May 17, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 36684775
Hq. Co. 3rd Bn. 135th Inf.
APO 34 c/o P.M. New York, NY

Anzio Beach Head, Italy

Wed., May 17, 1944

Dear Mother:-

I received your V-mail letter yesterday that you wrote me on April 24th and the day before I got a letter you wrote me on March 27th. I was glad to hear from you. I also had a letter from Norma Wegener and one from Primo Alberini. Primo is still in Alaska. He has been there over a year now. He sent me Collie Kasubke's address. He is also here on the Beach Head but with a different division. I wrote him a few lines. Maybe some time I'll see him but I don't think there is much of a chance. I wonder what he is doing as he is also in a Headquarters company.

I was glad you sent me Freddie's address but I was sorry to hear he was shipped. After he is put in a division he will be given another address like the one I got. I was wondering if he was made a regular Corporal or just for the boat trip. When I came over a lot of the boys were made Corporals & Sergeants but lost that as soon as they got to the replacement depot. Hope that don't happen to him.

So you had the lot plowed but not planted. Well maybe by this time the rain is all over and you have it all in. Hope you have good luck with it this year.

Oh yes, so far I've gotten 2 of the Staunton papers. I got one of March 30 yesterday and a few days ago I got one from March 23rd.

I just stopped and went and fixed me a little to eat. I had breakfast & dinner all in one as I didn't get up until after 11 o'clock. I didn't get to go to bed until after 3 as I was out tracing some trouble on one of the lines. I fried me some pork sausage and it was real good. We get that in our canned rations, also ham & eggs, pork and etc. When we are in the rear they bring cooked meals out to us. We were there for a few days and had cake & pie several times also some good raisin bread. We are fed pretty good even if we have to fix it ourselves most of the time. At one place we were there was several cows and some of the boys were good at milking so we had fresh milk to drink for several days.

I guess Dora has told you she is working in Clayton, Missouri. Back at house work and she says they pay her $90.00 a month. I think that is real good. I sure didn't know they paid that much money these days.

Well I'm out of news again so I'll close and hope I hear from you soon again. I'll write more later when I have time.

So long.
Gus


The envelope is postmarked May 21, 1944. On the back of the envelope my grandmother  wrote "Received 29 May. Answered 31."

Dad mentions a couple of his good friends, Primo Alberini and Collie Kasubke, in this letter. Primo spent most of his war service in Alaska. I don't know if he ever got to see Collie while they were Italy. He was close to these men for the rest of their lives.

It is obvious from Dad's letters that he looked forward to the arrival of the Staunton Star-Times weekly newspaper, which, along with the letters he was receiving from family and friends, helped keep him up to date on what was going on back home.