July 30, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 366847575

Hq. Co. 3rd Bn 135th Inf.

APO 34 c/o P.M. New York, N.Y.

Italy

Sun. July 30 1944

Dear Mother:-

I'm spending this Sunday afternoon writting letters so now I'll try to write you a few lines even if I haven't much to write about. I just wrote to Dora and also Uncle Henry. I may also write to Reno Martini yet today. That's the kid's address that you sent me. Did you ever tell Clara that I wrote to him and I got a quick answer from him?

Well its still hot and very dry here. I guess it is that way all over the world. It gets cool at night and that makes it good sleeping. There is always a breeze coming in off of the sea which helps a lot. Hope you have been getting some rain at home so the gardens haven't all dried up.

I went to the church services this morning at 9:30 and it was real nice. We have a swell chaplain. From 11 to 12 I had to stand guard. I have to stand an hour guard every other day so that's not bad.

We had a real good dinner today. We had creamed chicken; tomatoes; beets; bread; coffee and ice cream. They had 2 kinds of ice cream, chocolate and pineapple. I took the pineapple as I like it the best.

A lot of the fellows go swimming down at the sea every day but as yet I never have. They say they have a swell beach there. Trucks take and bring the boys every hour. Here in the area we can also play horse shoes; volley ball or either soft ball and every night they have a picture show. So far I went to the show once and haven't played any games. We also have a radio and get music and the news.

As yet I never did hear from Freddy. I wrote him over a week ago. I hope he answers soon and trys to let me know where he is. If I knew just about where he was located I believe I could get away for a few days to go see him. That is while I'm here in a rest area. It would take a lot of arranging to get permission to leave for a few days but I believe I could make it. I have an idea he is somewhere close to Rome. I could go down there in a day's time.

Dora said in her letter the other day that her Mother was in St. Louis and Bobbie's wife cut her hair and gave her a permanent wave. She didn't get to see her but they told her on the phone that she looked from 10 to 15 years younger. Bobbie's wife is going to a beauty operator's school to learn hair dressing.

I see in the Staunton paper where they are trying to get a factory to locate at home. Sure hope they get it and that it amounts to something. Staunton could use several small factories. I guess they will have a time raising the money as the business people hate to kick in. Well, there is always two ways of looking at it.

Well, I told you all I know for the present time so I'll have to close and try to write you more at a later date. Hope you are all well and feeling fine as I sure am. So long until later.

Love,
Gus

This letter was postmarked August 1, 1944. This is one of the few letters so far that doesn't have a note on the envelope stating when it was received or when it was answered.

The officer signing the envelope is also different from the previous letters sent from Italy. This one is signed by "W. R. Coleman, Lt., Inf."

"Bobbie" is one of my mother's younger brothers. He had married Dorothy Dehner, a young woman from Iowa, earlier in the year, on January 23, 1944. 

July 19, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 366847575

Hq. Co. 3rd Bn 135th Inf.

APO 34 c/o P.M. New York, N.Y.

Sunny Italy

July 19, 1944

Dear Mother:-

I have a few hours time today so I'm busy writting letters. I just finished writting to Dora & Freddie. He never did write me so I guess he still has the same address as the one he had when he left the States as you never did send me any other. It is Inf. Co. E APO 15241. That is the way I sent it so I hope he gets it. I also got a letter yesterday from Henry and one from Uncle  Henry several days ago. Oh yes, I wrote to that Martini boy. The one who's address you sent me and I got a letter back from him the other day. He couldn't tell me where he was but I know where his division is and its a long ways from here. He told me that Edgar Lorson from Staunton was in the same company with him. He seemed surprised to hear from me and wants me to write him again. Lorson should have lost 60 or 70 lbs. It is a rifle company they are in. I don't know if I know this kid or not but he said he knew me well. You can tell Clara that I heard from him.

I got another box from Dora last night. It had candy bars; writting paper and ink in it. I still have a box on the way with a box of White Owl cigars in it. Wish it would get here in the next day or two so I would have them while we are in the rest area. I don't know how long we are to have a rest this time but I hope it's a month or so. I haven't heard but maybe I'll get that bronze star I have coming while we are in the rest areas. That is when they give them out. They have all the companies there on parade with a band and then give short talks when the medals are passed out. I also have a expert Infantrymen badge coming. It is a nice looking pin or badge also. This is the one that we are to get the extra 10 dollars a month for having. A lot of the older fellows have them already.

Uncle Henry said that things are awful hot and dry in Athens, too. Not much to his garden. Said he is raising a few chickens this year again. He wrote his letter on 4th of July and said he hadn't heard a single fire cracker. If he had been over here he would have heard a lot of noise and it wouldn't have been just a fire cracker.

I sent some paper money along in Dora's letter. I got it from a German prisoner. I told Dora to show them to Pop and see if it was the German Mark. I have some German & Italian coin money but how I'll ever send it home I don't know.

