May 6, 1945 - Germany

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

 

Germany - 9

May 6, 1945

Dearest Mother:

Again on a wet afternoon I am going to write you a few lines and answer a few of your questions asked in letter No 14 of April 20.

We are still here and still have (been) hanging over our heads the prospect of returning to headquarters at any time, which is any time will be too soon for me in my present mood, regarding them.

In regards to the word we being used in letters such as Nelson’s.  Things will pass the censor quite often if the word I is used which would not be indicative of a unit movement.

It seems that the news of today noon’s was that the war is over, but one way or the other we do not or are not excited over it as in my present position I wonder why it has not been sooner.  Beyond me is the explanation of “things are on schedule”.   I cannot understand why armies wait at rivers etc.

As yet I have seen no Russian army members, have seen quite a few refugees tho.  We have even a few Indian ghurka troopers here in hospital and they are certainly characters.  They no longer have their turbans which were taken away from them because of them being (lousy).  They therefore wear bath towels.

I went to church this morning in the Prostestant Church here in town and the sermon was given by our chaplain here.  The church is the first protestant one I have seen here in Europe.  Very beautiful interior as well as quite old.  But even tho, it showed signs of the German race and their top heavy architecture.

I have met a boy here at the hospital who comes from Momence.  He knows Aunt Dell and family also Cousin Gertrude and sons in lumber business.  His name is Raymond Montgomery.  He says you may know a family by the name of Kelsen as it is his mother’s family.  Strange how small a world this is.  He states that the HESS family id the first family of Momence.  He used to mow lawns for Gertrude.

I must have been in a hurry to get somewhere or something else may have come up to distract me so as not to sign my letter you mention.  I usually am not that rattle brained.

In regards to my change of teams I can not tell you now but will do so later when the chance comes.  It is a long story.  I have requested them and thankfully have known the Col. Well enough to do so.

Enclosed you will find one of the afore mentioned pictures which I hope you will like.  I will inscribe one of the better ones and send it on later in a large card boarded envelope for you.  All my love,

Your Son,

Stanley

10 January 1945 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Holland

10 January 1945

Dearest Mother:

After a few days of running around all over the country and seeing all of the shows within a radius of several miles I will sit down and write you a few lines.

Sgt Ryan returned from the provinces, as we call them, with a mental breakdown and very much in need of a rest so we decided to see a lot of the sights.

First of all I want to tell you of a very nice picture we saw in our travels entitled “Rhapsody in Blue”[1], the life of George Gershwin.  They held the world premiere here and it was attended by full houses at all showings and the audience really enjoyed the picture.  A general attended the night I went. We have seen quite a few other shows and find that most of them are about the same old type.

A couple days ago I received a full handful of mail, the first in some time and will now have to answer all of them.  Received also a box from the Matsons and Miss Mosher, each including film.  Miss Mosher also sent a book and stationary and a very nice Christmas card.  The Matsons box also included some “Yardley’s English Lavender” soap.

Received a card and note from Cousin Gertrude telling me of her going to Florida again.  One from Joe, Aunt Dell, Muriel and Whitney.

Yes I remember when Ruth Wilde[2] was at our house on their return from Arizona.  Have they sold their sand business?

I found your Christmas card a very beautiful and entirely different one and I really think it very nice.

Yes it will be quite funny to see you in glasses but if you need them that is all there is to it.  Joe has mentioned this doctor several times.

Your day at the races certainly sounded quite interesting.  We shall have to go upon our return home.

Your telling of the delivery boy playing the piano sounds quite interesting.  A person would really be surprised at the number of boys who can play something of that type.  I am going to take something up on my return.

I really appreciate your Birthday message in your letter of December 5 and hope I can live up to it.

I am looking forward to seeing the points of the pictures and you perhaps will like some of them also.  You have prints made of the ones you wish at my expense.

The weather here has been quite cold with snow and ice.  They are skiing nearby and ice skates are being used quite a bit.

You may have some pictures (Studio) of me coming up soon if they turn out well.

