Dearest Gee.
Long time no write, hey? Sure couldn’t do it, honey, although I thought about you all the time. We did manage to get mail once and I collected a few although that seems like years ago. Came through okay but picked up a cold somewhere along the line. I hope I never have to go through anything like that again. So far there has been no announcement of how much we can write about so we can’t say anything about the operations until then. The biggest news to me was the invasion. I heard the rumor — the false one and then luckily got ahold of a Stars and Stripes with the retraction in it but by that time the real invasion had started and we didn’t know what to believe. I know what they are going through with and sure sympathize with them. It’s hard for us to get news except for Adolph’s revision so we sure sweat it out.
Picked up a few nice souvenirs. Nothing elaborate because I had to carry them. One I think should be worth some dough. It’s a tapestry. Belonged to a Princess Giovanni B Borghese. She won’t need it any longer. Also have a letter opener, a little vase I think is hand painted. Then I have a sea shell outfit with a group of religious figures painted on it but it got broken. I’m saving the pieces and maybe it can be glued.
Received a package of candy from you today. Boy, did that go big! Got five packages of funny books too. Got letters from Dad, Mom and that super seven pager from Mildred. No camera yet tho. Thought sure the package of candy was the camera. Sure would liked to have had it with me these past few weeks. Also heard from Erv.
We are bivouacked in a swell place now maybe I can tell you more about it later. Got to practice quite a bit of my high school German.
Sure hope the boys keep on going with that invasion and get this thing over with. I’m afraid it isn’t going to be as easy as they thing tho
I haven’t time to write everyone right now so I’m just writing you and Mom to let you know I’m okay. Haven’t heard from Chick yet but kept pretty close tab on his outfit and I think he’s okay.
I could sure stand one of those rests down in Gatlinburg right now but there’s no such thing for us. Let’s hope there will be for all of us soon. I sure love you, honey, and miss you like everything. Thanks a lot for the candy. Hope you are all okay. How’s Joannie and Francy? Will write more later so in the mean time.
So long.
Snook
The lengthy gap between Snook’s letters home can be explained by the First Special Service Force’s role in the Liberation of Rome. After leaving the Anzio beachhead behind, on June 4th the Force became the first Allied troops to enter Rome. While this letter is vague and he was unable to correspond during the operation, Snook’s memoirs record some incredible memories from this time and his entry into the Eternal City be revisited in greater detail when the memoir is published serially to this site (once I run out of letters to share).
Letters From Snook 