It is awful hot here too but still at night it gets fairly cool and damp. I guess that is because we are so close to the sea. It makes it good sleeping at nights.

I thought I had more to write you but I can't think of anymore so I'll have to close. Hope I hear from you real soon. I'll write whenever I have time and I'll guess I'll have that the next several weeks. Until later so long.

Love,
Gus


This letter was postmarked July 23, 1944. Aunt Mamie wrote on the back of the envelope that it was "received July 31." Someone else wrote "answered Aug. 3."

July 8, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 36684775

Hq. Co. 3rd Bn, 135th Inf.

APO 34 c/o P.M. NewYork, N.Y.

Italy

July 8, 1944

Dear Mother:-

I received several letters from you lately but never had a chance to answer them. I wrote you a V-mail letter several days ago as that was the only kind of writing paper I could get. Since then we found this paper in some buildings and I may have to send this free instead of air mail as I have no stamps here. I also have gotten letters from Henry & Henry Lee, which I was glad to get. Last night I got a V-mail from Harry Kuehner. He is always pretty good about writing even if he don't say much.

I thought sure Freddie would have written to me by now but I guess he is kept busy where ever he is at. Hope I hear from him soon and I would like to get to see him but I don't think there is much chance. You can tell Clara that I wrote a few lines to Reno Martini. I don't think I know the kid. I'm not near him so I'm told. I think he is way down in the southern part of Italy taking training. I don't know this for sure but the fellows here say that division is down there getting more training. I'll let you know if I ever hear from him.

I guess you are kept busy canning things out of the garden. Hope you are getting a rain now and then so everything grows. You said the ground was so hard. You should see the ground over here. Its all clay and hard as a rock. I don't see how they raise anything but they seem to have pretty good luck. At times we get into there gardens and get onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and etc. Yesterday some of the boys killed some tame rabbits and fried them. I never ate any of it. We have been getting fresh eggs now and then off of the Italians. We usually have rations or cigarettes to trade with them.

I guess you got the letter where I told you I was in Rome. In fact I was there twice. The day we marched thru I stayed there for several hours. We were all tired and sleepy that day so most of us slept the whole time we were there. About a week after I got to go back there on a 1 day pass which I really enjoyed. Sure was a lot of pretty sights to see. I sent Dora some cards of Rome and I know she will show them to you the first chance she gets. While here in Italy I got to see a volcano. It was Mt. Vesuvius. It was worth seeing to as I read a lot about them in school.

I've been getting a lot of mail but so far I've only gotten 3 Staunton papers. Sure do miss getting them but guess someday they will catch up with me. I've gotten 2 packages from Dora so far and have several more on the way. The first package had nuts, candy, and a box of cigars, which she got from Fritz's Drug Store. Walter said he would let her have a box now and then. She has gotten me several boxes but her brother-in-law gets them for her in St. Louis. Maybe if Freddie asks for cigars you can see Walter Fritz and he may let you have some.

It gets awful darn hot here during the day and cool at night which  makes it good sleeping if it wasn't for the flies and mosquitoes. they are awful bad here.

I hope you are all well at home. I'm feeling fine only I would feel better if I was back home. What is Pop doing these days? Helping in the garden or getting the news up at the park?

Well I must close and I'll try to write more later. Write when you can. Do you ever see Jack or hear from him? I wrote him a letter soon after arriving in Italy but he never did answer it.

So long. Love to all.

Gus


On the front of the envelope is the stamped image that signifies the letter had been checked. Over that is handwritten, "censored by Lt. R. O. Foster." On the back of this envelope my aunt wrote "Received July 18" and "Answered July 18."

Dad continues in this letter to say that though he has written to his brother Freddie he has yet to hear from him. He also asks about his brother Jack and says he'd written him a letter but hasn't yet heard from him. Though Dad seemed to enjoy writing letters, and wrote letters to friends and family several times a week even when not at war, I know that his brothers were not good letter writers.

January 29, 1944, from Clara Haferkamp

Anniston, Ala.

Jan. 29, 1944

Dear Mom & all,

Just received your letter yesterday (and was glad to hear from you). Well, Mom, Freddie is getting along fine. I'd guess he will get out of the hospital next week. He ask the doc to let him out today but he said not for a few more day's. So I guess that will be next week sometime. But he got a pass for today to come to Anniston till 9 o'clock tonight. I guess Gus is home by now I hope. It would of been nice if they both could been home together. But I guess we just have to make the best of it till he does come back which we don't know when that will be. But I do hope soon.

Well, I guess John Lee is trying pretty hard to get him out. He should of done that before. Maybe Freddie could of been home by now. He never got that box yet. It may be there when he gets back.

