Monday, February 20, 2012

November 19, 1944 - Belgium


Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976
5th Auxiliary Surgical Group
APO 339
c/o Post Master
New York  New York

Belgium
November 19, 1944

Dearest Mother:

As you again see by the heading and also my new stationary.  I have moved and once again I have been able to reach one of the well stocked Belgium stores for this paper.
Our team has again changed locations and are now located at a different Field Hospital which is not in action at present.  Only this time we do not have Col MacIntyre with us.  The Colonel has been replaced by another Major while the Col has to remain in headquarters at his duties.
Have before me here your letters of Sept 26 and October 30, the previous one received yesterday contained the clipping of Geo Dewey’s Los Angeles speech, so now I have received two of his speeches: Oklahoma City and Los Angeles.
As I believe I mentioned in my last letter.  I was certainly glad to hear of you receiving the silver, but the stamp disappearance is still a big mystery and I am rather mad about it in fact.  Anyway the important thing is that you have received the thing.
No I have not take to smoking and in regards to your question as to when I get them.  They are given to us in rations and in England I could buy them at the PX.
Sgt Kupfer and myself saw a couple good shows while in headquarters and went to town a couple of times together.  Sgt Ryan is stationed not too far from here but I have not seen him since leaving Paris the first time.
I am going to try and see him some time soon.
We do not have bicycles here and would not have the time for them f we did.  England was in a way a pleasure resort for us.  And you certainly hit the nail on the head when you said being unsettled gets on my nerves.  I could do so much more if we were settled somewhere.
As to your question regarding the casualties.  Yes much different than Brooke General, otherwise no answers.
It seems surprising to me to hear of horse racing in the states while we here are in such a different world.  The horses we see here are the huge big percherons[1] with docked tails which they all have for farm work, and once in a while a smaller horse hitched to a carriage, and they are few and far between here.  They were thick in Paris.
I took a ride into the city yesterday on one of their trolleys which have resumed operation again in most parts.  We (soldiers) do not pay a fare as they tell us.  “The Bosch” (Germans) did not pay so neither do you have to”.
Whitney whom you have heard me mention is now in France with a General Hospital.  Received his change of address card one day and a letter the next.
Have spent most of the day doing a washing and am therefore tired, so will close now bidding you good night and asking you to take care of yourself.

All my love,

Stanley

November 21, 1944

Dearest Mother:

Hoping this reaches you all in one envelope and hope you like it. 
I sincerely wish I could do more for you, but all that will have to wait until another day.
The handkerchief is not a very nice one but you may wear it with your latest suit.  It would not stand close observation to well as you can see.
The cards are from England and Belgium. I thought the latter one very nice, so thought you would also.
In to town yesterday and came home with grapes (greenhouse) and delicious pears.  Also had ice cream  which was my first since the states.
Well all for now and more will follow.
All ways,

Stanley

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