March 19, 1945 - Germany

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Germany

March 19, 1945

Dearest Mother:

Altho no news from you since last I wrote you I will write a few things this evening.

I once again have moved and am on a new team but till in Germany as you see by the heading.  I have never mentioned in any of my previous letters any of  my present team officers.  Altho here I find a very agreeable group of enlisted men who I have been friendly with before at Ft Sam.

I have just completed a very ornate leather writing or stationary portfolio which will replace the one which Miss Mosher gave me prior to leaving worn with all my travels.  This one should last for some time and them some.

I took a very nice walk into the fields from here today and became very much refreshed by the pleasant countryside, since it has been sometime since I have been in the country.  The countryside certainly shows signs of the coming Spring.  The Pussy Willow have become full blown trees and shrubs are beginning to bud and will soon burst forth in their fresh green splendor.  For some reason I have noticed Spring here more so than ever before.

The other day I received a couple letters which were mailed in December.  They were both Christmas cards, one form Miss Mosher and the other from her nephew.  Also a letter of more recent date from Sgt Rapp telling me he is the father of a baby girl.

I was in to headquarters the other night for a visit and they are in a former textile mill and are quite well situated.  Some of the looms are just as they were left when they fled.  Some of the rolls are only partially completed.  I enjoy going thru some of these mansions which the Nazis have fled and left. They have certainly lived like kings here in some of their places.  They of course have been gone only a short time.  Some of the homes still have plants and such still alive in their green houses and solariums.  And the furniture is certainly all in a grand manor.  Some of the places the furniture is being moved out because it is of such value.  The signs remaining of their existence showed a very pleasant and idle one.  You can well imagine my glory in going thru some of these places.  Can’t you?

Well once again it is bed time and I am ready since it has been a very active day for me since I have played baseball etc for the first time in some time. 

Hope you are all well and happy.

I remain,

Your son,

Stanley

3 December 1944 - Germany

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Germany

3 December 1944

Dearest Mother:

Since my last letter was a V-Mail I will try and make this letter a little more interesting and somewhat longer.

I hope that yesterday being your anniversary was a very enjoyable one for you.  Only wish that I were home and able to do something more for you.

N regards to your question about the bonds.  The last bond you should receive will be for the month of October.  Beginning November 1 then should be the $50 per month allotment.  You should not of course receive the first $50 until about the middle of December or whenever the $25 check has been arriving.  I will, provided the bonds in question do not show up soon, write Ft Sam in regards to them.

Have here before me your letters of Oct 24 & 28 & Nov 13 & 15, all of which have been received during the last week.  So the mail is all off here also.  Also here are one from Nina and Nelson.  Received your Air Mail stamps also.

Your clippings in one of the letters makes me homesick for the rain.  We have had rain here but nothing like at home.  We have had some cold winds and a lot of mud unlike any we ever had.  I can easily see how a huge war machine very easily becomes bogged down.

Received a very nice box from Thelma and will have use for the things she sent.  Also a wonderful box of dried fruit from Jay and a nice one from Miss Mosher.  Perhaps I mean hers has a few more dates etc., in other words a larger selection.  Some of the packages are arriving here all wet and moldy inside.  Hope mine fare better than that.

The new water mains you speak of sound interesting.  I am interested in hearing about the results you receive.

Received a letter from Sgt Rapp now Pvt Rapp.  He is in England at a General Hospital.  He left our unit while we were still in England.  They had quite a fuss and he was taken advantage of.  He is better off where he is now.  He is the same person you have in mind.

Was glad to hear of the dividend check on the telephone stock arriving, as I seem to have lost all tract of that type of thing.  Again upon the accumulation of enough funds and the stock is again at the figure of my last purchase or lower, you buy one for me.  I still want more.  I was never able to find out much on Western Elec Mfg.

Forgot to mention receiving your package containing the stationary, shaving cup etc.  You certainly send useful things and I really want to thank you for them.

The shirt you speak of sounds interesting and you will never know how I long to once again go to the wardrobe and take out some of my clothes hanging there and put them on and wear them.  My clothing selection will very likely increase more than ever before merely as a mania, so be prepared for a change.

I can not say I would feel perhaps the way Tom Miner feels.  He is exceptionally lucky and I would certainly not stay home on account of it.