Well Mom I hope you are all feeling fine & don't worry about Freddie because he is getting along fine and looks good. Well I guess I will be coming home next week about Thursday. I will be home sometime Fri.

Will close.

With Love,
Freddie
& Clara.

If you ans. this letter, write it to Freddie.


This letter was written by Clara Haferkamp, my Uncle Freddie's wife, to my grandmother, her mother-in-law. Apparently Uncle Freddie was in the hospital and she had gone to see him.

November 14, 1943

Sunday, Nov. 14, 1943

Dear Mother:-

I received your letter a few days ago and I was glad to hear from you. I'll try to write you a few lines today as Sunday is about the only day that you have time to do much writting.

So you folks have had a snow blizzard up there. What is that stuff called snow? Ha Ha. You should come south and I guess you wouldn't be bothered with snow although it gets real cool here at night but warms up during the day. We have fire in our stove every night and it feels real good. He had a very heavy rain last Sunday evening and Monday. That was the hardest I've seen it rain for quite a while. I guess it looks more like winter is coming up there than it does down here as everything is green yet. The trees are nearly all pine trees so there is no leaves to fall.

I got a folder from Freddie several days ago. It was pictures of his camp. The pictures were all pretty and it looks like a nice camp although they usually take pictures of the best building and put them in the folders. He never wrote anything but his name on the folder. I also got a card from Jack. I could tell you what he said but to keep from writting so much I'll just send you the card and you can read it. I guess you never do hear from him. I was kind of surprised when I got the card from him. I believe I told you that I got a card from Henry while he was up at Springfield.

So Clara got back from her trip from Alabama. I guess she had a good time but I guess she didn't get to see Freddie a whole lot during the week. I know that is the way it is here. You don't get much time here during the week. They always have something for you to do. I went down to the guest house at the service club yesterday afternoon to see about getting a room for Dora so she can come down here for 3 days on Sunday December 19; Monday Dec. 20 and on Dec. 21. They charge 75 cents a day for the room. When the 3 days are up she can probably go into Starke, the town about 8 miles from here and get a room to stay over for Xmas. I can get a pass on week ends if I haven't any detail to do such as K.P. or guard duty. Most of the fellows get week end passes and go to Starke; Jacksonville or St. Augustine but I haven't left te camp since I've been here.

I got the Staunton paper yesterday and I see where the council left the hiring of a fireman up to the committee for investigation. They better hire a fireman or else replace us fellows who are in the service. I see where Bill Machota has to go for examination with the next bunch. I guess there is quite a few from the fire department in the army or navy by now.

We started on our technical training last Monday. We are learning to tie knots and how to splice wire and also the telegraph code of dots and dashes. I'm sure having a time learning those dot and dashes as that goes all by sound. You have a set of head phones like Henry's old radio had and they send the dot and dashes through that. You are then suppose to write down the letters. So far I've had 10 hours of that code and I'm sorry to say I don't know very much of it but there are a whole lot of fellows don't know as much of it as I do. I hope I learn it soon. We were told yesterday that when we were through with our basic training we would know from 30-50 words and there meanings of the Jap language. The hell of this training is that they don't give you enough time to learn the things proper.

So the Howards finally got the final word of Vincent's death. I guess in a way since it happened that now it is better that they know he is dead then to sit there from day to day waiting for word and worrying whether or not he was dead or a prisoner. While I was up there to see them and after they had that letter from the chaplain Edna got a bottle of perfume from him which he sent from Egypt.

We never did hear any more about get our metals for shooting the rifle. A lot of fellows bought their metals in a Army store in town. Yes I got a little metal for shooting the rifle while I was at Jefferson Barracks.

Well I think I told you all I know for the present time so I'll close and write you more later when I have time.Write me when you have time. You can throw Jack's card away as I don't want it back. So long.

Gus


Dad continues to write home regularly, at least once a week. Interesting to see that it is already snowing back home in Staunton, Illinois. As I said when I started this blog to share his letters, through his letters you do get a peek at what was going on at home and what was going on in his family. He writes about his brother Jack, who had written Dad from his home in Mt. Olive, Illinois, his brother Freddie, apparently in basic training down in Arkansas, and Freddie's wife Clara. In this letter we learn that his cousin Vincent, an Army Air Corps pilot in North Africa, has been confirmed killed in action. He refers again to receiving the Staunton paper. I think that during the war the Staunton Star-Times was sent at no cost to Staunton residents who were serving in the military. One of the things that was regularly published in the Star-Times was the list of local men who had received their notice to report for a physical that would determine their qualification be drafted. Another list that was regularly published was the list of those who HAD been drafted. Those two columns, in addition to the letters he was getting from family and friends, seem to be keeping Dad updated on who is headed to or already in the military from Staunton. Jefferson Barracks is a base in Missouri that had a program that Dad and a friend, Charles Sharp, went to when they were 16.