Louise Ingles mentioned Bernard entering regular grade school.  News to me.

About all for now and I will write again soon.  Enclosed find a clipping and some more stamps.

All my Love,

Stanley

CODE: LIMBERG (=Limburg)

 

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapsody_in_Blue_%28film%29

[2] Ruth Wilde was Stanley’s cousin. Their common ancestor was Isabella Griswold who married 3 times.  Ruth is also Clarences sister.  They were born to George Henry Wilde, grandson of Charles H Wilde who was the 2nd husband of Isabella, while Stanley was issued from her first marriage to James Hartwell through their daughter Cora. Isabella later married William Henry Matthews who survived her and with whom she had 2 sons: Ralph and Elmer Matthews.

Dec 20, 1944 - Germany

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Germany, Dec. 20, 1944

Dearest Mother,

Received your tardy, but well received box yesterday entitled “Birthday Box”.

Found the enclosed card very attractive and pretty.  I am sure I will find the contents such as socks, scarf and candies very useful and delicious.  Her box arrived in excellent condition since it was so well packed.

This letter is being written by the Red Cross girl here in our Field Hospital. Her reason for such is that due to a lymphangitis[1] condition of my right arm resulting from an insect bite of one kind or another.  Colonel MacIntyre decided upon putting me to bed and taking shots and etc.  Have been here for two days and hope to be up soon and at that time will write you again.  This condition should cause no anxiety on your part as there is nothing terribly serious.

Enclosed you will find and the rmoney order for the amount of $40.  This is the balance of the money I have which I call surplus after having changed again My Belgium and Dutch currency.  Deposit this to my account.

Received from Cousin Gertrude a pocket book edition of condensed and one full  (?) the Story by Steinbeck.  This will provide reading material to last my period in bed.

This will be all for now and I close in hoping this finds you all well and enjoying good weather at home.

All my love

Your son,

Stanley

Written by American Red Cross

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[1] Blood poisoning

10 August 1944

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York

New York

10 August 1944

Dear Mother:

I have before me here your letters of 27 July and 1 August, the latter received today.

I have started on a new method of writing now.  I have decided to write at least one letter a day, and in that way, will I hope avoid to have an accumulation of owed letters.

Received letters from Cousin Gertrude, Frances Whelchel, Dorothy Kinsfathers and yourself today, which made a nice receipt of letters.  I always look forward to the mail each day and always appreciate letters.

Today was our pay-day and we all received our money in English currency, which by now is quite easy for me. At first the change was a bit of confusion.

Gertrude tells me that Edmond Hess is over here and gave me his address, but that will not do me much good as it is merely an APO, so perhaps I may have the occasion of meeting him some day.  He may be too great a distance from me for us to see each other, because of a time limit.

Your grape crop should be a much larger and better (one) next season.  It seems just a very short time ago that I put the plant in there, and then never thought that t would do much.  Have the large leaved Caladiums in the orchid garden done very much this year?  They are the ones I transplanted while home on furlough. Have the cymbidiums shown much in the way of growth this season?  Dad’s small vegetable garden certainly sounds good.  He should have had something like that all along to spend his odd moments with.

I was out cycling the other evening and rode all the way to the small village near here.  I am certainly going to get myself one if we ever become more settled.  You have heard me mention Major Skinner.  Well he has a lot of fun with his and several other officers have nice ones.  They are the only thing for this country.  We have to walk up or down a hill once in a while but that is not much trouble.

Took a short trip a little distance away today to return some equipment and saw some very nice homes, some of which are very old.  This country is full of them.  Those that I have seen are most of them old barns, but quite a few of them are still lived in and quite nicely kept.  I brought back a little bouquet of lavender, which I bought and it is certainly fragrant and will be nice for my stationary box.  You can very likely see where I am beginning to enjoy myself over here, can’t you?

You can look forward to the balance of the short story which was not completed prior to my departure.  You well very likely get in a couple more installments.

