Dear
A note to tell you everything is OK.
I have seen
Dear
Sorry I missed one day. Why don’t you write? You probably do, but I don’t receive them. They’ll all come then eventually, but late.
American G.I.’s are everywhere in this country too. I pity the Italian kids. Civilians in these over-run countries suffer more than the soldiers in the armies.
God bless the Air Force. They really keep the skies clear of Jerry planes.
(Hope mom got my flowers in good order.)
Dear
We are having fine weather. I am still in the best of health. I have seen a great deal of this sector of the country. The farmers all use huge white oxen for plowing. Germans left this section in one mess, but as our lines move forward the natives come back and begin working their vineyards. Seems funny to be looking at ground we’ve read about for months. Write.
Dear
Not much
going on though I don’t expect it to be this quiet long. Our first mail since
Saw a movie last night under the stars - could hear the rumble of front line fire during the show. The Volturno was a disappointment, ‘tis now not much more than a small creek. These shower units are fine. You go in one end, turn in your dirty clothes, take a bath, and receive clean clothing at the other end. WRITE WHEN YOU CAN.
Dear
Everything
is still quiet. Mail came in today for
the first time since we landed in
Tell Audrey beer mugs are mighty scarce up here. In fact there’s not much of anything left when a battle is fought over the ground.
I’m not much of a “mule skinner” but it looks like I’ll have to learn soon. WRITE.
Dear
Today was Easter but not such a happy one - it rained. Not hard but a slow steady drizzle. Mosquitoes in this section are plentiful and the army takes numerous precautions to prevent malaria - nets over all beds, doses of atabrine daily, and use of an insect repellant called “SKAT.” All troops here get cigarettes, candy, razor blade, toilet articles, etc. daily along with rations. Quiet still and everything fine.
Dear
Today is a
red-letter day in my life. Put in down
on the calendar and I’ll tell you all about it one of these days. Spring came to
Dear
How goes it
back home? I’m on the front line but at
present living quite well. Have taken
part in no violent action as yet - our Chief worry is enemy artillery. As I sit at a desk in our sandbagged
headquarters dug-out, our own artillery goes singing over my head. I am sleeping on a cot in a tent, eating off
of
Your letters mean so much more now - write when you can.
Dear
As I write this letter our own artillery is booming out their evening barrage. It sounds good. Last night I inspected the front line foxholes and gun positions of one of our battalions which I will tell you about in a later letter. I got a break this week. The Air Force and Infantry are exchanging officers. I’m going to represent the regiment and go to live with the other branch for a short period. Even take part in operational flights. Everything is OK
Dear
Well, I ducked a few today. You know, you get used to enemy shells and can tell when they’re coming in - and you don’t have to be told to hit the dirt. One came in while we were eating supper tonight and instinctively everyone, including the colonel, was under the table. Every time they lob a few in we phone to higher HQS. And they put down counter battery fire on the guns firing on us.
Leave for the Air Force tomorrow. Everything is OK.
Dear Family-
What a life
these boys lead! It has been like a
vacation to us Infantry officers visiting them.
I flew on my first real mission this morning. Target was a railroad
bridge north of
Dear Family-
Well, the
vacation is just about over and we’ll soon be back on the front line. It has really been swell
- wrote many letters and got plenty of sleep.
I took a short trip to
Dear Family- ITALY
We made a raid into the enemy’s position several nights ago. About two platoons participated and results, while not outstanding, were quite satisfactory. But the remarkable thing was the great amount of fire support this small group had. Our artillery battalion fired several hundred rounds and our mortars (about 40 of them) fired 5,000 rounds - all in about 30 minutes. Several rounds hit the enemy every second. Attempting to clean the guns during firing the gunners caught their cleaning rags on fire, the barrels were so hot.
Love, Henry