February 19, 1945 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

1

Holland

February 19, 1945

Dearest Mother:

Have received in the last couple days your letters of Jan 17 and Feb 6. Also along with them came a message from Marshall telling me he would write a longer letter after Christmas.  Also Christmas card from Prescott Keyes and his wife (Miss Mosher’s nephew) who by the way had a baby on Dec 24 according to Miss Mosher.  I received a card sometime ago from her niece Carol and a note attached, so I answered it the other day. (A money order enclosed $37.50)[1].   Also have here your V-mails of Jan 26 and was very glad to hear sooner than usual.

Of course you should not mention this but also two days ago I received a late box from Miss Mosher containing of all things a tie.  A very nice one and all that but I have not worn a tie since Paris and no one else here does either and there is only a couple place(s) they can be worn here on the continent and Paris is one of them since there are more or less a garrison life in progress (Money order $37.50).  But anyway I can keep it. I am rather amused at the thoughts some people have of our existence over here.  Also a nice long letter from the Matsons.  Thank you for discouraging the money order idea as it would only involve more trouble and I already have more money than I know what to use it for over here.  That is the reason for the money order. Altho I always keep enough on hand just in case I find anything worthwhile to send home.  I may run across some more children’s books in some place so I will keep them in mind.  They have some nice ones in Belgium all in French.  They have “Snow White”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, and many others all very beautifully illustrated in color.  Sgt Olson bought a few of them for his coming child, due sometimes in March I believe.

I like the sample of material enclosed in your letter and I imagine you will look quite attractive in that color.

Your mention of the difference in my income brings to my mind more than ever that I should have purchased more stocks when I bought my other.

So keep on the look out for more.

Yes I can well imagine the anxiety on Nina’s mother’s part and just let them remain in a dither would serve them right.  I can not imagine why you are so late in receiving your copy of the will.  You would think all those concerned would receive a copy.  Why did Grandpa[2] ever make a point of telling you to be sure and get a copy?  Why did Grandpa ever make a point of telling you to be sure and get a copy?  Did he have in his mind that you would not get one otherwise?

My address book tells me Jay’s birthday is soon so I will have to get a greeting of some kind off to him soon.

Glad to hear of you mentioning the one money order.  They go thru so many hands sometimes that I worry.

I never heard so such a thing as you paying me interest.  It is there for you to use.  I have no need of it here certainly so use it.

If you remember the chocolate and the tea were in another box than the one they took

I think I may have an idea to help solve the letter situation on my end anyway.  Start numbering your letters starting with the first one you mail after receiving this one.  I will do the same on this end starting with this letter as One.  Miss Mosher has been doing that and I can get them straight after they arrive.

Remember a good attic would be nice for me?

Whatever the insect was I do not know as I had been cleaning the operating room and the place had been an old storeroom and was alive with thing when we first went there.

Well about all for now.

All my Love,

Your son, Stanley

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[1] Bottom of the pages 1 and 2

[2] William Matthews, 3^rd husband of Isabella Griswold, step-father of her daughter Cora, Grace’s (and Nina’s ) mother.  There was a falling out with Cora for some reason, which could explain why Stanley refers to his grandmother Cora, the way he does.  William Matthews thus was his step-great-grandfather

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

29 August 1944

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York

New York

29 August 1944

Dearest Mother:

After a silence of a short time and a move for us I again will attempt to write you.

Received your letter acknowledging the receipt of my first one to you and also receipt of the cablegram which I thought would beat the letter.

I am sending to you as a Christmas present a couple small silver pieces which I hope you will be able to make use of.  And I do pray and hope that they reach you in good condition, because they have certainly been through a lot, and will add interest to wherever they are used.  They are antiques that you will like and let me know as soon as they arrive.

I really thought a lot of the piece of poetry that you sent me entitled “My Prayer” and hope that I do not lose it.

Back to the antiques again.  I have the history on them which I will send you later.  Aunt Nina should really (be) quite envious of them.

In answer to your question about the Christmas presents.  So not send me anything at all other than film or writing paper (air Mail) since that is really all that I need.  I already have too much to carry and anything other would be just something to carry around with me.  I appreciate you wanting to send more but circumstances prevent much else at the present time.

The other day we had some very delicious Kippered fish and Hovis bread[1] in the evening and it was certainly delicious and a great change.

I hear Catherine has erased Roberts bill once again. She has certainly done that often enough.  Some people are certainly the forgiving type.

Well all for now and more later when I have the time and the place.

As ever,

Your son,

Stanley

PS: you can also send tooth brushes and paste.

NOTE from the transcriber:

The code does not seem to be working – at least not for me – but there is a possibility here…  Could he have been trying to spell CHERBOURG?  Your call…  Sure would love to figure out the other messages I have not been able to decipher

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[1] The brand began in 1886; the Hovis process was patented on 6 October 1887 by Richard "Stoney" Smith (1836–1900), and S. Fitton & Sons Ltd developed the brand, milling the flour and selling it along with Hovis branded baking tins to other bakers. The name was coined in 1890 by London student Herbert Grime in a national competition set by S. Fitton & Sons Ltd to find a trading name for their patent flour which was rich in wheat germ. Grime won £25 when he coined the word from the Latin phrase hominis vis – "the strength of man". The company became the Hovis Bread Flour Company Limited in 1898. When the abundance of certain B vitamins in wheatgerm was reported in 1924, Hovis increased in popularity. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovis

June 25, 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

June 25, 1944

Dear Folks:

Another busy week has rolled by and I have accomplished a lot of things in the office as far as getting ready to leave (is) concerned.  They have sent me two large crates or boxes for officer supplies and the library of War Department Manuals etc which we keep here and they run into the hundreds.

Our advance party has been gone two weeks and we have not even heard from them. They more than likely have gone on across and will wire us upon their safe arrival wherever it is and I am still anxious to know.

We are now in the midst of three training programs, officers, nurses, and enlisted men and that is certainly a pain in the neck.

The other evening I took seventeen officers out to Camp Bullis for a night Infiltration Course and it was certainly interesting, especially after dark.  Every fifth bullet was a tracer and they were quite bright especially when they went out and reflected off the embankment in the rear and went skyward.  A couple of the officers were scared silly but they made it out and back much to my relief.

I am sending both my will and power of attorney home.  One copy of the “Power of Attorney” will have to be filed in the county courthouse.  The other you keep and the third one you put in a safe deposit box.  The wills will b in three separate sealed envelopes: No 1 you keep. No 2 will have two copies in it and No 3 will have one copy which you can put away elsewhere for me and No 2 with the two in it put in the safe deposit box.  All will be sealed and will not be opened unless needed.  I am making you my entire “Power of Attorney”

Mrs. Tedesco’s husband has just been made a Captain.  He has certainly waited a long time for that promotion.

I am still hunting for the glass for Aunt Nina but do not seem to have much so far.  I have the “Types of Discharges” all typed out for Bill tho and will send it on very soon. I am trying to wind up all my business here in the way of letters etc and not write any more until we get moved and then I hope I will have more time.

Received a card from Joseph Scheltema the other day and will also have to write him soon.

Well enough for now, since I am about all out of news for this time.

As ever your son,

Stanley