Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976
5th Auxiliary Surgical Group
APO 339
c/o Post Master
New York
New York
September 8, 1944
Dear Mother:
Sitting here today trying to get a
little sunshine after a few days of rain.
I decided to write you a few lines.
Received your letter of the 23 August
yesterday and your two V-Mails and
Letter of 12,14 and 15 of Aug the day before.
They were part of the first mail I have received for 2 weeks. In moving we have been unable to get mail etc
as we had in England. Also received
letters from the Wildes in Frisco and one from Muriel at the same time.
I hope you will be getting the silver
soon as I am quite anxious about it.
It may not have had enough postage on
it, but that was all the room for stamps and I felt you would be willing to pay
whatever was due upon receipt of it.
That package was carried by me all the way from our last station in England to the place of mailing and it
really had the chance of acquiring some more history.
Was quite sorry to hear of Grandpa Matthews' decease, but you may
feel the same as I do regarding it. He
has suffered a long time and gone thru a lot in the last few years.
Wrote a letter to Nelson last evening and will catch up
on a lot more in the next few days if we have nothing more to do than we have
had in the last couple weeks. We are
still awaiting the day when we will go to work.
It takes time for a unit of our type to begin to function.
In regards to your question on V-Mail or Air Mail. I think it is much
better for me to use Air since it takes such a long time for us to finally get
the mail on its way and besides there is not much else to spend money on
anyway.
The armies ahead of us have cleaned
everything up in the way of small antiques or anything else of that type, although
I keep my eyes open.
Visited a Count’s home or chateau in Valognes while up that way the other
day and it is in very poor state of repair.
He has been dead about five years and his nephew is the present
owner. A German general lived there
during the occupation and now the American finance office is there. The rare and priceless antiques are still
there and are beginning to show wear by the dozen or so soldiers using the
house for quarters. GI shoes and dirty
clothes on the spread in the Master Bedroom and the portraits still on the
wall. When they get tired of a piece of furniture they merrily shove it out
into the hall and it may land on an oil canvas or another rare silk, little do
they care. And they have pasted Pin-Up
pictures on the Damask wall coverings and the people say the Count has two more
homes in France larger and better yet.
I visited it have (CUT OUT) while in
England and found it quite a charming place and loads of history connected with
it. We lived in a huge Manor house or hall not too far from
there and it was worth seeing also.
Built about 1805 by an Earl of a famous family and made a lot of
history. There were no furnishings there but the Hall alone was enough. The natives of course told tales of ghosts
etc. the same as all of the old places
there, but I never had the occasion to see one.
There was a very beautiful library there that would put Huntington’s to shame. It originally cost 150,000£ ($600,000) American
money. The gardens there must have been
beautiful beyond compare in their day.
The house had as many windows as the year has days. Well enough for the manor at this time and on
to other things.
I visited Cherbourg the other day and was quite surprised to find it so well
built up. They have all American railroad equipment and have really put a
change into the place. A good number of
the people are returning to their homes and have begun to rebuild their
homes. My description could go on forever
and we do not have the room here for them so is there are any questions you
wish answered, let me know and I will answer them if I can. Censorship has been lifted so I understand, so
may be able to tell more.
Trips for us do not mean much as
distances are much shorter here than in the States. And rides are quite easy to
get on GI vehicles which there are a lot of.
I am happy to see Paris and when and if I do you will be told all.
Well enough for now and I am hoping
that you are all well and will remain so.
All my love,
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