Pvt. August Haferkamp 36685776
Hq. Co. 3rd Bn. 135th Inf.
APO 34 c/o P.M. New York, NY
Italy
Sat., June 12, 1944
I have a few minutes time so I'll try to write you a few lines. I had several letters from Henry lately. I answered them as soon as I could. I guess he will show you the letters when he gets them. I tried to tell him a few things about Italy.
Well I went out on a pass this last Wednesday. I got to spend the day in Rome. It sure is a nice place to see. I told Henry about some of the things I saw so if you can read the letter I sent him it will save me time & paper if I don't have to write it over again. It looked funny to see some of the soldiers uniforms of different countries. Such as French and also the British. The British soldiers wear sun tan shorts with long socks. You sure see a lot of bow legs. I was going to get some postal cards while I was in Rome and came away without them. Some more fellows went in on a pass today and I told them to bring me some along. If they do I'll try to send you a few of them. I'm sorry I didn't go inside of the St. Peters Church. They say it is sure a pretty thing to see.
Yesterday and last night I had guard duty. I started at noon yesterday and finished at 8 this morning. I was on for 2 hours and off 4 hours,
Henry said in his letter that Freddie has left North Africa and landed safely some where else. I guess he probably is here in Italy. So come that way. Maybe I'll see him some of these days.
How does Bill like his new job by now? O.K. I hope. Henry said he is working 24 hours on and 24 hours off. I guess he goes back and forth on the street car.
Thursday we had some ice cream and cake with our dinner. the ice cream sure was good. It was the first I had since I was at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. We get cake pretty often. We are eating onions; potatoes and lettuce out of the Italians gardens.Our kitchen fixes our meals now while we are here in a rest area.
I got paid Thursday for the month of May. the letter Collie Kasubke sent me about a week ago stated that he hadn't been paid since December. Well he will get a lot when he does get it. Money don't do us much good any way as there isn't much we can buy with it. These Italians would sooner trade cigarettes than have money. They pay as high as 50¢ a pack for them.
Dora sent me a clipping out of the Star Times that Ray Stiegemeier wrote. I thought it was pretty good. He is here in Italy also. Dora said Norman Boettcher was here also. I guess a lot of the boys from home are here.
Well I told you all I can think of for the present time so I'll have to close. Hope I'll hear from you soon and I'll write more when I have time. Don't worry if a week or so goes by and you don't hear from me as I'm just too busy to write letters.
I'm feeling fine and hope you are all well and in good health. So long.
Love,
Gus
This letter is postmarked U.S. Army Postal Service June 20 1944. On the bottom left corner of the front of the envelope is the censor's stamp. On the back of the envelope my grandmother wrote in pencil "Recieved June 26."
Norman Boettcher grew up next door to my grandparents. His father had served in Europe during World War I and married a German woman and brought her home. The Boettchers lived in their house on Laurel Street until their deaths in the 1980s.
