[This letter is damaged along the lower right edge, and some words are missing; it looks like tiny teeth marks, a rodent?]
Dear Honey,
Have a hundred enclosures to make tonite. Know I’ll miss some but here’s at least a partial list—your [Jesus Maria] Sanroma program [a pianist], Laura’s news clipping, and some more pictures—Hamilton, this time [$10 bill? See also Feb. 2, 1944 letter to Mrs. Nelson for “pictures of George Washington” = $1 bills?].
Our assault gun problem today was something you should have seen. We manufactured a battalion tank attack, got the first wave going O.K., and then they put up a smoke screen between that wave and our supporting assault guns. Could see neither the enemy nor our own tanks. The lead [missing] folded up because of no support, [missing] wave got lost in smoke and our [missing] assault guns stood by amazed. Our victory [missing] clouded by smoke and it wound up [missing] stopping our attack completely. Wonder [missing] Napoleon would have done.
Got a letter from Laure today, with the (I hope) enclosed clipping which might prove of value to us. I have a lot of respect for Laura. She is having it pretty tough these days. Expects Justin to go any time. But her basic maturity shows up in her letters. She’s got it. Whatever “it” is in this case.
We had a chaplain speak to us today on the relation of chaplains to officers. He was an intelligent man, one of the few we heard among the chaplains. He bemoaned the fact that C.O.’s ignored chaplains. Most [missing] feel that the chaplain’s main [missing] is to punch T.S. cards. This one [missing] tho his own should be brought [missing]. Some day I would like to [missing] an intelligent minister and see [missing] they get that way. Among the candidates here we have supporters of [missing] any side and any topic, except that we have none that even claims to be a Christian in the real meaning of the word. I suppose that is understandable.
This week has been an easy one all round, honey. Has given me a chance to rest up, but I still feel rusty somehow. Need a long rest and a big change. Maybe this prospective Louisville trip will do it.
Oh, I just thought of why I liked Laura’s letter—I must be flattered to find that there is [missing] person in the world who writes as badly as I. Almost, anyway.
I’m very sleepy tonite, Bunny, and would very much appreciate the comfort of your couch. I do believe I could sleep one (1) solid week.
Remember I love you all the time, Honey, and am waiting for the day when I can really take care of you.
All my love,
Wallace
Wallace's Tent on Salisbury Plain
Writing a letter with candle on clipboard, see Oct. 16 letter
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
March 30, 1944 Thursday
Dearest Honey,
Expanded my “trousseau” to the tune of $45.45 by ordering a trench-coat—a pink overcoat. That figure astounds me. Wait just a minute until I figure my financial status now. Have ordered $178.75 worth of materiel so far. Can foresee items to total $222.85. Then we have to buy quartermaster items to fill out the $250 allowance. G.I. things to wear in the field.
Tomorrow we will go out on our first real field problem in tactics. The assault gun platoon.
Your Monday letter came today, and I can only say that if the Blue Grass Room isn’t good enough for you to sleep in, I don’t know what place would be [see March 23 letter]. Comfortable seats, fine orchestra, slow service. You’ll need to sleep before you get your order.
Since I am stealing this time in study hall, I must stop short tonite, Hon. Bye now, dearest.
I love you,
Wallace
Expanded my “trousseau” to the tune of $45.45 by ordering a trench-coat—a pink overcoat. That figure astounds me. Wait just a minute until I figure my financial status now. Have ordered $178.75 worth of materiel so far. Can foresee items to total $222.85. Then we have to buy quartermaster items to fill out the $250 allowance. G.I. things to wear in the field.
Tomorrow we will go out on our first real field problem in tactics. The assault gun platoon.
Your Monday letter came today, and I can only say that if the Blue Grass Room isn’t good enough for you to sleep in, I don’t know what place would be [see March 23 letter]. Comfortable seats, fine orchestra, slow service. You’ll need to sleep before you get your order.
Since I am stealing this time in study hall, I must stop short tonite, Hon. Bye now, dearest.
I love you,
Wallace
Saturday, March 29, 2008
March 29, 1944 Wednesday
Dear Bunny,
My name certainly should be called “Manual” tonite. The company supply room loosened up and started giving out manuals to the 61st class to keep. About this time we are supposed to be buying a field manual library, anyway, so we all grabbed as many as we could. Have too many to measure in numbers. Got about 10 lbs. or more of my own tonite. In my possession I have about 7 lbs. of gunnery manuals, 10 of G.T. and 20 of tactics. All told, I can barely turn over in bed with finding a field manual in the way. All will be turned in except those I got tonite. But the school realizes that we couldn’t possibly remember all we study here, so they expect us to buy most of the important manuals for future study. I will start that soon.
