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

August 5, 1943

Cpl Stanley W Safford

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Ft Sam Houston

Texas

August 5, 1943

My Dear Mother:

After a week of idleness of my pen I shall try and write you a few lines tonight and shall plan on getting this mailed tomorrow.  I am really ashamed of myself for not writing you before this but you very likely know how all things seem to pile up and happen at once.

We spent three miserable days out at Camp Bullis on bivouac at which time we went through the infiltration course under actual gunfire (machine gun) and came out with a few minor scratches and just filthy with this red dirt.  I tried several times to get a letter started to you but as always something happened and I was unable to get very far with it, so when I did get back to it, what I had already written did not make sense so I gave it all up as a bad job and decided to discontinue until after my return.  Fortunately I was able to ride the eighteen miles out and back only because they realized that I had too much to do at both ends. And I worked all day today while everybody else took the afternoon off plus the morning while they all laid in bed since they marched in after dark last night.

I was certainly glad to get in and take a bath and get my head washed and the dirt really ran off in great amounts.  And also pick off a few ticks which seem to inhabit this country the year around.  While out there I saw great quantities of deer and several rabbits.  The deer here do not get as large as our California deer get but they are certainly quite pretty and above all the fawns are exceptionally cute.  They also killed a coral snake while out there.  Otherwise there was nothing else of importance or out of the ordinary.  We did have those canned rations for one day which were in a way a great big mess with the fellows cutting themselves on the cans.  They come in two cans one with the beef and vegetable stew and the other with the five biscuits, small can of soluble coffee and three small cakes of sugar plus four or five pieces of hard candy that I am not too fond of.

And one of the things that is going to happen that I am not too fond of is that the major who is here in the Plans and Training office now is also going to have.  They all more or less get tired of the whole affair and are glad to get out. I do not as yet know just how this is going to effect my furlough, but I am afraid not too well for they all tell me that I know more than anybody about changes etc.  I am going to have a nice little talk tomorrow with a couple of people about a few things, and see just what comes of it all if anything at all and perhaps I may get something out of the deal somehow or somewhere maybe.  The entire bunch here all are dissatisfied with the entire affair and are all trying to leave or go somewhere or another and the less they have to do around here, the better they feel.

Sunday August 8, 1943

It seems that every time I start a letter to you that the interruptions seem to come twofold to hinder my completion of it. And one more thing to add to the mess here, is that the clerk that is in my office is going to leave this coming week for the ASTP (Army Specialize Training Program) which he applied for a short time ago.  I am sure going to miss him because he has been so dependable and has always done everything so well and carefully with very few mistakes.

But he shall do so much better for himself than he would ever have done here.  And I wish that I were learning at the same time with him for the same thing or OCS.

And as for my furlough. That, they tell me shall have to wait until a later date until we get settled again and perhaps get another clerk in the office.

I, in great desperation a few minutes, I decided that I was going to go over and get myself a pitcher of ice water from the mess hall where I found out a long time ago that it always paid a long time ago that it always paid to stay in good with the cooks and they are always glad to do things for me and the ice water today is certainly a great help.

I received a letter from Aunt Esther the other day and a nice letter from Joseph this morning and I shall have to answer them for I am way behind in my writing and I don’t want to get farther behind.

You asked once how it was that Comm Brett of the Navy lived here on the post.  I understand that he is more or less the representative of the Navy to the Army here or sort of a envoy or go between man.

You asked me in a previous letter if I were receiving my Reader’s Digest satisfactorily.  I wrote them a note telling them of the change in my address and I received a card telling me that the address had been changed and my last one came correctly here, so I guess that that is all straightened out by this time.

The other evening I went out to a very nice place here in San Antonio where they serve delicious seafood meals.  Mrs. Tedesco and my friend John Langstadt also went along.  I had some or shall I say half a very good lobster shrimp cocktail and a very fresh salad with some tartar sauce in all we had a very enjoyable evening.

