Monday- Feb. 12th 1945

France

Hi Cattie!

            I’m writing like mad to “catch up” once again on my mail.  I was up in Belgium again, and had quite a few letters upon my return.  I got one from you- Dec. 27th.  And 195 words!  Cousin, could it be that you’re feeling ill again?  Or perhaps my recent epistles have been “shorties”?  Well, there isn’t much to tell you tonight either, but I’ll do my best.

            Say, I’d really like to see that “flicker”—“An American Romance.”  I read in the “Saturday Evening Post” (I believe) about how King Vidor produced it, where it was filmed, and how much it cost.  Really gets a good rating in all the magazines too.  But I still haven’t seen a movie.  I went to a French dance for a while Saturday p.m., but it was so “lousy”, I came back and wrote Emma Lee a long letter, because I was so blue and lonesome.

            The letter I received from Hays today was written Dec. 13th, and he had the wrong APO number on it.  It was the longest one he’s ever written to me, but no wonder—it was a complete description of his furlough activities.  He surely had a marvelous time, and I tried to envision myself in some of the places he danced.  Said he spent almost “800 tomatoes” in those 45 days.

            In Charlie’s letter, he was “griping” because I got a liquor ration.  Haha.  By the way, it arrived yesterday, and I now have two quarts of scotch.  I doubt if I can say this next week.  Haha.  We didn’t get gin this month, but get a double ration in March.  I’m “gonna” need it when I pay that 50 dollar bet.  Wow!  Saturday night, we were all pretty thirsty, so our good friend “Doc” Holmes mixed up two quarts of pure alcohol and orange juice.  Now I’ve drunk everything but “canned heat.”  Haha.  I’ll never get that thirsty!

            Went to church yesterday morning, and I like our chaplain very much.  I think I’ve told you before that he’s rather young, and jovial; but a marvelous speaker.  I always try to remember the songs we sing, to tell Ma; but I never recall all of them.

            In Mrs. Brown’s letter, she acknowledged the receipt of a bottle of perfume.  It made Emma Lee rather jealous when Mrs. Brown kidded her about getting perfume from her husband.  But she finally laughed about it.  Both she and you should have gotten yours before Mrs. Brown though because I sent the box to Ma about a week before Mrs. Brown’s.  I saw “Lucien LeLong” advertised in Esquire; so it must be okay.

            “Wing” says I have a better job awaiting me at White-Haines; but I absolutely refuse to leave New Albany!  I imagine that they’ll offer me a sales route in some other state, but I think I’ll attempt to open a rink if everything is favorable when I return.

            I received quite a laugh, reading the story of the Jamison-Gerald trial.  I knew that he’d get nothing, unless he could prove “loaded dice” were used in the game.  And I know that “Beanie” never paid any “protection money”!  (Well, not much, anyhow.  Haha.)

            Just heard the turns the Allies intend to impose upon Germany.  And if any country ever got a better “deal,” it isn’t in the history books.  Those “boys” (Churchill-Roosevelt-Stalin) really know their “stuff” all right.  I was surprised the conference ended so quickly.  I expected a long, drawn-out dispute over certain territory.  Gee whiz, how I wish Hitler would “throw in the towel!”  I’d give a nickel to be home before next winter.  Everything looks pretty good right now, and there’s a good possibility of it ending some day.

            Now, don’t you start “raving” Cattie, cause I haven’t asked you anything for quite a while.  But I have a very important request to make.  Would you, that is, could you—send me a pound or two of peanuts???  We get all the beer we can drink, but it tastes life a four-letter word which I am reluctant to mention here; and I decided that something had to be done about it.  And I think some good old American peanuts, (or a reasonable facsimile therefrom) would “do the trick.”

            It’s rained daily for over a week, but rather warm for February.

            And with the “weather report,” I feel as though I’ve expanded every minute detail of news in this theatre.  Tell Joe “hello” Cattie, and write Urby a longer letter next time.  Huh?

                                                                                                Love-

                                                                                                            “Cousin”

P.S. Sorry!  No jokes!