I heard from Catherine Hunter, Esther’s sister.  She tells me that their business is very poor now.  What can they expect.

Well enough for now and more later when I have a better pen hand.

All my Love,

Stanley

November 3, 1943

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Ft Sam Houston

Texas

November 3, 1943

Dearest Mother:

Here it is again the middle of the week and I had better be thinking of getting on its way.  How fast this week has gone and so few things have gotten done to show for the time spent.  I spent most of the time today up on the post on a wild goose chase that one of the Master Sgts up on the post phones us about and as always he is so very plain when he is on the phone.

He never tells a person anything and when he has an idea about some paint for a sand table he orders it and then goes and telephones us that it is at the paint shop and not which one and they only have about six or eight of them here.  And after that I had a run in with a dumb clerk at the hospital and did I tell him off.  After that, went to the Post Surgeon and could get no information out of a kike WAC which is another new one there.  So when I see the Sgt again I am going to tell him about her.  They expect to be in the army and then know nothing about it in any way shape or form only they think that they should sit and primp all day.  They had so much trouble and noise here about the WACs getting all the ratings (a come on for more enlistments) that the boys should have here in the Eighth Service command that all ratings have been frozen on them and the men directly under the 8^th Service command.  Boys held the same job before and had a PFC and lucky to get that, but along comes a WAC and gets a fancy Sgt of some kind out of it.  So you see how most of us feel.

I am sitting here tonight in the office with a nice wood fire burning in the stove and am quite warm and comfortable.  The weather here has really been quite chilly the last few mornings and we well need a fire.  The wood we use is the small scrubby trees, which grows around this part of the country.  They even tho small make a very good fire and are warm once they begin to burn.  We had some rain here yesterday and I hope that it rains again before the week-end for we will then cut out the overnight problem which we were going to have.  We none of us are fond of the idea and all think it much too cold for such things but the Col. Who is on leave thinks it is just the thing for us but he managed to get out of here for a while when we are planning these things.

Major Skinner is doing quite well and think that he will like the hospital work much more and I do not blame him since he was a doctor to begin with and not an office man.  I am going to try and get the chance to go up and help him or at least watch him for awhile some day. He you know, is also a Plastic Surgeon, along with the other things he does but they do very little of that type of work here or in fact any Army hospital, they don’t keep them long enough for such things and operations of that type several months to completely finish such as noses, ears, and things of that type.

They are going to send the majority of our group to DS (Detached Service) about the fifteenth so we will be quite free down here for awhile I hope and then I will be able to get a little more writing and a few more things of that type done.

I just finished writing Aunt Dell a letter.  She said in her letter that Cousin Gertrude had not been feeling well and that she herself had had a couple heart attacks this last summer.  But she still continues to dig and plant bulbs and is bringing them in for the winter.  She really has a great love for her garden and her flowers.

I will have to write Cousin Gertrude again very soon.  She is very likely very busy and does a lot of work during her day.

The box of cookies were very good and the candy and dates were well received.  I sure enjoyed them.

How is Aunt Nina getting along these days?  I hope she is getting better and I will write her tomorrow evening as well as Nelson and will try and send the blades to him which I have got here for him.  He told me that he had a few on hand to last a while for him.

I am also going Xmas shopping soon and will have a time picking out presents which will not be many but will be of quality I hope.  I am going to be a little more careful and take my time this year.  Also am going to get my Christmas cards on the way very shortly after Dec 1.  And I am quite confident that we will b here then because there is sure no life around here now, let alone then.  I am thinking of some kind of school for myself to occupy my time.  You will very likely think that I could be writing in my spare time.

So I will close for now and will write again very soon.

As always Love,

Stanley

I took the balance of the pictures the other day.

October 14, 1943

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Ft Sam Houston

Texas

October 14, 1943

How did the deer hunting come out?

My dear Mother:

I am finally getting down to this letter which I have planned on writing all day and part of yesterday.  But last evening I became stalled at the Service Club and did not get home until too late to write a letter.

