Cherbourg, France

July 2, 1945

My dearest wife:

            There isn’t very much of anything to report on today, as things are pretty quiet as usual.

            We have a holiday on the 4th, so we have a bus going to St. Michael.   It is a monastery and supposed to be a very nice place from reports.   I have heard from some of the boys that were down there.

            I received three letters again yesterday.   One from you, one from Ray, and one from Ruth.   I see be your letter that you told me off again.   I do get darn mad at you at times, but I control it the best I can.   There’s no sense arguing over the mail.   What I have to say I want to say when I come home and not before.   You have some funny ideas too my dear— I’m not the only one.   I am still holding out for my Sunday dinner no matter what you say or think.   If not – I’ll go out and have it.   To me, it’s a tradition of maybe a hundred years, and you can’t change it overnight.   You stick to your ideas and I’ll stick to mine and when I come we will talk all about it.

            No- I didn’t make that birthday card.   I had a good friend of mine make it for me.   He is pretty good at drawing.   We have a O.W. painting pictures of women in our night club and they are really wonderful.   He must have had a studio when he was back home.

            How is Bobby and Allen?   How did they enjoy their trips?   Today Bobby is five months old.   Time seems to be going pretty fast.   Before you know it she will be walking and soon after they will be off to school.

            I now have a German rifle, but for how long I don’t know.   I may keep it and bring it home.   I had it all torn down today to see what makes it tick- ( like Allen).   It is very similar to our old rifle..   It is too long to send home but if we come back as a unit I can pack it with our other things.   Maybe I will even sell it, just depends on how conditions get.   I am also getting a bayonet for it.   I think it would be good for hunting deer.

            I’ll bet Allen does like his sand box.   It looks very nice on the pictures.   It seems you like to play in it too.   He must be cute when he was through the spray of the house.   I am so glad he is not afraid of the water.   He is a good kid and I hope he stays that way.   We have wonderful children.

I love you my darling-

            Goodnight-

                                                            All my love,

                                                                        Pres

P.S.  Tell mother we have a boy in our company from reading he just came in the company with 23 others.   He is a T/Sgt.    He is very dutchyful if you know what that means – a rest Pa. Dutch.

                                                                        Love,

                                                                         Pres