March 19, 1945 - Germany

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Germany

March 19, 1945

Dearest Mother:

Altho no news from you since last I wrote you I will write a few things this evening.

I once again have moved and am on a new team but till in Germany as you see by the heading.  I have never mentioned in any of my previous letters any of  my present team officers.  Altho here I find a very agreeable group of enlisted men who I have been friendly with before at Ft Sam.

I have just completed a very ornate leather writing or stationary portfolio which will replace the one which Miss Mosher gave me prior to leaving worn with all my travels.  This one should last for some time and them some.

I took a very nice walk into the fields from here today and became very much refreshed by the pleasant countryside, since it has been sometime since I have been in the country.  The countryside certainly shows signs of the coming Spring.  The Pussy Willow have become full blown trees and shrubs are beginning to bud and will soon burst forth in their fresh green splendor.  For some reason I have noticed Spring here more so than ever before.

The other day I received a couple letters which were mailed in December.  They were both Christmas cards, one form Miss Mosher and the other from her nephew.  Also a letter of more recent date from Sgt Rapp telling me he is the father of a baby girl.

I was in to headquarters the other night for a visit and they are in a former textile mill and are quite well situated.  Some of the looms are just as they were left when they fled.  Some of the rolls are only partially completed.  I enjoy going thru some of these mansions which the Nazis have fled and left. They have certainly lived like kings here in some of their places.  They of course have been gone only a short time.  Some of the homes still have plants and such still alive in their green houses and solariums.  And the furniture is certainly all in a grand manor.  Some of the places the furniture is being moved out because it is of such value.  The signs remaining of their existence showed a very pleasant and idle one.  You can well imagine my glory in going thru some of these places.  Can’t you?

Well once again it is bed time and I am ready since it has been a very active day for me since I have played baseball etc for the first time in some time. 

Hope you are all well and happy.

I remain,

Your son,

Stanley

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

January 10, 1945 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Holland

January 10, 1944

Dearest Mother:

Will get this off to you today and hope it reaches you as soon as it would have if mailed yesterday.

Outside the window this morning there is a beautiful scene of winter.  The large trees and the smaller evergreens are all as they would be seen on a Christmas card and the dormant shrubs are simply beautiful with the ice and snow here and there are a few little birds sitting in little groups of chirping now and then.

We are now through with the inventory and I am rather glad as we have done the same thing about three times previously and it is becoming worn out by inventory.

Received a letter yesterday from Ray Coates in San Antonio.  He had a nice idea for a Christmas card on V-Mail which he made himself.  The design was of two deer holding up a sign entitled Camp Mystic and above “Greetings from”.  In all a very nice block print accompanied by his photo small size.  At the base he wrote his letter.

As to the plants which I want saved I will start at the side bed on the East side of the house.  I want nothing saved from there.  The East front bed you can save the spider lily and the other bulbs to the right of steps (snowflakes and scilla) also the tuberous if they still exist and take a few of the white crocus aloud the border.

In the West bed front and the driveway strip between house and drive I want nothing saved since there is disease in there and should not be transplanted anywhere.  I can think of only the narcissus and the roses along Miners’ fence and would like some double poinsettias.  They should all be pulled up if you leave.  In the rear bed you can save some of the cacti and the red rose.  Along and around the garage I certainly want the gerberas and perhaps samples of the carnations and I would like the grapes.  In the rear bed along the fence I want the yellow Iris and a few of the purple ones.  In the beds along the fence I want the bulbs.  They perhaps are coming up now and you may have to take them up if so merely heal them in somewhere.

And above all the Iris (Dutch) that are at each end of the bed.  The tree should be destroyed.  The cymbidiums of course should be taken up.  That is the two which are in the ground and placed in pots.  The Caladium (elephant ears) should also go along and also the Nile Lily and the ground orchid next to the Belbergia, the one I had stakes around.  Also the Belbergia (Poor man’s orchid) I want some of.  Otherwise I can think of nothing else other than potted plants and of course things you want.  You should prime back everything you move.  If the bulbs have not come up yet and you are going to move.  Take them up and put them in wooden boxes with soil as they very likely will leave started to sprout.  Then tear the box apart and set them in the ground elsewhere.  This is about all for now on the plants so enough of this.

I saw a very interesting any good picture the other day, entitled “Old Acquaintance” [1]with Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins and found it very good for a change.  That is from the old type of silly card, same old story type.

Well this is now about all I can think of for now and will write more later.

Enclosed find some *4) German stamps which you may add to my collection.