Tonite I finish up as first sergeant, and after this week we have no more D&D, so I’m strictly a tactician from now on.
Have to see if I can get those manuals into some kind of shape before study hall, so will get to it now.
I love you like the dickens,
All yours,
Wallace
My name certainly should be called “Manual” tonite. The company supply room loosened up and started giving out manuals to the 61st class to keep. About this time we are supposed to be buying a field manual library, anyway, so we all grabbed as many as we could. Have too many to measure in numbers. Got about 10 lbs. or more of my own tonite. In my possession I have about 7 lbs. of gunnery manuals, 10 of G.T. and 20 of tactics. All told, I can barely turn over in bed with finding a field manual in the way. All will be turned in except those I got tonite. But the school realizes that we couldn’t possibly remember all we study here, so they expect us to buy most of the important manuals for future study. I will start that soon.
Tonite I finish up as first sergeant, and after this week we have no more D&D, so I’m strictly a tactician from now on.
Have to see if I can get those manuals into some kind of shape before study hall, so will get to it now.
I love you like the dickens,
All yours,
Wallace
Friday, March 28, 2008
March 28, 1944 Tuesday
Dearest Marjorie,
How are you tonite? Still wading to school or tumbling on the school grounds? I liked your adventure of one stocking off, one stocking on! Very exciting!
Today we spent part of our noon hour watching the presentation of the Silver Star to some hero by a couple of generals. The hero was a Lt. Col., so I had to wonder how many undecorated privates were with him during his great deed. That is completely malicious, tho. I did notice that the hero was more bald than I am, even!
Invested in a G.I.’s Emily Post tonite—“The Officer’s Guide.” Which tells just when to wear poplins and chinos, etc. The more I buy of uniform, the more I see that I must be a field officer of the future. At least, I’d be a flop as a peace time officer.
There is some talk of an imminent invasion of Louisville this weekend, and I may become a member of the outfit. I haven’t been in in a dog’s age, and perhaps the change will make a new man of me. At least it will be fun.
Do you know whom you will vote for for President this year? I don’t. In fact I don’t know as I can vote without being registered. Will you ask my father just what the score is along that line, and see what I have to do? I would like to exercise my franchise just a little. I cannot see any of the Republican prospects, except Wilkie. Wallace sort of appeals to me, and Roosevelt has been going down in my book for some time. Can’t see what his foreign policy is, and I think that is the most important thing in the next election.
I beg your pardon. [switches from pen to pencil]
Some kind soul sends a copy of the Christian Science Monitor to our class every day. It gets here about four days late, but as first sergeant, I am the recipient these days. I enjoy the articles a lot and have stopped reading the local papers that come on time. If I did read them, it would be like peeking ahead in a continued story.
Things look like hell in Italy these days. No wonder, I guess. The equipment of the Germans is still about the best there is. Most of our new weapons are copies of weapons the Germans have had for 4 years. I guess we have a new wrinkle or two now, but we are just coming around to Germany’s spaced armor, bogey wheels, submachine guns, bounding mines, field glasses and lots of other things. They still use better anti-tank guns than we do.
I love you even more than usual tonite. In fact I doubt very much that, even with a knowledge of my alleged weak spot, you could come close to it. You would probably be too concerned in keeping your hair in place and your ears covered!
I love you,
Wallace
How are you tonite? Still wading to school or tumbling on the school grounds? I liked your adventure of one stocking off, one stocking on! Very exciting!
Today we spent part of our noon hour watching the presentation of the Silver Star to some hero by a couple of generals. The hero was a Lt. Col., so I had to wonder how many undecorated privates were with him during his great deed. That is completely malicious, tho. I did notice that the hero was more bald than I am, even!
Invested in a G.I.’s Emily Post tonite—“The Officer’s Guide.” Which tells just when to wear poplins and chinos, etc. The more I buy of uniform, the more I see that I must be a field officer of the future. At least, I’d be a flop as a peace time officer.
There is some talk of an imminent invasion of Louisville this weekend, and I may become a member of the outfit. I haven’t been in in a dog’s age, and perhaps the change will make a new man of me. At least it will be fun.
Do you know whom you will vote for for President this year? I don’t. In fact I don’t know as I can vote without being registered. Will you ask my father just what the score is along that line, and see what I have to do? I would like to exercise my franchise just a little. I cannot see any of the Republican prospects, except Wilkie. Wallace sort of appeals to me, and Roosevelt has been going down in my book for some time. Can’t see what his foreign policy is, and I think that is the most important thing in the next election.