Enjoyed a lot in receiving the note of Dads on the back of your letter.  Will answer him soon.  Very pleased to hear of the slip which he speaks of.

Very pleased to hear of the perfumes arriving.  The Balloggia[1] I imagined would be liked as well as any.  The GI(s) have just about bought out Paris and what is left is high.  I tried to buy some prints, but the prices were beyond reason and I am not to be taken advantage of.  They are taking advantage of the soldier.

I keep expecting to hear of Muriel becoming engaged or something, but I am always quite surprised at the end of each friendship.  She must have changed a lot.

The calla lily bed on the West has something wrong with it and avoid taking things from there for other places in the garden.

Enclosed you will find fourteen (14) negatives which are some taken of a manor house in England which struck me as being very beautiful and another building there with an exceptionally fine drive.  Others are of Reims Cathedral and of myself in Holland.  There is one of some little wooden shoe wearing boys also.  Have 3 each made of the house and cathedral and other Arc.  The others you may have one of each made.  Send them to me and I will or may have more prints made.

The country here has certainly been a change as the building here told us we were in Germany without knowing it.  They are much worse than anything previously.  The people who are here all stay indoors and there is a penalty of $60 for speaking to any of them.  They would not interest me anyway.  I am not here for a campaign tour of any kind so therefore stay inside our buildings most of the time and tend to my own business.

You will find enclosed our Christmas card which I hope reaches you in time for Xmas and may you all have one of the nicest holiday season ever and my thoughts will be with you all.

Tell me more of Andre Allen changing his entire novel again.

All for now and take care of yourselves.

All my Love,

Stanley

NOTE from the transcriber:  AACHEN

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[1] Bellodgia

October 8, 1944 - Belgium

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York

New York

October 8, 1944

Belgium

Dearest Mother:

I will start again on a letter and hope to finish it this evening.

We are still here having a short rest and perhaps will start to work here soon.  Of course I am not complaining and am having a very nice time catching up on all of my mail and writing a little sooner in answer to some than usual.  Just finished a nice long letter to Joe and answered one to Sgt Rapp whom you have heard me speak of at Fort Sam Houston.

Our mail has been delayed a great deal because of our moving.  For that reason I have received very little mail here lately.

I am having a very good time here learning French and seeing the countryside which is perhaps some of the most beautiful since England.  It is entirely different from any previous.  The countryside is dotted with small groves of trees which are planted at periodic times and are cut down in time and used planted on another piece of land and the place where they had been is plowed up and used for pasture. After pasture they use the land for crops.  All the families here seem to all pitch in and help with the harvesting.  Most or a lot of the men here are gone since the Germans have had some of them prisoners for a period four years or so.  I was speaking to one of them and she told me her husband has been gone for four and a half years.

This one lady is trying her best to learn English.  They all want to go to the states some time.  They all like American cigarettes and will always trade apples, pears and French plums or prunes for them.  A lot of them just automatically give us these items.

I am trying to get a small pair of wooden shoes for my collection.  I wonder if Clive (or Olive) and Elizabeth Chapin would like a pair.  I saw a whole wagon load of them the other day.  Some of them have some carving on the toes, especially the children’s shoes.  They will stuff straw also for warmth.  They would very soon tire my feet if I had to wear them.

I found enclosed in both of your letters the “Air Mail” stamps.  And I do want to pay you for them.  Charge them to me and deduct the amount from my monthly allowance.  You can also send me a statement of my bank account as it stands now. Also send me the prices (average) of American T&T stock for the last few months.  I have not seen the stock quotations for about two months.  Do you think it wise to buy at present time?

Back to the stamps again.  Send me about five once a week.  I will manage the other from here.  We are able to get the ready stamped envelopes here sometimes.

Have you found out as yet what the operation Thelma Chapin had as yet?  Give her my regards and I will write her soon.  She owes me a letter since I was the last to write her.  I have gotten away from writing too many people unless they write me.  There are a few of course who deserve better attention.

I can not think of much more to say this evening other than to tell you all to take care of yourselves and I will write you when I can.

All my love,

Stanley.

12 June 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

12 June 1944

Dearest Mother:

Just a line to let you know that I am still here and have not dried up and blown away yet.

