August 8, 1944 -- a V-Mail from Freddie

In August my Uncle Freddie wrote a letter to my grandmother that was sent to them via V-Mail. What is special to me about this letter is that he gives some great details about his visit with my dad, which just happened to take place when my dad was receiving his Bronze Star. I am going to put pictures of the letter, and both sides of the envelope it came in, so that you can see what V-Mail looked like and also how my grandmother and aunt would mark the envelopes they got from their men who were off fighting in Italy. The V-Mail is small, just 4 1/4" wide and almost 5 1/2" long. A transcript is at the bottom.

 

  

From: 36690797

Pvt. Fred Haferkamp

A.P.O. P.M. N.Y. N.Y.

Aug. 8 - 44

To: Mrs. C. Haferkamp

621 N. Laurel St.

Staunton, Ill

Italy

Dear Mother.

Just a line to let you know I am well and hope every one else at home is the same I got a letter from Gus the same day I wrote him I found out where he was so I went Sunday to visit him he sure was surprised to see me he was decorated with a Bronze Star when I was there he whent and asked for a pass to visit me so they gave him 7 days so he came Monday and is staying with me he sure looks good and has put on a little weight since the last time I seen him It sure is hot and dry here and guess it is the same back home I haven't been getting much mail lately got two papers today of June 8 - 15. Gus said he got some dated later don't know of any more news now so tell Henry and the rest hello till later as I will close

From your Son Fred.

August 6, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 36684775
Hq. Co. 3rd Bn. 135th Inf.
APO 34 c/o PM. New York, N.Y.

Italy

Sunday, Aug. 6, 1944

Dear Mother:-

I'll write you a few lines to let you know that Freddie was here today to see me.  He and another fellow came in about 11 a.m. and left about 3 P.M. I had just came back from Division rear to find out for sure where the 8 Rep't. Depot was and he walked up. I sure was glad to see him. We had dinner together but it wasn't nothing extra today. I was (sic) they had came last Monday when we had the turkey. He is located about 40 mile south of here and he came up on a truck. They left early as the other fellow wanted to stop and see some one along the road. I went to see my Captain for a pass and he told me to come back tomorrow and he would send me to another Captain for the pass. This Captain was busy today or else I could have gotten it today. At least I hope he gives me one for several days. Freddie said now since he knows just where I'm at he may come up quite often.

He is looking and feeling fine. I don't think he has lost much weight since I've seen him last.

He thought we had a swell place here and I guess we have. He said the area they are in isn't so nice and the food isn't so good. They took there cots away from them and now they sleep on the ground. Well I've been doing that since last April.

We had our parade today and I'm sending you one of the letters I got. I received 3 of these. I didn't get the medal as yet only the ribbon. This ribbon is red and blue trimmed in white. Here is about the size [he drew a precise sketch that was 1 1/4" wide and 1/4" high with lines that distinguished first a narrow vertical stripe, the white trim he mentioned, then a 1/2" stripe of red, a narrow white stripe, a 1/16" stripe of blue, a narrow stripe of white, a 1/2" stripe of red, and a final narrow white stripe].  It is to be pin on our pockets. Maybe in a few days there will be some thing in the Stars & Stripes paper about it and if there is I'll try to send it to you. The 34th Division band played and there were a lot of pictures taken.

Well that's about all for the present so I'll close and will write you more in a few days. Keep the paper I'm sending and I'll send the other 2 to Dora. This draw where this took place was nicknamed "Dead Man's Gulch." Lot of lives were lost there.

So long.
Gus

This picture, a copy of which always hung in Dad's family home, was taken, I was told, when Uncle Freddie met up with Dad the first time.


This letter was postmarked Aug. 8, 1944.  My aunt wrote "received Aug. 16 -44" on the front of the envelope and "Aug. 6," which she also circled.

