1830 – I’m starting a new system of writing you right now. I am planning to keep this stationary by me all the time and just scribble you off notes as they come to me. We should be pretty close contact that way, don’t you think? And I’ll try to keep the regular mail coming, too. – Gee, I love you.
1900 – This hospital has all the latest facilities – only trouble, the damn lights go out every few minutes. Overloaded with X-ray and other equipment, I guess. I just lay down and sleep ‘til they come back on again. Am talking with my buddies now, just getting acquainted. They’re good boys – regular infantry men, and there are no better fighting men. No glamor here, but a real war being won in a real way.
I have been reading “A Bell For Adano” by John Hersey, but am going to forsake it for “We Cannot Escape History” by John Whitaker. “A Bell” is O.K. but I think I have the core of it already, and want to get on with this other. General Marvin in “A Bell” is surely a picture of Gen. Patten. And a true one, they say. Also a lot of “G.I.” atmosphere in the book – well-written.
2000 – Just found out that one cannot sharpen a pencil with a knife with one hand for sour apples. I finally got my room-mate to do it for me. Guess I’ll go to sleep soon now. So unless something else comes up, Good Nite. Remember I love you and will be dreaming you are here with me as I spend my first night on a mattressin several weeks. I love my Honey.
January 21 [Sunday] – 0730 – Ho-Hum, what a beautiful way to get up – first the electric light in the hall, 5 minutes of quiet and then our room light. No calls at all, we just decide to roll out to eat. These real hospital beds are out of this world for comfort. Well, off to eat – I love you.
0830 – As usual, I ate 2 complete breakfasts. That may be a hard habit for me to break when we’re together again. Have I mentioned that my appetite has been enormous ever since I hit Europe? I doubt if I have gained weight, tho, there have been so many periods without regular meals. Here in the hospital I have a field soldier’s appetite and garrison soldiers’ food. About 2 of each meal does the job. No doubt my hunger will go down after a few days here.
My arm is O.K. this morning. – my little finger is numb, I think from the tightness of the cast. I look like this –
oh my, I have lost my touch! But definitely. Need practice, no doubt. Here is my left arm, solo
That’s got it! The oval spot represents the lacerated area.
I read the first chapter of Whitaker’s book last night, and was very happy yo find it just what I wanted. Good info. on the changes in Hitler’s gov. that made the war inevitable. Also stuff on the influence of the general staff.
1800 – During the day today I read “This Simian World” by Clarence Day. A clever satire, that presents a lot of things to think about – how just being people colors our thinking; how much more noble the concept of evolution is that that of biblical creation; how the search for knowledge is the mainspring of human development – and how much we might accomplish if we understood and thought thru all the facts we learn.
They took off my cast tonight! Wore it in all only 5 days. Tomorrow morning I am going to have another job done on it – don’t know just what it is, maybe they will sew it up. I’ll let you know when I do.
I’ll send these notes along now, and start some more. Hope you can read them, Honey.
All my love, always,
Wallace.
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