Christmas Day North Africa

Dearest Mom and Dad:

Merry Christmas to you both and I hope you have a very pleasant day even though I am not able to be there with you. I just finished eating the Christmas Dinner and it was excellent. [I] had turkey, stuffing, spuds, peas, & carrots, cranberry sauce, bread with real butter, coffee, vegetable salad, fruit salad, and some candy. It was real good. While we were eating the Commanding Officer came in and greeted us all with a Merry Christmas and hoped that we could all be home with our loved ones next year. I hope and pray to the bottom of my aching heart that it will be that way. I am very lonesome today and can’t seem to do anything to take my mind off of it. Today the Christmas issue of Stars and Stripes came out and I saw a very beautiful poem there so I have copied it and am sending it to you to read. It touched my heart deeply but I thought you both would like to have a copy. I miss Myrtle so much and I worry about her all the time. I suppose she will be there visiting when this letter comes to you so you can let her read it if you like. I wrote her today too. What a sweet and loving wife she is and I love her so very much. It really makes me ever so happy to know that you both like her so much.

Dad I am so glad that you like your new job so well. I hope it will continue to be that way. No I haven’t got the radio working yet and [have] about given it up. I salvaged two radios out of some wrecked planes and got the parts from them and am going to see if I haven’t enough parts to build a new one from scratch. I was over in one of the tents fixing their aircraft radio and I tuned in London and there was a lot of Christmas music coming in. Boy did it sound good but made all the boys home sick. Gee Dad I sort of miss putting the wood in and splitting it up. Oh well there will be times again when I can do that. I guess Putsie was eating my share of the waffles.

Yes Mom I think I do pretty well on the typewriter and I like to use it too. Yes I too have a lot to be very thankful for. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing that all my loved ones at home are well protected there and I need not worry of them being harmed while I am away out here helping to win this war as quick as possible so I can get back home.

Thanks dearest mother for telling what you sent my sweetheart. You did alright and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting such pretty nice things for her.

Well I intended to make this a longer letter but I just had order to pack up and move so I will have to close and get busy so bye bye for now and “May God Bless you both”

Loads of Love from your soldier son

Hod