The medal he received, as he has written about in some previous letters, was the Bronze Star. The letter he mentions was not in the envelope with the letter he wrote his mother. In fact, non of the items that Dad said he had included with his letters were in the envelope with the letter. It is my opinion that items such as pictures and news clippings Dad has mentioned he has enclosed in this and past letters, were taken out of the envelopes when the letters received so that they could be shared with family and friends and were never put back into the envelopes.

August 4, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 36684775
Hq. Co. 3rd Bn. 135th Inf.
APO 34 c/o PM, New York, N.Y.

Italy

Aug. 4, 1944

Dear Mother:-

I received your V mail letter today that you wrote me on July 21st and I was glad to hear from you. I've been wanting to write you the last few days but I put it off thinking I would hear from you soon. I also got a letter from Dora today and she sent me some clippings and I'll send them on to you.

So Henry Lee got the letter I sent him. I bet he was surprised to get it wasn't he? I wonder what is keeping Fred from writting. Surely if he is real busy he could find time once in a while even if it was only a V mail. I wrote him 2 or 3 weeks ago and as yet I haven't received any answer. If he would write and let me know where he was located or at least give me a hint I could go and visit him as I'm sure I could get away for 5 days. But the way it is they move those replacement depots so much and they have many of them. I wouldn't know where to start looking for him. So the Martini boy wrote his Mother and told her I wrote to him. I finally answered his letter a few days ago. He may have been close to me at one time but I don't think he is now. I heard his outfit was back taking a special training. So was Collie's and I expect to hear soon that they have made another landing somewheres.

 I wrote to Collie and answered his letter a long time ago but never did hear anymore of him. I know his outfit hasn't been on the lines fighting for some time now.

To bad about the accident at No. 7 mine. Seems like every few months something like that has to happen. I bet they were a mess. I think I know all 3 of the fellows. Dora sent me a clipping out of a St. Louis paper about it.

So the grass fires are starting at home again. I guess there will be a lot of them as dry as it was. You must of had a rain & storm a while back as I saw in our "Stars and Stripes" paper where the bridge at Chester fell in the river and was caused by lightning. Bill had the right day off if he was home the day of the 2 fires. I had a letter from Harry Kuehnen several days ago and I wrote him a long letter back giving him a line. I think I wrote him 7 or 8 pages. He & I usually write each other V mails but I was in a writting mood so I wrote him a long one. He is pretty good about writting even if he doesn't say much.

The other day we were all issued 4 - 12 oz. cans of beer. It was Schaefers beer brewed in New York. It was the first American beer I had since I left the States. We had some several times that was made over here in Naples. Wasn't much good.

I got paid a few days ago for the month of July. That made 2 pay days in several days. I sent Dora $25.00 from my first pay and kept the second in case I should go on a pass one of these days.  We didn't get our $10.00 increase yet but will next pay with back pay. They are paying those in combat back pay to last January. I won't get so much as I didn't go into combat until after the middle of April.

This coming Sunday my Regiment is having a parade and citation and are going to award the medals to the fellows who have them coming. That's when I'll be getting my "Bronze Star" medal that I have coming. With this medal we also get a ribbon to wear on the pocket of our blouse but of course we have no blouse. We can wear that when the war is over and we head home. I have several campaign ribbons coming now also. This parade will be lead by the 34th Division band and all ranking officers will be there.

Dora said in her letter yesterday that she had a letter from you and you sent her Freddie's address. She was going to make a package of 8 cigars and send them to him. She sends them to me that way and I don't have to request them. She sends them 1st class mail for 12 cents postage.

I think I told you about the meal we had last Sunday. Well Monday we had a better one yet. We had roast turkey with dressing, corn, tomatoes, gravy; breach & butter; apricots; chocolate cake, and lemonade. We had all we could eat and there was turkey left. They are really feeding us good while we are here in this rest area. We have one cook that makes wonderful cakes & pie.

Every night there is a movie and several nights a week they have a U.S.O. stage show or band music before the movies. The other night at the U.S.O. show there was two American girls in it who sang many songs. It was great to see an American girl again as they were clean and dressed neat and that's more than you can say for most of these Italian girls. The most of them look like they haven't seen any water for months. Even if they haven't the clothes they could at least wash and keep clean.