I received the box with the wrist watch and the other things (the) day before yesterday and I am quite pleased to again have the watch and to know the time when I want it.  I also want to thank you for the delicious candy and the roll of film and I will soon have some pictures of myself for you which were taken on the balance of the roll in my camera.

The night before last it really rained here but yesterday morning I certainly noticed the cold when I got up and this morning I noticed it much more.  When the time comes for the wool I will be quiet glad to get into them.  I am growing quite tired of these khaki anyway since they are so hard to keep looking like anything and they are always at the cleaners.  The wool will also cut down the bills.

I really liked the pictures a lot, especially the ones that were taken at Aunt Maibelles’ and Ed’s.  Those on my camera are not as very bad either.  You can go ahead and send for a set of them for me.  I am planning on getting a letter off to him either tomorrow or the next day.  I received such a nice one from him.  And what surprises me is that I wrote Miss Mosher a letter on the second day back and I have not heard from her yet.  She has always been so very punctual in answering letters before this.  You might call her as just a casual check and inquire about it.

I imagine that the Christmas carols which you speak of are quite nice and I would like to hear them.  You showed me the material for your house dress and I liked it quite a bit.

It was too bad that you could not get tickets to the Ice Follies for you would have liked them if they were anything like they were when we went.

They use the gas here in the hospital once in a while and it is usually a mixture of two or three kinds and they use a mask affair hooked up to a set of small tanks.

I have mentioned the child of Cousin Gertrude just as tho she knew about it for I supposed that she did and I have not mentioned anything else about it.

I will be on the look out for lonely fellow and if I run across any of them I will send their names to you.  I think that it is a very good idea.

Your mentioning Christmas cards reminds me that I will have to get busy and get my lists ready and get the cards and get them addressed and already to send, and then I won’t have to worry about when the time comes.

Well we have had a hard day and they do become tiresome and then all I have done is a lot of paper work and my eyes become tired after a day or so of it.  But believe it or not I am well caught up in my work in fact more so than I have ever been.

Here it is getting late and my bed time, so Good Night for now.  And I will write again soon,

Your Son,

Stanley

June 28, 1943

Cpl Stanley W Safford

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Ft Sam Houston

Texas

June 28, 1943

My dear Mother:

Here it is several days after our return from bivouac where we were any way about everybody … was chewed up by wood ticks and chiggers and put up with the peculiarities of the various officers who didn’t seem to realize that they were away from camp.

Some of them didn’t know how to put their tents up and they wondered why they didn’t have a table for them to eat off etc. And one of them took along a very pretty pair of blue pajamas. And about all that I done was run my head off running down one thing first then another.  After seeing how long all the officers had their fingers in the pie of trying to run things I sure hope that we don’t have another one very soon.

My Captain Skinner left today for a special course at Mayo’s and he is going to be gone for 6 weeks and I am quite sure that I am not going to like it very much far again there were be everybody’s fingers in the pie again.

Then of course there is my furlough coming up.  The fifteenth and I am looking forward to that as you can well imagine and I am afraid that I shall have to get some money from you since my money is all tied up in bonds but after I come back here I will send you what I owe you then.

The days here recently have been the warmest that I have ever seen and sultryness that I have never seen the likes of.  And these tents here certainly hold the heat.  I sit in ours and just sweat all day just setting there.  This evening it is much cooler here in this old hanger than I thought it would be.  I represent our outfit tonight by having charge of the day room from 4 till 11.  It seems that they keep all of us non coms busy on some kind of duty or another all the time on something.  There are only thirteen of us here.  It seems that I had so much to say and now when I get around to writing this delayed letter.  Did I tell you that Miss Mosher sent me a very delicious box of Sees candy.  Also while on bivouac.  I received a letter from Mrs. Matson and the pictures of Jonny and they were certainly good ones of him, he looks quite grown up.  Well my time is about up here this evening so will write some more tomorrow.

I have returned from town this evening and for a change it was quite easy to get into town and out again because since the 95^th has gone there no longer is the crowd to contend with but I hear that there is another division coming in soon.