I beg your pardon. [switches from pen to pencil]
Some kind soul sends a copy of the Christian Science Monitor to our class every day. It gets here about four days late, but as first sergeant, I am the recipient these days. I enjoy the articles a lot and have stopped reading the local papers that come on time. If I did read them, it would be like peeking ahead in a continued story.
Things look like hell in Italy these days. No wonder, I guess. The equipment of the Germans is still about the best there is. Most of our new weapons are copies of weapons the Germans have had for 4 years. I guess we have a new wrinkle or two now, but we are just coming around to Germany’s spaced armor, bogey wheels, submachine guns, bounding mines, field glasses and lots of other things. They still use better anti-tank guns than we do.
I love you even more than usual tonite. In fact I doubt very much that, even with a knowledge of my alleged weak spot, you could come close to it. You would probably be too concerned in keeping your hair in place and your ears covered!
I love you,
Wallace
Thursday, March 27, 2008
March 27, 1944 Monday
Dear Honey,
Today we dived into the core of tactics—the art of controlling armies. Got a bunch of majors and captains that look like champion chess players or Prussians to lecture on offensive combat and estimation of situation. Got into the theories of Clausewicz [sic for Clausewitz], already. Quite fascinating.
Did I ask you yesterday if you would send me my R.O.T.C. uniform the next chance you get? I’d like to have it down here now to put with my other stuff and see if it is still in style. Officers are very fastidious, it seems. You can’t wear a chino shirt under a blouse, only a poplin shirt. I can hardly tell the difference, but they say there is one. I’d like the complete outfit, minus the Sam Brown belt. That is no longer worn. Thanks a million, Hon.
Bought a foot locker tonite—a small trunk. All this is charged to us and will be paid by our allowance of $250. If we do not graduate it can all be returned!
I am enjoying being a mean first sergeant today. Straightening out a few things that I have no power over as a private. I can see why 1st sergeants are not popular. They have to assign all the details and keep the wheels rolling in general.
Thanks for the two nice letters I got today. You’re a darling and I love you always.
Yours forever,
Wallace
Today we dived into the core of tactics—the art of controlling armies. Got a bunch of majors and captains that look like champion chess players or Prussians to lecture on offensive combat and estimation of situation. Got into the theories of Clausewicz [sic for Clausewitz], already. Quite fascinating.
Did I ask you yesterday if you would send me my R.O.T.C. uniform the next chance you get? I’d like to have it down here now to put with my other stuff and see if it is still in style. Officers are very fastidious, it seems. You can’t wear a chino shirt under a blouse, only a poplin shirt. I can hardly tell the difference, but they say there is one. I’d like the complete outfit, minus the Sam Brown belt. That is no longer worn. Thanks a million, Hon.
Bought a foot locker tonite—a small trunk. All this is charged to us and will be paid by our allowance of $250. If we do not graduate it can all be returned!
I am enjoying being a mean first sergeant today. Straightening out a few things that I have no power over as a private. I can see why 1st sergeants are not popular. They have to assign all the details and keep the wheels rolling in general.
Thanks for the two nice letters I got today. You’re a darling and I love you always.
Yours forever,
Wallace
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
March 26, 1944 Sunday
Dearest Bunny,
This has been a rather busy weekend. Haven’t enough time off to write the kind of a letter I want to—or planned to. Am taking an hour off and will rest and ramble at the same time. By the way, I love you extremely.
Last nite we finished work at 5, had a delightful beer party until 6. The company’s P.X. dividend pays for these affairs and our C.O., Lt. Browning, thinks they are a good thing for candidates. Big time in a little time idea, I guess. At six went back on guard for the rest of the evening. This morning we got to the Military store at 8 a.m. and spent the morning buying uniforms to the extent of $125.05. That is just a beginning, but I have enough insignia now to dazzle me. Have seven sets of gold bars in my locker now! Whee!
My bunk-mate Braley and I took our weekend between 12:30 and 3:00 to go to the village of West Point for a big meal and a ride in his car over Kentucky landscape. Found some very beautiful scenery. As the Symphony was playing the Beethoven concerto I was gazing at a breathtaking, broad, flat, settled Kentucky valley. Very effective. Needless to say, I thought about you and wished so much you were there. Thought of you hearing the music, did you?
On return I did some duties as first sergeant—which job I start tomorrow for three days. But the board has met now, so I don’t mind.