I went for a shower bath this afternoon and thought I would get a clean O.D. shirt and pants but I never. They never had my size. Looks like they don't keep men size clothes as I've always got trouble getting size 36-33 pants. I did get new sock and also new underwear. We get these every time we take a shower.

I quit writting for about an hour and went down to hear a dance band that they had here for us. There was some swell music and singing. They say there is a good movie on tonight so I may go for a change. I've only been to one once and then didn't stay until it was over. You know I never did care much for shows.

They are sending a lot of fellows into Rome on 5 day passes again. If they don't stop it soon again I may be up for my turn before long.There are about 4 in the wire section ahead of me now yet. That is why I wish Freddie would try to let me know where he was and I could hunt him up in those 5 days. Now that we are in a rest area we can nearly always get a 5 day pass if we have relatives over here that we want to visit. When we go back in combat I may not get a chance to go.

I ordered myself a new pair of shoes today as the pair I have are going bad. I hope I get combat shoes instead of regular shoes as that would do away with wearing leggings. These combat shoes are about 6 inches higher than regular shoes and this part has only two buckels. It's a lot better and saves time. Tomorrow we can turn one blanket in to get cleaned. I have 2.

Well I told you all I know so I'll have to close and I will write you more later. Write when you have time as I enjoy hearing from you all.  So long.

Love,
Gus

This letter was postmarked August 8, 1944, and on the front of the envelope my aunt wrote "received Aug. 16 -44." She also wrote and circled "Aug. 4." This is because on August 16 they received three letters from my father, one he had written on August 4 and the others written in the following days.

July 26, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 366847575

Hq. Co. 3rd Bn 135th Inf.

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

Italy

July 26, 1944

Dear Mother.

I received your letter a few days ago that you wrote me on July 11. I also got the clippings from the paper that you sent me. I was glad to get the letter and clippings. I would have written sooner but was busy again and never had time. We are to have about 3 weeks rest now so I should have plenty time to write letters.

I wrote to Freddie about a week ago but as yet I haven't heard from him. I hope I do soon. I sure hope he gets my letter. I tried to tell him just where I was at. If he is still in a replacement depot I know just about where he is. We are many miles apart but I wish we could get to see each other.

Sorry to hear it is so hot and dry at home now. I guess you won't get much out of the garden this year again. Too bad after all the hard work. It is dry and awful hot here too but the gardens look real good. I don't see how they raise anything in this hard ground. It is clay and just like a rock. We have been getting tomatoes & corn out of the gardens along the way. Soon the grapes will be ripe and Italy is sure full of them. The spot I'm in now is full of olive trees and I've got my tent under one for the shade.

We just got paid for the month of June. I was wishing that they would wait a few days so we would get paid for July also. I get $20.80 every month and soon we will get another $10.00 a month. I intend to get a money order yet today for $25.00 to send Dora as there isn't many places where we can use money.

I'm glad Bill likes his job better now. Too bad he has to spend so much time on the road. Yes, I know Tom who used to work for Atlas when I did. I guess a lot of those fellows who quit there wished they were back now. Dora said Bob Ehmler works for Curtiss Wright now but didn't say what he was doing. He has night shift all the time over there.

I was surprised to hear about Mrs. Reurup dying. Was she sick very long or what was the matter with her? I suppose you all went to her funeral.

It sure doesn't seem like a year that Vincent was killed but time sure does fly by in a hurry. It was bad enough him getting killed but then when our own guns do it it is worse. Well that has happened more than once. Edward can be glad he is still back in the States. Fellows back there don't know how well off they are. So Evelyn has another little baby boy. It's been some time since I've heard from them.

I guess Henry Lee & Mary come to see you a lot these days don't they? I bet they'll be real big by the time I get home again. Did Henry Lee ever get the letter I sent him?