I have come to the conclusion that I am going to send my watch home and have you keep it there after you have it cleaned.  I had trouble winding it for awhile and then it became very hard to wind after a while sometimes it could not be wound at all at times then again it would quite freely.  So when we went on bivouac I left it with Mrs. Tedesco who has a friend at one of the jewelers here.  She took it down to him and he looked at it and said that it needed cleaning because sweat had gotten in around the stem and that it was a little rusty there but he said that they were two or three months behind in repairs.  He told her that that was quite common around here even on the cheapest of watched and that there was not anything else wrong with it.  The same thing has happened to two or three others that I know of around here.  So, if you see some inexpensive stainless steel on around somewhere that is reasonable, will you get it for me because I am lost without one of some kind.

This Texas has certainly cost me enough since I have been down here: watch, cleaning and the high prices in san Antonio are a crime and a person feels worn out all the time because of the heat.

I was quite surprised to hear of the heat spell in Los Angeles and thereabouts.  I certainly do not envy those soldiers at Indio in any way.

You asked if I had heard from Marshall recently.  I have not hear from him at all and he owes me a letter since I wrote him last,  I thought that I would write again.

They do not give us salt pills but they have them here which I take a few of now and then.  My shirts now after I wear them, are all streaked white where the sweat has been.

What did Mrs. Finley do with the antique bed when she sold her furniture?  I always in a way liked the bed, but some day maybe I will find another which I will like much better.

Yesterday they made two of the first lieutenants here Captains so they should all be drunk this morning.  They always have a big party upon such occasions and then they talk and look it the next five days.

Well the day is growing warmer and I have run but of news so I will draw this to a close now and will write again soon. 

Will let you know when I am going to mail the watch home.

Always love,

Stanley

April 26, 1943

PFC Stanley W Safford

Co “B” Med Serv Sch

Barracks No3

Ft Sam Houston

Texas

April 26, 1943

My dear Mother:

Here is another letter from your very poor letter writing son.  And I do hope you will forgive me for not writing you before this.  I started one Sunday but today when going back to it the letter did not seem to suit me.  So I again will get at it and I will finish this time and get it on its way.  You asked once why I mailed them air mail.  Well when I get around to writing one it is usually been quite awhile since I last wrote. So I mail it that way to save time and have it reach you quickly, if that word may be used.

I want to sincerely thank you for your beautiful Easter card and the two dollars. You really should not have sent it although since you have I think that I will buy myself a good shirt at the PX that is after I think it over for awhile.  What do you think?

Will the other day I went to call on the new company commander about my making my application for OCS and he told me he would and cooperate with me on it and that he thought that I should wait until becoming attached before doing so.  He of course does not cooperate with anyone for anything. So I was telling Sgt Elkins about it and he has no use for the man so he is going to talk to the major and maybe put it through in that manner.  The same man pulled a dirty deal on Sgt Elkins and I think the Colonel will side with Sgt Elkins with it and there is expected to be a nice affair once that Sgt Elkins is leaving about the first of June and going to another hospital in N Texas.  The lieutenant stopped him from going once but now the Col has had wind of it from an outside source and is really on the air about it.

And today I heard I am to leave here about May 10^th.  If and when I do. I only hope and pray that it is a nice camp somewhere although is my application for OCS pans out I may remain.  If and when I do I shall let you know.

I did not go to church Sunday because the weather was so very hot and sticky and I overslept.  I always have a terrible time getting to sleep and remaining that way without being awakened.  Yes they have several churches here on the post including one which they hold in the assembly hall.  I am not too fond of it tho and on top that the colonel comes around every Sun. morning and counts off on his fingers those who are going to church and that makes me sick.

The weather here has been hot and sticky and is certainly nothing to brag about and a person feels like doing nothing at any time.  Maybe my next camp will be cooler.

And the work has been piling up on me something fierce. Zeb the guy in practice ward went home to N Carolina on an emergency furlough and has left practically all the work on Sgt Elkins and myself and it seems that I spend more and more of my time there every day and the Sgt said that it was getting tiresome for both of us in a hurry.