Oh, don’t worry about our work here, Bunny. Maybe I have overdrawn it. It isn’t easy, but nothing for you to be upset over. I really prefer this to basic training. They at least treat you like a man. Your letters are the best thing you could do for me here, and you are right in that I have everything I need. True, the uncertainty here is lousy psychology, but it is a deliberate part of our training. Battle is like that, and they want to find out who can work well in such an atmosphere. I think I have learned a lot from it.
This war is very much out of line with the work I want to do. Briefly, I want to work at something that finds truth and is based on that. Soldiering doesn’t do that, but this war is a very big reality and as such provides much solid experience from which a lot of truth might be learned. Also, by forcing you to face the most grim realities, it helps you to overcome the natural fear of many real things. You can’t fool yourself in war and live long. It can make you better able to adjust. Good adjustment is based on seeing things as they are. According to some articles I read, many of the psychological casualties of battle are among the ones who never settled in their own minds just why they were fighting, or had been satisfied with ideas they only half-believed until they saw action. As civilians, they might have gone on fooling themselves, but you see what happens when the chips are down. They find they are playing with real things that illusions cannot change.
The most solid attitude that I can take toward the war is that it is another struggle for power between nations. Completely apart from a consideration of doctrines. The men who make wars work for their country first, and a doctrine second. Each country wants to be “top dog.” What they will do when they are top dog is important but unpredictable. It is foolish for people to fight other people. But the war is on and somebody must become a top dog to end it. The top dog determines history to a large extent. Germany and Japan are trying to do this, and necessarily at the expense of us. I would rather have the course of history in the hands of people like me; if it cannot be a cooperative matter among all people. Ideally, I am for a world community. In view of reality, I am willing to fight to keep control of the course of history. As long as we are in control there is a chance that we can be smart enough to stop the dog fight and accomplish something worthwhile.
My watch says that’s all for now. Come up for breath, let me kiss you, say good nite, and to the devil with everybody but us. We’ll worry about them tomorrow. Meanwhile, you and I are the whole world.
I love you always,
Wallace
This has been a rather busy weekend. Haven’t enough time off to write the kind of a letter I want to—or planned to. Am taking an hour off and will rest and ramble at the same time. By the way, I love you extremely.
Last nite we finished work at 5, had a delightful beer party until 6. The company’s P.X. dividend pays for these affairs and our C.O., Lt. Browning, thinks they are a good thing for candidates. Big time in a little time idea, I guess. At six went back on guard for the rest of the evening. This morning we got to the Military store at 8 a.m. and spent the morning buying uniforms to the extent of $125.05. That is just a beginning, but I have enough insignia now to dazzle me. Have seven sets of gold bars in my locker now! Whee!
My bunk-mate Braley and I took our weekend between 12:30 and 3:00 to go to the village of West Point for a big meal and a ride in his car over Kentucky landscape. Found some very beautiful scenery. As the Symphony was playing the Beethoven concerto I was gazing at a breathtaking, broad, flat, settled Kentucky valley. Very effective. Needless to say, I thought about you and wished so much you were there. Thought of you hearing the music, did you?
On return I did some duties as first sergeant—which job I start tomorrow for three days. But the board has met now, so I don’t mind.
Oh, don’t worry about our work here, Bunny. Maybe I have overdrawn it. It isn’t easy, but nothing for you to be upset over. I really prefer this to basic training. They at least treat you like a man. Your letters are the best thing you could do for me here, and you are right in that I have everything I need. True, the uncertainty here is lousy psychology, but it is a deliberate part of our training. Battle is like that, and they want to find out who can work well in such an atmosphere. I think I have learned a lot from it.
This war is very much out of line with the work I want to do. Briefly, I want to work at something that finds truth and is based on that. Soldiering doesn’t do that, but this war is a very big reality and as such provides much solid experience from which a lot of truth might be learned. Also, by forcing you to face the most grim realities, it helps you to overcome the natural fear of many real things. You can’t fool yourself in war and live long. It can make you better able to adjust. Good adjustment is based on seeing things as they are. According to some articles I read, many of the psychological casualties of battle are among the ones who never settled in their own minds just why they were fighting, or had been satisfied with ideas they only half-believed until they saw action. As civilians, they might have gone on fooling themselves, but you see what happens when the chips are down. They find they are playing with real things that illusions cannot change.
The most solid attitude that I can take toward the war is that it is another struggle for power between nations. Completely apart from a consideration of doctrines. The men who make wars work for their country first, and a doctrine second. Each country wants to be “top dog.” What they will do when they are top dog is important but unpredictable. It is foolish for people to fight other people. But the war is on and somebody must become a top dog to end it. The top dog determines history to a large extent. Germany and Japan are trying to do this, and necessarily at the expense of us. I would rather have the course of history in the hands of people like me; if it cannot be a cooperative matter among all people. Ideally, I am for a world community. In view of reality, I am willing to fight to keep control of the course of history. As long as we are in control there is a chance that we can be smart enough to stop the dog fight and accomplish something worthwhile.