All my Love,

Stanley

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[1] http://www.threemoviebuffs.com/review/oldacquaintance

December 26, 1944 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Holland

December 26, 1944

Dear Mother:

Surprise! Another note just to let you know that I am still here and so far am enjoying myself a great deal while I have the opportunity.

Today Sgts Kupfer, Olson and myself started out after lunch and saw a little of the town and again I saw some things which I had not seen on previous trips.  We stopped in at the Red Cross doughnut and coffee shop for coffee and doughnuts which were delicious since it required an overcoat outside and also my new scarf which I find quite comforting here.  There was ice on the canal and ice on all the small puddles which remained there all day.  After the coffee etc we went further and discovered they were having a concert with a choir and they were having a concert with a choir and soprano soloist, so we had to take that in also and found it quite enjoyable and a lot of good music which has been my first since leaving the states.  After the concert we came back and had a snack made up of our Xmas presents.  We had not had enough gadding then so decided to take in another stage show and found it very good and a lot of good amusement there.  We are now all back and have settled down to letter counting etc.

I wrote a letter last night to Mrs. Tedesco, Nelson and Whitney who is now in France somewhere.  My letter writing is all caught up as the mail I have received of late has been very little.  In fact none of us over here have received any great load.  We have received our package tho in fairly good order.

You know that while I was in bed I received the same care as is routine for the other ward patients which included 240,000 units of penicillin divided into a total of 12 shots plus a lot of sulfa every 4 hours (q 4h). You can figure up the cost in civilian life at 20,000 units per shot.  Amazing the things they do here.

Well this is about all for now and I will write again soon.  I expect to have the time.

All my Love, your son

Stanley

Enclosed find an article you may be interested in.

December 24, 1944 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Holland

December 24, 1944

Dearest Mother, Dad and Muriel,

Received your V-Mail of December 2, the day before yesterday and was quite please to hear from you again since it had been about then days ago since I had last heard from you.  They are using what transportation they have left for packages and the 1^st class will come later since all transportation is being used elsewhere.

I was quite pleased to hear of you enjoying your anniversary at the races and I am anxious to hear from you regarding your day.

My arm is well healed now and once again I will have to resume my writing and catch upon my mail.  I will be far behind again.  The hospital had a couple very beautiful Christmas trees and quite a few other nice decorations which added a nice touch to things.  The headquarters here has a very pretty tree and all are engaged in a Christmas spirit and I was until this afternoon.

I had a box which I had put the popcorn and the chocolate, dried fruit in the blue cellophane wrapper and the salt in for safe keeping. So last night I put it under my bed after arriving here and this afternoon I discovered it gone.  Some dirty sticky fingered individual here seems to have wanted it more than I.  It certainly burns me up to think that above all else we put up with here that we have to live and put up with this type of person.  A person of this type does not deserve to exist over here in my opinion.  Enough of this before I become angry.

I opened this evening the little package with the billfold and I really like it and think it very attractive and nice and sincerely want to thank you for such a nice gift.  I think Muriel’s Yardley shaving cream is also such a nice gift.  I want also to thank you for the money other nice and useful gift which you have sent me this season and they have all made me very happy. I only wish there was more I could do for you.  I certainly hope you are all going to have a nice day tomorrow and the many that follow it.  You all deserve them.

We have again been transferred and are now going to a larger hospital for a while.  I do not as yet know how that will work out but expect a good experience.

This is about all for now as the news is very scarce here and not too much we can write about.

I close sincerely hoping you are all in good health and that you are having a Joyous Christmas.

I send you all my Love,

Stanley

December 25, 1944 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Holland

December 25, 1944

Dearest Mother:

After a very nice meal of Roast Turkey, Sage Dressing, Marble cake, hard candy. Fresh carrot strips, raisin bread and butter with coffee to drink.  The turkey was much better than usual since it was a little more moist and juicy.  In all we are quite full.

Kupfer and myself have been sitting here this afternoon discussing old times at Dodd Field etc.  It does me good to return here every once in a while but not for too long at a time.

Received a very nice box from Mrs. Kinsfather last evening as quite a surprise.

Well this is about all for now. Have wondered what you were doing today several times.  Did you have a tree this year? All for now.

All my love,

Stanley

December 15, 1944 - Germany

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Germany

December 15, 1944

Dearest Mother:

Received your letter of Nov 29 today and two days ago your letter of Nov 8.  It seems that the mail I have received for Nov has been very small.  We all complain of the same thing tho.  Also received with yours one from Miss Brode. Received also Air Mail stamps in both letters. Thank You so very much.

We once again have Col. MacIntyre with us and are all contented again.  Altho working for our Major was quite enjoyable and he is a wonderful surgeon.