I believe I told you in my last letter I wrote you that I had a letter from Uncle Henry. He wrote it on the 4th of July. I may try to answer it yet today.

Well I'm out of news so I'll have to close and hope you are all well and feeling fine. I'll try to write more in a few days. So long.

Love,
Gus


This letter was postmarked July 30, 1944. Aunt Mamie wrote "Received 7 Aug." on the back of the envelope.

Dad writes in this letter about the death of Mrs. Reurup, but, though the name seems very familiar to me, I don't know who this would be. I think I have seen this name in my parents' papers but spelled "Reuhrup." 

Bob Ehmler is Dad's brother-in-law, the husband of my mother's sister Virginia Cool Ehmler.

When Dad first entered the Army he was stationed near Chicago, where some of his cousins lived. One of them, Vincent Howard, had recently been shot down by friendly fire. This sad fact is something Dad hadn't written about in his letters home at the time. I wonder if it is something the family learned about after his arrival in Italy. He also mentions Evelyn, who was Vincent's sister, and I think that the Edward he mentions was Vincent's youngest brother.

Henry Lee and Mary Haferkamp, Dad's nephew and niece, lived with their parents, Dad's brother Henry and his wife Leona, on Olive Street, about three blocks from my grandparents' home on Laurel Street in Staunton. I think Dad has mentioned them coming to see his parents more often because school is out.

June 23, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 366847575

Hq. Co. 3rd Bn 135th Inf.

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

Italy

June 23, 1944

Dear Mother & Everyone,

I received 2 letters from Mamie today. One was a airmail of May 25th and a V-mail of June 9th. Sometimes the V-mail beats the airmail letters but most of the time they don't. Your V-mail letters are O.K. and I'm glad to hear mine are also. I often wondered about them as I write them all in pencil. I also got the clippings out of the paper that she sent. I was glad to get them as I don't get so much news from home. So far since I've been here in Italy I've only got 3 papers. I guess one of these days I'll get a whole bundle of them.

So Freddie is here in Italy. I sure would like to see him. As soon as he get put in a division and gets a new address send it to me. The way it is now his address doesn't mean much to me as I couldn't begin to find him with that. You usually can tell what division a person is in by there APO number. You see I'm in the 34th. Collie Kasubke is in the 45th and the Martini boy who's address you sent me is in the 3rd. Dora's brothers Bill & Jackie got to see each other over in England thru the Red Cross. Each one had to go to the Red Cross and have them make the arrangements. They got to spend about 8 hours together.

You asked if I got to Rome. Yes I did as I told you in a letter I wrote last week. I marched thru there and I got to go in on a pass on June 14th.

So Bill doesn't think he will keep his new job. Too bad he spends so much time on the road. Does he drive his car back & forth or does he go by street car?

My name was turned in for a bronze star about a week ago. It is a medal and is for things I done in a battle before we got to Rome. If and when I'll get it I don't know. It probably be 8 or 10 month before I hear from it. They say they are real pretty. If I should ever get it I will send it home.

I guess Bill did have a lot of work to do if he put 475 sweet potato plants and 300 tomato plants besides others all out in a week's time. Hope you have a rain now and then so you h ave good luck with everything this year. How is the crab apple tree? I'll bet it's just loaded with apples.

I'll try to write the Martini boy a few lines yet tonight while I have time for maybe soon I'll be too busy to write to anyone for a while. I don't know if I remember him or not. I believe he use to deliver papers. I know where his folks live. Next door to Press Eller.

I wrote to Henry last week. I hope he got the letter and showed it to you all for I wrote him things I saw in Rome that I didn't write you.

I got 2 letters from Dora today. One was from May 20 and the other from June 12th. Our mail sure does come in funny. Two days ago I got a letter (air mail) from her written June 13th. She sent me two pretty colored pictures of herself that the lady she works for took of her. I'll have to keep them out of the light as much as I can or they'll fade away.

We had a rain during the night I was out sleeping on the ground with another fellow. We had a shelter half under us plus 2 blankets and a shelter half over us. We didn't get wet but the edges of our blankets got wet a little. Today it is real hot again.