The heat here has been extreme the last couple days and today the weather was very changeable.  It tried to rain a couple of times but never really got anything wet.

Major Skinner and his party of two or three are leaving tomorrow on the advance party for POE. Of course I do not know where it is and it would be a military secret if I did know.

We have been quite rushed here and the officers are about all signed in now and we are in the midst of processing the whole bunch.

The nurses training program begins tomorrow and that is the beginning of more trouble. They have already been a big pain already.  They are not able or do not want to do one thing after the other, and the head nurse is the fault of the whole mess.

Major Grubin is back from his week at home in bed and as yet is not feeling any too spry.

I went into town yesterday and had dinner and saw a show with a friend of mine here.  We had turkey and I had fresh green corn on the cob and it was certainly delicious.  And of course my favourite of course is always iced tea with my meals and believe me it really is nice on these days.

I have been hunting a Parker 51 pen for dad but have been unable to find one so far.  They are quite scarce.

I at last have the saber all wrapped and will mail it tomorrow and will hope that it goes thru alright.

Received a letter from Frances Whelchel yesterday and she tells me also of Esther’s arm not yet getting any better.

I got a lot of new clothes today and I am going to have some work done on some of them since they are quite out of fits in places.

Sgt Ryan is back again and feeling quite well.

Sgt Rapp’s wife had some delicious fried liver with onions which was very good and it was the first liver I have had in a long time that I really cared for.

I delayed sending the letter you mentioned since I wanted to mail it elsewhere for certain reasons.

I look for the European Theater first since the monsoons are just beginning and all the other disagreeable things are starting in Asia.

No I never expected to get that much returned and there was no place on the blank that indicated that I would get any certain amount back.

I heard from Newton Eberhard whom, you once ran kindly home, remember him?

Well enough for now and will write more later.

Love,

Stanley

June 6, 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

June 6, 1944

Dear Mother:

Well I never thought that I would ever see France but it looks more so every day.  From the looks of the news there will soon be a lot of action over there and a lot of use for us.

I woke up this morning to hear a lot of noise and the papers were all out with “Invasion” all over the front page but not much else…

Our plans here for the future are that an advance party is leaving the tenth of June for POE and we will follow then some time afterwards.  Major Skinner is one of the three officers and we have not received definite instructions as yet but are quite sure it will be New York or at least the East coast.  The Surgeon General’s office has changed their strategy and are not sending this type of group West.  They are sending much smaller more flexible groups out there.  We are being prepared for warm clothing which is a good indication perhaps of our destination.  I can just see an evening in Paris.

You mentioning moving pictures reminds me of the picture I saw the other evening with Sgt Rapp and his wife.  They had invited me over for dinner and I took them to the show afterwards.  It was more for the reason of her wishing to see it than it was mine.  The picture was “Pin Up Girl” with Betty Grable.  As far as she is concerned I do not like her but the picture was quite beautiful and Hollywood in some places.  They had a couple very good seating numbers which were really quite nice.

Well the other day my OCS deal finally bounced back due to our dear unit here.

They were never enthused regarding it so therefore gave me no cooperation.  Major Grubin was quite mad about it and told me that it was practically all their fault in the personnel office and the colonel’s. So I got back the entire affair all under one cover, excepting a couple letters which were removed for some reason or the other.  I, my hands are washed of that for now.

We have been swamped here the last few days with all the 70 nurses coming in and the rest of our officers.  And I have this dope in here that is no good at all.

I am going to soon be rid of him as soon as the Major gets back.  He has been sick for two days and I was up to see him today and done some work with him.  I had lunch with his wife, son and daughter and they are all quite nice.

I have made out a $25 allotment to become effective in August and to be taken from my pay, of course we get 20% increase for overseas so I will then be drawing $41.25 and even then may have too much.  The government will send 100Lbs of things home for me so I will put all of my things into a locker and mail it all home at one time.  I am making out an elaborate will and power of attorney which you should receive in the next couple of days.  The power of attorney is to you.  The will you can put it in the safe deposit box for me and leave it there.  Find out if it is necessary to file a copy there in the courthouse.  I never dreamed there was so much to a will or the other stuff of that kind.  They tell me I should have had one made out at home.