Muriel’s friend sounds quite interesting and I would like to have the chance to meet him.  I am tired of characterless people.

Yes I know the Bing you speak of.  He used to work at the nursery in his odd moments.  He and wife are very nice people.

I hope that by the time you receive this letter you will have received the negatives which are in one of my recent letters.  The manor house you will find the pictures is one called Marbury Hall built by Lord Barrymore about 1805 at a cost of about $600,000 dollars and I really was quite impressed by the entire affair.  There was a beautiful lake which could be seen from the front of the house and the birch forests from the rear.  They had some beautiful Carrara marble[1] fireplaces that simply outdone everything else.

The reason we were in headquarters was because of our team change, we normally do not return to headquarters and it is not encouraged by them.  Our only reason for being there is for just such a change.  Usually they move us without ever seeing them and which is just as well as far as I am concerned as they all give me a pain with their big shot ideas.  I cannot understand why you do not hear from me more often.  I guess my letters will become a(n) every other day affair and then you will hear perhaps a little more often.

Your moving sounds quite interesting and next letter will carry instructions for the moving of a very few plants.  My return home will then be greatly by a new start in plants.

Anyway you have not moved as yet.  If you do get me a nice room overlooking a garden.

The Christmas seals in last letter are different but rather attraction.  I can use them at the letter heading.

Tomorrow’s your birthday and I certainly wish I were there to help you celebrate it with you.  Perhaps next year.  May you have a nice day.  The clippings are interesting.

As ever,

All my Love,

Stanley

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrara

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

24 October 1944 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Holland

24 October 1944

Dearest Mother:

It is now early morning and it has been sometime since last I wrote to you.  A lot has happened and I have seen a lot of new and beautiful country as you see by the above heading.

After moving here we started right to work and we have the twelve hour shift from 8 to 8 and we therefore spend most of our time sleeping during the day when we have the chance.  For myself I never seem to be quite able to get enough and become accustomed to the night work.  It always seems that my waking up in the evening makes things all wrong.

On our way here I had the chance of seeing the famous Albert Canal and the damage which has been done to it during the fighting and they really do make a mess of some bridges etc when they take a notion to destroy one of them.

I have also seen some of the famous Dutch windmills and they are just as they have always been in the pictures which I have seen.

While still in Belgium I was able to buy two pairs of very inexpensive wooden shoes and have already sent one pair to Ann next door and I am sending the other pair to you with two pieces of lace and two little hand painted pitchers.  The wooden shoes I would like to have you wrap up and give to Jon Matson as a Christmas present from me.  The two pieces of lace are for you and the little clay pitchers you can put away for me.  It will serve as part of an anniversary present to you from me.  Enclosed you will find also a small card which you may like. About all I could find in the way of cards.

In a lot of the windows the Belgi(ans) have pictures of King Leopold and his deceased wife Astrid.  They are quite loyal and patriotic.  They or most of them have flags hanging out or in the windows and here in Holland they have larger flags than either France, Belgium or Luxembourg had on display.

On a couple occasions I was over in Luxembourg, but while there never had the chance to see any of the cities etc enough to really see a difference in it from Belgium.

Our teams here have not received any mail for two weeks so I have none of our questions to answer.

The countryside around us here is very beautiful and is certainly peaceful and quiet in appearance and yet in the distance we can hear the bombardment and see the flashes of light after dark.  The people here practically all wear wooden shoes and they are quite picturesque, more so than any I have seen before.  The horses all wear bells and pull larger loads of things on small carts usually with a child or two on top.  I have never seen such clean struts and harness(?) as they have here.  That was one of the first things that I noticed and it impresses me more so each time I see it.  They have in the past prior to the war been quite modern as the electrical stores are quite frequent as well as other appliance stores are.  The towns are still “off limits” to soldiers so have not had the chance to really see much of them.

Had I mentioned before that Rommel had been kept at the Paris hospital where our headquarters was for a while?  He left there on his way to Berlin the last the people there had seen of him.

The war news from here, that is what we hear of it sounds very good but does not promise “White Christmas” at home or any time quite as spectacular for us.  A remark was made the other day here by a party which I have heard several times before “The political situation is the states has something to do with this”.  I wonder, or have you heard the same?  It came as quite a blow to me here of the death of Wilkie and I undertand Aimee McPherson.  All passed on to her reward.  The news was in one of the army papers I got a hold of.  Was her funeral as elaborate as her life?  From the item I imagine that it must have been.

Have you heard from Hazel Easterman?

Well enough for now and it is about bedtime for myself so I will write again soon.

All my Love,

Stanley