20 February 1945 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

2

Holland

20 February 1945

Dearest Mother:

Received today your most welcome letters of January 22 and February 2 and they answered a lot of my questions previously asked.  I am also quite relieved to hear of the $35 money order.  Now you have one more on the way which was mailed yesterday.

You mentioned nothing of the amounts involved etc. in the will I am rather curious although I have no reason to be so.

The weather outside here today is quite muddy since it has rained for the last two days and just the other day it looked like real Spring.  Anyway nature is getting ready as the buds are all swelling and will be ready when Spring does arrive.

Also received the Air Mail stamps which were enclosed in both letters.

Also very glad to hear of the allotment and Bonds finally getting all straightened out and in order.  Any of the money orders sent I want you to use them or deposit them to my account and use them for the purchase of stock or such things.  I am glad to hear of you thinking of buying more.  They are for me money better than the bank or War Bonds.

We were playing cards here at the house with the people the other evening.  We had a very enjoyable time topped off with some very good wine with cherries etc in it.  The wine was currant.  You remember how I liked the currant wine Clarence[1] brought down with him a few years ago.

We are going to work tonight and without a doubt will be up all night as we are First Call.  Last night we were Third Call, so slept.

We have been issued new sleeping bags and they are rather nice if a person can prevent himself from being entangled in it as it has a habit of becoming trusted around the sleeper.  We have just laid our sleeping bags on the matters which is on the bed in our room.  So we are quite comfortable.

Dad taking the fruit trees etc to the desert is a very good idea.  They should do alright if they are not eaten up, and have a mild winter the first year.  Were they not rather expensive?  Did you get any kind of a discount?

In looking over Gertrude’s last letter she tells me he was in England and expecting to be sent over here.  Did you know he was here?

I met a nurse here who knows Gaylord Hess[2] in Chicago.  She says he has a special incubator that they were using at St Luke’s where she worked.

Yes, I remember the Camillia “Franciscus.  Very beautiful.  Also very expensive variety.

Well can think of not much more tonight so will close for now.

I heard from Susanna Ingram.  Their three are really doing well.  Funny about those kids.

Well good bye for now.  Take care of yourself and the same for the rest of the family.

All my Love,

Stanley

PS:

Yes, I think you are right about the desert trip you should be the one to take a vacation once in a while.  Very hard for me to understand why she should care so much about going up there is more than I know.

Very amusing about the chick from Florence.  You are perhaps right about it.

Enclosed find four notes

 – 3 Luxembourg

-          1 – 10 francs

-          1-20 francs

-          1-50 francs

- 1 German

-          1-100 marks 1908

Signing off.

Note from the Transcriber:

CODE: SITTARD

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[1] Clarence WILDE

[2] Gaylord HESS, son of Charles Hess and Bertha Safford, b Mar 1890, Newton Co. IN.  Bertha Safford was Stanley’s paternal GreatAunt, making Gaylord and Stanley 1^st cousins once removed.

23 September 1944

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York

New York

23 September 1944

Dear Mother:

Decided this morning, after coming off work, that I have waited long enough to write you.

We have been moved since my last station that is six of our teams here at this field hospital and our team has been on the night shift from 8-8, and I have been using the day hours for sleep.  During the last few night (two) I have been able to sleep some during the night.

The information that Mrs. Hall’s cats being of the Cheshire type.  We were stationed there for a while you know.

I am getting quite a collection of post cards in my travels which I am having to carry around with me as I am not able (to) mail them home as yet.  I acquired quite a few in our last station as it was the first chance I have had to really get around.  The French really have some very attractive cards.  Much nicer a lot of them than ours.

In one city we were in recently they were willing to pay 100 francs for a package of cigarettes.  As for myself I managed to do more by trading then for things I wanted.  The present exchange is 50 francs to our American dollar, so you can imagine what some things cost in American dollars.  Of course we are filthy rich to most of them.

Have the censors been doing much to my mail?  I never try and write anything which I tab(oo)  but often wonder if they find non passable things.

Just two months from leaving Fort Sam were we ready to start to work here.  That is rather quick, and much faster than most units.

I received your letter of the 31 Aug the night before leaving.  Have had no mail since then, of any kind.  But as time goes on I do not miss it as I used to because we have waited quite often since we left home.  That is one objection to us being Auxiliary.

I left so hurriedly from our last station that I did not have time to mail home some perfume which I bought.  So Sgt Kupfer said that he would wrap and send it for me to you.  There are two bottles, one is “Balloggia”[1] by Caron which is sky high in (the) states and the other was just put into the bargain.  I want you to divide the bottle of Ballloggia between Nina, Muriel and some for yourself as Xmas presents. You may keep the other bottle for yourself.

I wish I could get more for you but the condition seem against it.  I hope you have received the English silver by the time you receive this.