Well I told you all I know for the present time so I'll have to close. I'll write more in a few days when I have time. As you can see I've written this letter in a hurry. Trying to get it done before supper.

Until later So long.

Love,
Gus


This letter was postmarked June 29, 1944. Written on the back, probably by my grandmother, was a note that it had been "Received July 6" and a second note said it was "Answered July 11."

V-mail, which Dad has mentioned in earlier letters, was a very interesting concept. According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum website, "Victory Mail, more commonly known as V-Mail, operated during World War II to expedite mail service for American armed forces overseas. Moving the rapidly expanding volume of wartime mail posed hefty problems for the Post Office, War, and Navy Departments. Officials sought to reduce the bulk and weight of letters, and found a model in the British Airgraph Service started in 1941 that microfilmed messages for dispatch.

V-Mail used standardized stationery and microfilm processing to produce lighter, smaller cargo. Space was made available for other war supplies and more letters could reach military personnel faster around the globe." (http://postalmuseum.si.edu/victorymail/)

Dad's brother Freddie finally ended up in Italy, and it is obvious that Dad hopes they can get together at some point. It was interesting to learn that Mom's brothers Bill and Jack got to meet up in England. Though Mom had told me that Uncle Jack had been stationed in England during the war, I hadn't known that Uncle  Bill was there, too. It was nice to hear that the Red Cross worked to enable family members to see each other during the war.

Amazing to read how much Uncle Bill planted in the backyard. There truly must not have been any part of the yard left unplanted. The crab apple tree Dad mentions stood in the backyard for many years, bearing fruit into the 1980s. It was finally chopped down in 1990.

Dad writes about "the Martini boy," obviously another soldier from Staunton. He says he knows his parents lived next door to Press Eller. In the 1940 Staunton City Directory, Preston & Cora Eller lived at 912 E. North. Louis, a miner at the No. 7 mine, & Gerarda Martini lived at 916 E. North.

Dad told his mother that he hoped his brother Henry would be sharing with her the letter he'd written telling all about what he'd seen in Rome. Unfortunately, as far as I know, that letter no longer exists.

May 27, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 36684775

HQ Co. 3rd Bn. 135th Inf.

APO 34 c/o PM. New York, NY

Sat., May 27, 1944

Italy

Dear Mother:-

I got Mamie's letter a few days ago that she wrote on April 25 & 26. Also the clippings about Vincent, which I sent on to Dora to put in our scrapbook. I have a few minutes time so I'll write you a few lines in a hurry and then try to get some sleep as I haven't had much of that for a few days.

So Collie Kasubke was hurt. I wrote to him over a week ago but so far I haven't heard from him. I guess it takes a while for the letter to reach him at the hospital. So Edna got a lot of Vincent's things back. Well it's nice that they returned it all.  Too bad the way he met his death. I've seen several times things happen here similar to that. Something wrong somewheres. Mamie thought maybe I would see his grave. Well, no, the only cemetery I saw so far has been where the Germans are buried.

If you are following the papers you can see we have the Germans on the run again. Hope we reach Rome soon and at the rate we are going it won't be long now.

I'm kept real busy the last week or so and haven't had hardly a chance to do any writing so if you don't hear from me for a while don't worry about me as I'm too busy to write.

Well I have a lot more I could tell you but I'm just too sleepy & tired to write any more. I'm going to lay down and try to sleep some as I haven't been getting much of that lately. I'll try to write more later.

So long.

Love,

Gus

The envelope is postmarked May 30, 1944. On the back of the envelope my grandmother  wrote "Received June 7."

Dad write that he sent my mother the clippings he'd received about his cousin Vincent's death in the war so that she could put it in their scrapbook. That scrapbook is a treasure, full of clippings, primarily from the Staunton Star-Times, about family and friends, including a lot of clippings from the war years.

May 13, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 36684775
HQ Co. 3rd Bn 135th Inf.
APO-34 c/o PM. New York, N.Y.

