April 30, 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

April 30, 1944

Dear Mother:

Again another week has rolled by and I have not written you a letter.

The weather has been very changeable and therefore everyone but myself seems to have colds etc.  It will be very warm one day and turn very windy and cold in a couple hours time. Yesterday morning it was very cloudy and looked like rain until about noon when it turned hot and sultry, but again today it looked like rain until about lunch when it started to rain and lasted for about a half hour but has not rained since.

I sincerely hope that I never put the idea of my getting married into your heads, so do not worry about any surprise wedding or otherwise as I do not contemplate such a move until the very far distant future if then.  And as for my going with girls, I am not and do not plan on doing so here or anywhere as long as I remain in the army.

I gave the cymbidium to Major Grubin to take home as after it had been here a couple days it looked rather beaten and it got too warm for them.  Mrs. Grubin thought them very nice.

What date is Muriel’s birthday?  I seem to have forgotten just whether it is the 1^st or the 2^nd of June.

In answer to your question regarding the Bond Tour.  The officers and enlisted men put on a surgical demonstration of some kind three or four times a day and someone of them gives a little speech of some kind regarding the work which they are supposed to be doing.  They carry signs telling how many $25 War Bonds such and such cost, example “Surgical Truck – 2000 - $25 War Bonds” and on down the line instruments and all.

Surgical truck

Enclosed you will find some pictures clipped from the Post paper of our Group and the Surgical Tent which is part of the truck.  As you see the tent is actually two tents one white one (floor and all) with a black one over it.  It takes about forty five minutes to set it up.

As you say in your last letter, it begins to look as tho we will be here for some time and I am inclined to think the same with in view of the things which have taken place here lately.

You asking about how a person’s jaw is wired.  Wires are put around each tooth until all teeth from the wisdom tooth out about six teeth upper and lower are wired on each, then elastic bands are placed over the hooks in such a way to apply traction to the desired place.  I may be able to draw you a diagram here which may help.

   

Some day I will send home a clay model of wired teeth which they have quite a few of around here.

The red pullets are really doing quite well when they are laying so young.  Are the hens still as fat as ever when you kill them?

I have always felt that early chickens layed much sooner.  Remember how some of our late ones waited until so late to lay.  Have you heard how the Freemont livestock affair is coming along?  They were building the pens when I was home.

Received a letter from Aunt Dell the other day and she said she does not see Cousin Gertrude very often since Gertrude has so much work and social things to do.

The clippings which you enclosed were very interesting especially the one regarding the Pearl Harbor fraud.

Sgt Rapp the Mess Sgt is getting a place here on the Post for his wife who is coming down about the middle of next month.  I am going to help him clean it up and get it ready.  We are going over to look over the inside tomorrow we saw the outside the other day.

I guess that Marshall figures she should finish her schooling as she only has a short time to go and I don’t believe she is so very young.  He tells me she is about nineteen and very small and barely five feet and a regular spitfire.  He seems to be quite happy and in the best of spirits about the whole affair.  He, I imagine, was quite lonesome and I guess still is.

The saber has no history to my knowledge but it just took my eye.

Yes I can well imagine the junk that has accumulated on the back lot and the great job it has been and will be in getting it cleaned off.  I do not envy the person any.  I am sending in my subscription for the Reader’s Digest tomorrow.  I guess the woman there in LA is not going to call, so will go ahead and send it myself.

Well enough news for now and I close with a tired hand after writing such today.

Always

You son

Stanley

PS – separate page – small

I can just see Jay having a good time making over his will and having a big kick out of it.  What is he doing now disinheriting someone again? I can never put much faith into anything which is so public.

I can just see Marie’s house never a thing out of place and just up to the minute.  I feel the same as you do about her in hoping she has to come down to earth some day.  Imagine her conceit!