My watch says that’s all for now. Come up for breath, let me kiss you, say good nite, and to the devil with everybody but us. We’ll worry about them tomorrow. Meanwhile, you and I are the whole world.
I love you always,
Wallace
Monday, March 24, 2008
March 24, 1944 Friday
Dear Hon,
My friend Frankie Brown did me a favor and got me some more of this stationery! I know you appreciate it.
Met Ken Erwin over at the P.X. just now. He is all set to graduate in about two weeks. He is being very original and getting married as soon as he gets his furlough! A girl in Montpelier. His class is going to battle training right after they graduate, too. And will probably be there until the 61st comes out. So the best information now is to plan on about four weeks of work then after graduation, on April 22nd. That will give the snow time to melt in New England and make it almost exactly a year from our engagement. Speaking of snow, if you will point out the boy who threw the snowball at you, I will kick his teeth in. Maybe I have lost my proper attitude, but they can’t do that!
The little summer school UNH pamphlet brought up pleasant memories. Pretty campus, isn’t it? Also reminds me that we must decide about your summer school requirements sometime. Guess it will depend pretty much on where I am stationed. If it is where we could be together and still be solvent plus, financially, I think we should definitely do that. If it isn’t, then summer school would be best. We’ll just be ready to make quick decisions when we know what the situation is.
I can feel another long letter on marriage coming up when I get some time off, since that is what I have been thinking about most lately. Always write down directly what I think to you, Hon. I hope it is in English, and that you know a lot of it is just the way I muddle thru to some attitude that isn’t clear to me.
I can never write down the way I feel about you, either. There are a swarm of ways to say I love you, but I never seem to be able to talk about it the way I feel it. It’s a real short-coming of mine that I can’t talk to people very well, at least as far as expressing an emotion goes. It always winds up looking like a stock market report. That is why I always have to give up and ask you to understand even if I can’t say it very well, because, damn it, I do love you just as enthusiastically and whole-heartedly and romantically as anybody ever could. I think so many crazy, idealistic thoughts about you that you’d think I was an adolescent if I ever wrote them down. Maybe that’s why I don’t very much—it looks so superficial to write them down, because we use the same words superficially so often.
You’re the one I love, Marjorie, the only real one, and that will never change. Believe me, honey.
All yours,
Wallace
My friend Frankie Brown did me a favor and got me some more of this stationery! I know you appreciate it.
Met Ken Erwin over at the P.X. just now. He is all set to graduate in about two weeks. He is being very original and getting married as soon as he gets his furlough! A girl in Montpelier. His class is going to battle training right after they graduate, too. And will probably be there until the 61st comes out. So the best information now is to plan on about four weeks of work then after graduation, on April 22nd. That will give the snow time to melt in New England and make it almost exactly a year from our engagement. Speaking of snow, if you will point out the boy who threw the snowball at you, I will kick his teeth in. Maybe I have lost my proper attitude, but they can’t do that!
The little summer school UNH pamphlet brought up pleasant memories. Pretty campus, isn’t it? Also reminds me that we must decide about your summer school requirements sometime. Guess it will depend pretty much on where I am stationed. If it is where we could be together and still be solvent plus, financially, I think we should definitely do that. If it isn’t, then summer school would be best. We’ll just be ready to make quick decisions when we know what the situation is.
I can feel another long letter on marriage coming up when I get some time off, since that is what I have been thinking about most lately. Always write down directly what I think to you, Hon. I hope it is in English, and that you know a lot of it is just the way I muddle thru to some attitude that isn’t clear to me.
I can never write down the way I feel about you, either. There are a swarm of ways to say I love you, but I never seem to be able to talk about it the way I feel it. It’s a real short-coming of mine that I can’t talk to people very well, at least as far as expressing an emotion goes. It always winds up looking like a stock market report. That is why I always have to give up and ask you to understand even if I can’t say it very well, because, damn it, I do love you just as enthusiastically and whole-heartedly and romantically as anybody ever could. I think so many crazy, idealistic thoughts about you that you’d think I was an adolescent if I ever wrote them down. Maybe that’s why I don’t very much—it looks so superficial to write them down, because we use the same words superficially so often.
You’re the one I love, Marjorie, the only real one, and that will never change. Believe me, honey.
All yours,
Wallace
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