Anzio Beach Head Italy

Sat, May 13, 1944

Dear Mother:-

I have a little time so I'll try to write you a few lines to let you know I'm well and feeling fine. I'll write a airmail letter as most of my letters lately to you have been V-mail and you can't write much on those.

I shaved today and just came back from taking a shower and getting clean clothes. About the only clothes I have is what I'm wearing as we turned the rest in. It sure feels fine to get cleaned up once again but a fellow don't stay that way very long.

Yesterday we were given 5 candy bars; cigarettes, and a bottle of beer. the beer is made here in Italy and isn't so good as a fellow has to drink it warm. Sometime ago we were to have beer. It was to be keg beer. Well, a few German planes came over and dropped some bombs and blew the kegs to pieces so we had no beer. Boy, that was one night I was scared and everyone else was who was there. We are to get 2/3's of a quart of beer every 2 weeks now.

Well, how's the garden coming along? I guess you have every thing planted now including the lot. I hope you have good luck with everything this year.

How is Mary and Henry Lee? I guess they come to see you a lot. Soon Henry Lee's school will be out and he can spend a lot of time with you. Was he in a Easter program this year?

I guess you have been reading in the paper about Sergeant Kelly the big hero from over here. Well don't believe all you are reading about him. Somebody is just building him up. A lot of things he claims he done can't be done that say. "So I'm told." And whenever he says that he never was afraid, well he can't tell me or no one else that because you can't help yourself. Another thing, you can't take a mortar shell and throw it like a football. How did he know he killed 40 Germans. Did he stop to count each one? No, you don't do that either. Every fellow you hear up here on the front talk about him sure are sore the way the magazines and newspapers are giving him the write ups. He hasn't seen many months of action. The Division I'm in has been overseas the longest and has a lot of heroes, but you never hear a word about them. It looks like Sergeant Kelly is a one man's Army. The Air Corp. is another outfit that is getting too much credit for what they are doing. You never hear a word said about the  Infantry. That's the fellows who deserve a lot of credit but don't get it. Those fellows with the help of the Artillery are the ones who are getting the ground and pushing forward to win the war, not the Air Corp. The Air Corp hasn't taken a piece of ground yet but that's all you hear about "Air Corp"--Hum Bug.

Well have you heard anymore of Freddie? Sure would like to see him get a discharge. Send me his address as soon as you hear from him. I don't know what outfit his buddies were sent to as I left before they did. If they keep him at Ft. Meade he sure can be lucky.

I never have gotten any papers since I left Camp Blanding. I guess once the boat brings them over I'll sure get a bunch of them. I wish they would come soon so I know what's going on in Staunton. By the way did they ever put up the Honor Roll that they were going to build and put in the park? I guess not.

I had a letter from Louie Calcari the other day. He didn't have much to say and I think his daughter-in-law wrote it as the writing was too good for his. To tell the truth I don't think he can write.

Well I guess Henry is still out at the water plant. His job should be good for 1 more year yet. I suppose Bill isn't doing anything yet only working around the house as usual. Seems like a lot of fellows are getting laid off throughout the U.S. That is what I see in a paper once in a while. A fellow in my outfit gets the Chicago paper. It's about 2 months late always so the news is old but it's something to read and pass away the time.

Did Uncle Henry ever come to see you all? I wonder if he got my letter I wrote to him? Have you heard from the Howards lately? I guess they are all well.

Well I think I told you all I know so I'll close hoping I hear from you real soon. Take good care of yourself and don't work too hard. So long.

Love,
Gus

Oh, yes. I believe tomorrow is  "Mother's Day." Well there isn't a thing here that I can get to send you. Not even a card so all I can say is "Happy Mother's Day" to you. Wish you many more of them.

You know here a fellow can't keep up with the day or dates. You always have to ask whether it's Sunday, Monday or what. Same way with the dates. Too much to keep track of.


