21 May 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

21 May 1944

Dearest Mother:

Again it is Sunday and another uneventful week (has) rolled by so therefore is not too much to tell.

I went to see “Song of Bernadette” this afternoon and thought that it was an excellent picture and you should not miss seeing it if you have the chance.  It, of course, was slightly religious, but not too much that way.  And what surprised me was that there were several Catholic nuns in the audience and I did not know they ever went to theaters of any kind.

Well the “Fourth Auxiliary Surgical Group” has arrived at their destination and I will tell you when I find out as it is of great importance since there is one allotted to each full active army in the field. As I mentioned before there are already three in the European area.  It is also quite significant of the number of American troops we have there. An Army may have as many as 400,000 men.

The weather has been quite changeable here of late and hot as can be one day and raining cats and dogs a couple of hours later.  Last night was a good example of it.  It was unbearably hot yesterday and last evening but when I went to bed all of the curtains on the tent were up and I had only one blanket over me. About three thirty this morning a very cold strong wind came up and I barely had time to put the curtains down when it started to pour and I do mean pour, with a heavy wind to accompany it and was still going strong a half hour later but when it stopped I do not know as I want off to sleep.

Received your letter of the 16 May and also the papers with the pictures, yesterday.  Say, how did my pictures get in there with them?

I recognize quite a few of them.  It is really surprising to find out how many there are that I know.

I will have to write Nelson a letter now that I have his address.  I hope that this one will be a more permanent one for him.  Did he receive the Schick injector blades which I gave you to send to him?

We are having quite a time about our nurses and as you know we only have four of the great many we are supposed to have and there seems to be no signs of getting any in the immediate future so the WD tells us as there is a great shortage of them and we may not get all of even when the time does come around.

I wrote a short note to Jay today in answer to his letter of two weeks ago.

I received a letter from Enid Norris, guess Lawrence and Nathan did not escape the draft.

Well I have run out of news by now so will close send(ing) you all my love and telling you to take care of yourself.

Love,

Stanley