Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976
5th 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