Although 15 of the letters that I have from my father to his mother are V-Mail, the first one is dated August 16, 1944, so Dad's comment that most of the letters he sent recently were sent by V-Mail puzzle me. There are so many letters from him to my grandmother that I have assumed that she kept every one he wrote. However, there is no letter at all written in March 1944, and there was a one month gap between the one he wrote on April 11 and this letter, after which the letters once again are  written about once a week. 

Stamped on the front of this envelope is a rubber-stamped box that says "Passed by U.S. Army Examiner" and the number 02662. It is signed Lt. R. O. Foster.

The envelope is postmarked May 16, 1944. On the back of the envelope my grandmother  wrote "Received 26 May. Answered 31."
  
I was curious about the Sergeant Kelly that Dad wrote about. Doing a little research, I think that he is talking about Charles E. Kelly, a World War II hero known as "Commando Kelly." The details in the New  York Times article written when he died in 1985 match some of Dad's comments.
http://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/13/us/charles-e-kelly-dies-at-64-a-winner-of-medal-of-honor.html

This letter will be posted to the blog on September 9, 2014. On this day one hundred two years ago my dad was born in Staunton, Illinois.

March 24, 1944

Pvt. August Haferkamp 36684775

A.P.O. 15164 c/o Postmaster

New York, N.Y.

Mar. 24 1944

Mediterranean Sea

Dear Mother:-

It's been a long time since I heard from you or since I wrote so I'll write you a few lines to let you know I'm still O.K. I guess you have been wondering where I'm at or where I'm going. Well at present I'm on the Mediterranean Sea and we are headed for Italy. This has been a tiresome trip but I never did get seasick. I felt fine the whole way. It is like I told Dora that this trip is like getting a month's vacation and spending it in a telephone booth. That's about how much room we have. It is swell up on deck and it all has been a big thrill the way the boat rides the waves. The meals have been real good. They feed us at 10 and 4 o'clock and about 9 P.M. before we go to bed we have lunch.

I've been wondering if Freddie ever got home. I hope he got a discharge but if he never I guess he is getting ready for his boat ride also. There are a lot of things I would like to tell him if I could.

Last Saturday I had all of my hair cut off. I'm now bald headed. I figured it would do my hair some good.

I guess the weather is warm at home now and you are all starting to make gardens. Did Bill ever finish making his hot beds so you could raise your own plants? I guess you will make garden in the lot this year again.

Is Bill still working for the city or has that job ended? I guess he never did have many fire calls. I guess Mamie is busy with her spring house cleaning by now.

The weather has been pretty good the whole trip. The ocean and sea has been rough at times but as a rule its been good. So far there is 6 hours difference in the time from Staunton to where I am and I guess it will change another hour yet before we get there.

We were given a bag by the American Red Cross when we got on the boat. Mine came from a chapter at Bristol, Tenn. It had a sewing kit; pencil; tablet; envelopes; shoe strings; shoe shining cloth; razor blades; soap & soap case; deck of cards; a story book and a pack of cigarettes. The women also gave out coffee as we went up the gang plank. The Red Cross also furnished games; candy and cigarettes aboard the ship.

We have a time here on the ship when it comes to washing and saving. That is all done with salt water and the soap doesn't make any suds.

I guess by this time Dora has gotten our pictures and given you all one. I hope they were good and that I have one waiting for me when I arrive in Italy. I also hope I have a lot of mail and the Staunton papers waiting so I know some news.

I'll send this letter airmail and when I land I'll write you by V-mail. I don't know which is the fastest.

Well I'll close and I hope you are all well and feel as fine as I do. Tell everyone "Hello" and I'll write as often as I have time for.

Love,
Gus


From this letter on, all of Dad's letters have stamps on the envelope, whether sent by air for 6 cents, as this one was, or by sea for 2 cents. This particular letter is postmarked April 1. My grandmother wrote on the envelope that she received it on 10 April and answered it on 13 April. Also on the envelope is a stamped mark stating that it was passed by U.S. Army Examiner, with the number 14818 in the middle.