Dearest Gee.
Well, honey, this was another one of those days with the red letters. I sure got a flock more letters today. Sure makes me feel good, kid. I got your letters of May 10, 13, 20, 22, 23, 24, 28, and June 13. That last one sure made good time considering everything it had to go through with. Then I got a v-mail from Chick dated May 13, two from Sis, one from Mom, one from Mildred, one from Hilah, and a v- from Carrie. Quite a little total, ain’t it? Now all I have to do is answer them! The only trouble with the letters were that you all had me coming home on the first boat, and that hurts. I’m not harboring any ideas about getting home right away. If I did I’d go nuts. I was in the hopes that this redeployment wouldn’t take as long as they expected but now I’m even afraid it will take longer. What I’m sweating out now is finishing our job here and then maybe heading Statesward. If it comes to that I may have a chance to get out. In a case of this kind it’s better to think of the worst and hope for the best. Lord knows I’m sure hoping.
Honey, all I ever get is good reports about you and it makes me so proud. Even after I get home I don’t suppose I’ll ever be able to tell you all you mean to me. I never cease to wonder how the devil I ever got you in the first place. Without your letters things certainly would have been different. So many of the fellows have lost their girls and wives and are bitter about it but, I never had to worry on that score. In every one of your letters, that amounted to almost a month’s supply, you mentioned housecleaning, painting, etc., what are you trying to do, kill yourself? And steel wooling the floors! It makes me sick to think of it. No wonder your back bothers you. It’s a wonder you aren’t in bed.
I thought I told you about making sergeant. Maybe I’m losing the rest of my marbles. There wasn’t anything exciting about it. When one of the guys went to the hospital at Barnesville, France I moved up to his place. The job called for a buck sergeant so I got it. But not till we hit Effeldrich, Germany sometime in April, I think it was. Some damn Jerry pilot use to come around there every night and strafe and bomb the roads. Not many days later we got wind of a pilot hiding out in town. He had burned his plane in the woods nearby and snuck in. A major and lieutenant wanted someone to go with them to go find him so me and [Paul L.] Prosise (another section sergeant) said we’d go. One of their acting cops told us where he was, and we picked him up. We asked him if he was the guy that had been doing that strafe job on us but he said no (of course). That was in Hersbruck.
When you counted up my points you had it alright except for the Inf. badge. That doesn’t count anything, why I don’t know. I signed the card for 81 points but if we get the other star (and we are in for it) they will add it to our cards. That’s the story I get anyway. Yes, honey. I was with the third army. We cleaned up the odds and ends as they went along. Sure took a lot of traveling. The people seemed more than willing to cooperate much to our surprise. Guess it surprised everyone else too. The whole things seems so funny to me, that when I read about such places as Rome, Naples, Paris, and Germany, that it looks so different when you see those places. Maybe we saw them the wrong way. I suppose that’s it. One thing sure — I don’t think I’m gonna like mountains anymore, kid. They’ve spoiled it for me.
I hope your watch is fixed okay, honey. Mine is still doing swell. Maybe I should have bought yours from the jewelry store in place of the dimery.
We got our liquor ration again today. A bottle of Champagne, Eau di Vin, and one of wine, for fourteen kroner. That’s two-eighty. I’ve got about that much dough left now. Had to borrow ten bucks this month. Haven’t been paid for two months now. Wish I was with you. We’d sure polish off the champagne — and then climb in bed. Guess I’ll have to quit pretty soon if I’m going to write anyone else. That box of cookies didn’t last long so send more.
Sure hope I get to be with you soon honey. Sure love you and miss you. See you later.
So long.
Snook
Letters From Snook 