Hosp – France
Dear folks,
Chances are you are still going thru your last late winter shivers. If so, I send my sympathies, for I am laying out on the grass in a warm sun right now trying to get a tan. It will probably end up as a burn but it’s fun now, anyway.
This past week I have been busy enjoying idleness. I want to squeeze in all I can because my days here are now numbered. All that’s left to be done now is to make my leg muscles a little more pliable so I can walk without looking like the “Spirit of ‘76.” That won’t take long in view of my daily baking and walks. I enjoy both of these, particularly the walks, because everything is green and blossoming now and the weather has been magnificent. Spring is spring, even in wartime France, and it makes everyone more cheerful.
There is a fine bunch of officers in my ward, none of us sick or bed-bound now. We all have a limp or a sore arm or some such. We did have a sick man in the ward but he was transferred after he told the nurse to “get me out of this night-club and put me in a hospital.” For the first time, I have been with a couple of boys who were part of my group – that is, Junior R.O.T.C.’s. They are the first ones I have met, but most of them are now overseas. Seems that most of them came over about December as replacements. I was in combat before most of them, but since I’ve been lucky, I am now in a better position than they are. I rank them, for one thing, and I have a home, i.e., a unit that is really mine that I can return to. Also, I have the experience that is a big help. Replacements bounce back to hospitals very fast, one has had 2 hours of combat, another a day and a half, etc.. Yes, I have bounced, too, but I’ve never stayed in less than 10 days of an operation. These old R.O.T.C. men, tho, are like me in their background, so we get on fine. We have had some dandy discussions about history and politics. Probably that’s typical of men just out of school. At least, the usual run of officers do not talk seriously about much except tactics and love.
You know how we all feel about losing FDR. It’s about the worst thing that could happen, I feel. Just hope his plans were far enough along to be carried out by the ones that are left. Makes you realize how many things are still left to do, doesn’t it?
I got out of the hospital area yesterday and went to the town of Commercy. Like most European towns, it seemed about ¾ dead, but it was a good break for me.
Somewhere along the line there must be a sackful of mail coming my way. I haven’t had any now for well over a month. I hope it catches up with me before I leave this place or it will be delayed for another spell and finally reach me when I won’t have time to read a bushel of letters all at once. Right now it would be a pleasure.
The mail stoppage makes it hard for me to write anything concerning you folks because I don’t know what you have been doing since the middle of February. Be glad when I know Carlton’s latest adventures, also Bob’s. I hope he is being left strictly footloose and fancyfree. And I hope, too, that everything is the way you two want it.
Love,
Wallace