In answer to your question regarding the bicycle riding.  I usually borrowed one from the Major of someone else when I needed or wanted one to go somewhere.  Yes, I had to practically (learn) how to ride one before going very far, but I caught on quite soon and landed in a briar hedge one evening while going down a small hill which there are a lot of in England.  All of their roads are hedged and quite a few of them are plants with thorns, and a lot of them.

I hope that you will excuse this stationary as I am too lazy to go to my tent and get my other.

I understand Bob returned East still troubled.  From the money he has spent he should be free from such trouble by this time.

Well enough for now and I will try not wait so long the next time.

All my love,

Stanley

 

Separate sheet:

You are perhaps very right about o many of the relatives being so close to us there.  Perhaps we can move again to another place.  Of course Florence can well take care of her father for a while. Ha! Ha!

I am writing a letter to Muriel on the afore mentioned subject and let us hope it does some good.

PS: also mailed the perfume to you

Note from the transcriber:

coded word: BREST

These last few letters are not in chronological order but in the order they were received by Grace Safford, Stanley's mother.

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[1] "Bellodgia"  Perfume by Caron in Paris, France, was introduced in 1927 .

October 28, 1943

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Ft Sam Houston

Texas

October 28, 1943

My dear Mother:

A whole week has gone since last I wrote you and I decided that since it was Saturday and the work is all done, anyway, as far as I am concerned for the week-end.  I spent the entire afternoon running around and working while everyone else got the afternoon off as usual on Saturday.

I received the box of cookies and candy today and I want to thank you for them.  From what I gather Muriel had something to do with it also. Thank her for me. And I shall have to write her very soon.

This morning we got up to a very cloudy and dismal looking atmosphere, but this afternoon it turned out quite nice and warm, and it was quite nice up on the post when I was riding around and everything was all the nice and new and bright colors of autumn, which of course is something new around here for a change.  The country around here is so very beautiful this time of year.  The other day we went out on a short one day excursion into the surrounding countryside where there are some very beautiful oaks and above all some very large and old Wild Pecan trees which are just beginning to shed the largest fruit of the year and we spent the largest part of our time out there hunting and knocking out of the trees, after which time we would sit down and crack and eat them and were they delicious and they certainly have a fresh and good flavor.  Those which have fallen on the ground are never any good for the squirrels or field mice and worms always get them first.

How have the Pea seed which I got for Dad doing or has he as yet planted any of them. They should be very good for this time of year.  Let me know how they are coming along.  Also how are the Cymbidiums coming along.  Did the new leaves ever come up where the one was broken out when I was home.

I suppose Richard Miner is really painting the town red while he is home. He very likely will spend very little time at home and they very likely see very little of him.

I was so glad upon receiving your Air Mail today to hear of how well Aunt Nina is getting along.  It would be awful for Uncle Bill to go real bad now along with the rest of the trouble that they have now.  I would really like to see them settle down and get a home of their own and take things easier.

Tomorrow I am planning on going to the post Chapel to hear some more organ music and a soloist of some kind which should be very good.

Have you as yet seen the pictures which were taken while out at Miss Mosher’s.  She said that she was going to send you some copies and I was just wondering.  They really turned out very good.

The other evening I did take time out to go to Mrs. Tedesco’s house and help them make some masks and mine turned out quite well.  Gladys is staying there with her now until she moves into her own home again.  You asked regarding Lt Tedesco’s grade.  He is a 1^st Lt and awaiting to become a Captain.  He is in the Chemical Warfare Service and is Chemical Officer for Tarran(?)t Field, at Fort Worth, Texas.

Yes, I received a very nice letter from Nelson and he writes quite nice letters.

Also while there she showed me the new additions to her set of silver (Sterling) which she recently got.  She now has a complete set for twelve and it is the “Chantilly” pattern which I think is very pretty.  Have you ever seen any of it?

Were the guavas (feijoa sellowiana) the same kind which I brought home from school a couple of times?  They always make very good jelly.

Well the news which I have has just about run out so will close for now and will write again very soon.

So good night for now.

As always,

Your son

Separate sheet inserted in the envelope:

Here is one of those separate sheets.  Your mentioning the letters of Florence.  As always she knows more than anyone else about someone else’s affairs and why she is told by her father is more than I can see.  He certainly puts up with a lot from his other two children.  And of course as you stated Marie and Leland buying an $8000 home.  Of course as you say they still have to keep up a front.  And I am beginning to think that he is just as bad as she is.

Maybe they can take care of Grandpa for awhile now and take him off your hands for awhile as well as some of their junk which you have had for years.  And when the git moved in you be sure and stop in for Sunday sinner a couple times and make sure you are very tired when dish washing time comes.

Of course she will very likely have to have a maid along with the rest of the things.  When they get through they will have quite an expensive affair out of it.  Well I could go on all night on this topic so will close.

What do you think of the Blue lining?