A week ago I as the non com in charge of the practice ward took class out with the major and captain to Camp Bullis about 20 miles from here to look at one of those sanitation areas.  We had a very beautiful ride both out and in.  The Blue bonnets all in bloom and just loads of other pretty flowers.  And also there were large patches of poison oak and ivy in abundance.  In fact that was the first time I had really a chance to see much of the country around here and quite enjoyed it.

Those cookies are certainly good and the slippers sure come in handy after a day of being on my feet all the time.  And the mending job is excellent and will serve the purpose quite well.

One day soon I will send home a box of letters which you can put away for me.  And soon I shall have your caduceus and will send them at the same time with Muriel’s.  Also I will send some very beautiful prints there which include not only the bud but the flowers and trees in the background.

Before my departure I will try and see Ray Coates again.  I shall in a way dread to leave. Because I have made so many friends here but the army is that way.  A person can certainly meet in the army.

Your mentioning Marie Robinson and her no good husband is a very good example of what happens when these high school girls decide to get married while they are too young.  It almost serves her right. And her folks should have put their foot down when the affair started.  Now she will in the end more than likely in the end have a couple kids to care for and support.  These child romances make me laugh.  They just don’t know their own mind.  The usual reason is that they can’t wait to grow up and then they get married and have no more childhood so to speak then they miss it. Then it is a different story.

Had I mentioned before receiving a letter from Aunt Esther the other day.  I always enjoy receiving letters from her.

Would there be any way in which you would get me a ration book. You know they are giving them to soldiers.

One of my WAAC friends who works in the Sales commissary was telling me about how the officers came in and just bought shoes without even trying them on, about a pair ever(y) other week or so.  It is indeed very interesting to hear some of the stories that a person can hear from some of these places. And as a colonel once said the men always knew more about the officer than he did himself. Some of these WAACs are certainly an interesting bunch.  There are quite a few well educated ones also.  School teachers etc.

The fireflies here are certainly an unending curiosity to me, they are surely beautiful little things especially about nine o’clock at night because it does not get dark here until about eight thirty.

Have you heard anything from Marshall recently?  I haven’t.

Can you think of anyone who would write me a very good letter of recommendation, (…?) Mr. Ricks, Mrs. Matson, Miss Brode and Miss Mosher.  That is for OCS of course it would not hurt to have extra ones.

Downstairs in the Service Club here this evening they are having what they call a Sing Song in which they are having anyone who wishes to join them and sing.  There is one WAAC who has sang four solos and she is very good.  She sings the Jeanette McDonald type of things and in my way is much better than her. You would be very much surprised to find the larger member of talented people you can find here and there in the army.

Our classes this week are very good which very much surprised us because usually the last two weeks start to let down quite a bit and they always end up in almost a riot but they are all still aware that I will not stand for any of it so therefore they are quite easy with me.  I have been complimented upon the way that I handle the men.  And only once in a while will it become necessary for me to give them a lecture and if necessary give detail work.  I in a way enjoy working with men and I enjoy drilling them because a person has to be on their toes to handle a large group all in cadence and keep them all in step.  It is late of fun.  Of course what it looks like to someone else I can’t tell but am told that it is rather good.  You would probably enjoy it. It is entirely different from anything that the average from anything that the average person ever expected from me.  And a year ago I would never have thought that I would be doing such myself.  Did you?

I am going to get you a little booklet on the history of Fort Sam Houston which I think you would enjoy reading.

Did I tell you that Whitney the boy that I formerly knew here left last Sunday from Camp Bowie where he is to go home to Washington on a 14 day furlough.

I had better be closing now and going home to bed shall not hurt me any I suppose.

Love from your son

Stanley

Inserted note: 

Esther asked me in her letter if I would write a cousin. Type letter to Frances. I guess you know why.

Aunt Nina spoke of Nelson as being no genius but someone for M to start on. And Joseph spoke of him as being no one to set the world on fire.  Of course a person has to be something extra for him to remark on him.  I would enjoy seeing just what he s like

Stanley