I am going to begin angling for a transfer from here to another more agreeable place where peace and quiet will reside again.  The other evening they had a nice fight which ended up in a stabbing out here in the company street and they sit around here and put him only on seven days restrictions for it.  But that follows their old way of doing nothing about the discipline around here.  And the Sgts here don’t know any better to begin with.

There is one of the boys that is going with me on my furlough here, talking it over about how and when etc.,  Of course that is the main topic of decision write is four that are going that way.

They are having a dance over at the Recreation Hall tonight and they are having quite so I had better go to my tent and try and get some sleep.  Sorry my letter is so late and confusing.  Take care of yourself.

Love, your son

June 20, 1943

Cpl Stanley W Safford

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Ft Sam Houston

Texas

June 20, 1943

My dear Mother:

Here I am again on Sunday and again on CQ.  It seems that my every nine days comes around quite frequently but time does fly. And it has been quite a mad house here this last week.

My captain has been in the hospital this last week and instead of him or his usual two hands there has been about twenty in everything that we have attempted to do and what a mess.

We as I have told you before are going on the three days bivouac tomorrow and they all have their own individual impractical ideas on how it should be run.  And the lieutenants here who have been on them have nothing to say per usual.

I am not going to even try and write while out for it will be too much trouble. But will write as soon as I return.

The other day the entire 95^th Division had perhaps their final review anyway here at Fort Sam Houston and I had half a notion to go up on the post and see it because it is something which a person if possible should see.  I think that there were about fifteen generals present.  I will try and send you a picture of some of them in this letter.  You know that the Division should have about 15,000 in it and with all their equipment and trucks they would make quite a show.

I went in a grand style to the post several days last week.  Went in four times in one day.  I had to go to the Post Surgeon office, Hospital, Post Headquarters, Service School, Finance Office and then here.  And what amuses me is the fact that I am saluted time and time again, because it is usually only officers that use a command with a white star painted on the car in four places: doors, top and rear deck.

The picture of the Amaryllis was very good although they both could have been a little more developed or something wrong with them.

Yes, we have heard of the Zoot Suit gangs in LA.  Pictures in the papers etc showing in the jails etc the various members of the gang.

Your question on the Group here are perhaps some that nobody knows much about.  There is already one of this kind of Group in Africa, one in England.  We only have one of these for each army and some tell us that we will be the fifth and others tell us different.

In the Medical Army there are 6 echelons: 1 Battalion Aid Station, 2 Collecting Co., 3 Clearing company, 4. Evacuation Hospital, 6 Receiving hospitals (ex Brooke Gen).

The Aid station is from 3-800 yards from the front.  The collecting is from 12-2000 yards from front.  The Clearing Company is about five to seven miles while the evacuation hospital on where the nearest port or anything of that type is.  There is one clearing station for each Division. There is a collecting Co for each Regiment.

I received a letter from Cousin Gertrude the other day and she tells me that Dad’s Aunt Edith’s husband in Chicago died.  I wonder what she will do now?  Altho I suppose she is quite tired after so many years of worrying.

Will you have some more of the pictures printed of myself on the porch, also you will find enclosed some negatives which you can have five made of each for me.

I received a very nice letter of recommendation the other day from Miss Mosher, which I am going to submit after my return and then hope that it goes thru and is over with before my furlough, because I would hate to have that mess come up when I am not here.

I hope to have another surprise for you upon my arrival home

… seemingly one missing page…

port is etc.

Well it is getting quite late and I must be thinking of going to bed so that I may be able to get up in the morning and awaken the rest of the Co.

I just tried to fix out a letter recommending Capt Skinner for appointment to a Majority but I gave up those letters are a mess so I gave it up and decided to get one of the clerks to do it.  They are all so complicated and I am no typist anyway.

Sgt Ryan my friend here is having quite a time with his application for OCS too.

Well good night and good bye for now.  Will write you upon my return to the camp here.

Love,

Your son,

Stanley