Major Eskin, who is one of our officers who is in LA now to leave his wife and family there writes back and tells us that there writes back and tells us that there is no place like it.

Sgt Ryan is now back in the unit and is feeling quite well, only the doctors tell him he will not be able to have too much bad usage of his jaw for some time.

How is Maibelle getting long these days? Do you know her address?  If so send it to me and I will try and write her soon.

I feel that if they think enough of me to keep me from OCS they can do a few favours for me soon and give me some consideration and take this dope out of here.  It will be more work but rather do it myself than to have him swooping around here and having to be shown how to do everything.  And that is not all they are going to do for me either before they are through with m. I am going to get all I can, I have made up my mind to that.

Well enough for now and I will write again soon.

I remain as ever,

Love,

Stanley

1 June 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

1 June 1944

Dearest Mother

I am worse this week than ever before in writing, but I hope that you will understand that we have really been busy here the last few days and there is no sign of it becoming more slack as time goes on.

I am quite glad to hear of you getting the chance to rest a little during Dad’s absence, and you should do it a little more often.  It will do you good.  Give you the chance to rest a little more because I am sure you become more tired every day of the same old thing as I do.

Well we have had our clothing showdown today which means that we turned in a lot of things that are worn and will be issued new for them.  A person never realizes just how many clothes he has until one of these.  I have a huge pile of things to be turned in.  I wonder what type we will be issued?

I received a letter from Jay today or should I say a short note.

I am quite pleased to hear of the grapevine having such an abundant crop of fruit.  Perhaps the Amaryllis could be transplanted into a larger pot for next year.  Had the Cymbidiums shown much growth as yet this season, keep them quite moist.

The weather here has been terribly hot and I just about fall asleep here every afternoon when it gets so warm.

Last night was pay day night and I was kept awake until about thru this morning by the drunks coming in and making their noise.  I hope that will be more quiet tonight.

We have about all of our nurses and are housing them here on the post.  They are as I have predicted already becoming a problem, and will be more of one before we are done with them.

Doc Skinner told me of his plans to retire and from the clippings in the letter he has had quite a long history in the school system.

You mentioning Dad’s teeth reminds me of my teeth and the time I have had from them and about them.  Ever since the OCS examination (last one) I knew I had a couple cavities so asked Major Kuhns to check them and he found one in the upper R3 (will enclose a Dentist form later).  After he got in he found a small one in the next tooth. Neither one of them were very large and can not be seen from the front.  He then took an X-Ray of the lower one and found a small cavity there.  While in Xray I asked him to take a picture of one of my left lower wisdom teeth which ha(ve) become quite slanted.  So he did and the picture was shocking.  The roots of the tooth are almost straight back and the tooth in impacted.  I decided to have it pulled and made the appointment but had to cancel because of the big Service Command Inspection we had the following day.  So will some day have Major Grubin remove it.  He tells me it may mean a couple weeks in the hospital. So when we get over I will have a lot of time for such things since it is not bothering me any.  A picture of it is like the drawing here

Yes, Sgt Rapp’s wife has been here for about three weeks and I am invited over to dinner this Sunday.

I have been going to go up here and play at golf with one of the boys here but have never gotten around to it.  Doubt if I will at this stage.

I am still and was quite surprised to hear of getting the money in from the Income tax.  You may use the money to pay yourself whatever I owe you for telephone stock etc and deposit the rest and buy some more stock when and if it get(s) lower.  You may soon get so much each month from me in an allotment which I will send you the details of later.

One of the new officers we have here is from S F and is about 6’8” and wears a size 14 shoe.  He is certainly a card and tells me that he thinks that he will not make a good soldier.  I asked him what he thought of me as one.  He told me that he thought I was a very good one and was quite the person here. Ha ha.

As for your coming down, I see the same picture as you do regarding the unpracticability of the whole thing.  It of course would be very nice and I would enjoy it so very much. But to my way of thinking it would be more trouble than it would be worth.

Enclosed you will find a few pictures you may like and I will have a few more of them here if you want some of them.  There are also a couple of the Galveston bivouac which may interest you.  Will send more of them later to avoid making this letter too heavy.

 Heard from William Orum, often longed to hear from him.

Well enough for this time and will write again soon.

As ever

Your son

Love,

Stanley