July 4, 1945 - France

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Marseille Area, France - 17

July 4, 1945

Dearest Mother:

Again this afternoon I will write you a few lines and let you know I am still here, and have not been blown away or covered with dust, which the air has been full of the last three days.  Everything from fine sand to particles of gravel have been in the air making everything miserable.

In regards to your questions about my preference of directions.  I think as you do that it would be better to go direct there than home.  It would be much harder the way home first.

Our unit is changing quite rapidly.  Major Grubin is gone.  Major Kuhns is leaving and a good many of the other familiar faces are going.  It will not be the same.

The candy covered walnuts are certainly good.  They have kept when all else has melted.

Received a letter from Muriel telling me of our recent school etc.  One today from Frances and a couple days ago one from Miss Mosher’s niece.

Yes, you are right about us seeing planes in abundance over here.  They have gone over for hours at times in the past, especially when we were near Eindhoven.

Tales are rampant over here whenever Patton is mentioned.  A couple o my friends here worked on teams with the 3^rd Army Hospitals.  He is quite a character.

Have heard no further from Ed Pfan(?) or Herbert Shaffer.  They both owe me letters.  One which I wrote while still at Ft Sam and Herbert was sent a Xmas card last Xmas.  I can no longer be bothered with that type of people.  So busy themselves.  And Jay is another one.  He can just wait.  I am in no mood to write most of the time recently.  Condition here are not at all favorable for writing.

I again giving lectures.  My first one was Tuesday, entitled “History of China”, others will follow later on Japan etc.

Muriel also tells me of Blair’s house being sold and to whom . Witzel really has his nerve.

I want you to send me my brown swimming trunks (short style) and a good pair of sunglasses, which you may have trouble getting.  You will have to pay a good price for them but you can charge to my account.  Polaroid are good ones. Use your own judgment of course.  Do not send until I ask again.

You should have received the 1 June money order by now.

I am going to make plans to see Lloyd Whelchel soon if possible.  I wonder is I will recognize him.  Tell you the details later.  Don’t you have his last address.

Enclosed you will find some negatives which you can have prints of each made and send them to me when I ask for them.  There will be more to follow these.  They are some taken at Bad Salzuflen and Bielefeld.

I am looking forward to getting another letter from you today, as I have not received one from you for some time.

I suppose Richard has reached home by now.  Give him my regards.

Well all for now.  Hope this reaches you all in good health and happy.

All my Love,

Your son

Stanley

10(ten) negatives enclosed.

April 1, 1945 - Germany

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

3

Germany

April 1, 1945

Dearest Mother:

After a busy night I will sit down this morning for a few lines to you and also to tell you that I received yesterday your beautiful Easter card and enclosed note and clipping.  The clipping is very interesting.

My Easter spirit was more or less forgotten.  I thought of sending some kind of card but just completely forgot the whole thing.

So far have received all of your letters up to No7 which was received with the Easter cards I really like the numbering system and will keep my own straight from now on.

My Easter Sunday was rather uneventful and I spent all of my time in our quarters.  Attended services and communion in the morning, which was the first time I had been to church in some time.  The chaplain is no good at all where I was last.  I really like the one they have here and he is a real speaker.

We are in a real nice building here and are quite comfortable and life in general is rather nice.  They have a very attractive garden here which looks very nice to me from here and I shall investigate on a nice day.

I do not believe I have mentioned it previously but while at headquarters Col. Gay offered me the chance to apply for a battlefield commission, but my answer was NO for several reasons which are to lengthy to mention here.

Enclosed you will find two orders of our headquarters noting my recent team  changes.  You can put them away for me as they may be of uses some day.

April 7 – 2pm

I grew rather tired this morning so decided to get some more sleep.  Already this afternoon I have gone for a walk into the before mentioned garden and find it very attractive and there are some very interesting plants there.  The apple trees there are coming into bloom and are simply beautiful.  They of course have the ever present Rhubarb in abundance.  All of the vines are coming out into new leaf.

When I was in Maastricht, Holland they had some rather nice collections in their city park all arranged n different collections.  They also have a deer park with two types of deer and a very large bear.

When you mentioned Uncle Ned (---?) Mr. Matson did he know who he was at the time.

I was very glad to hear your opinion on the picture “Frenchmen’s Creek”.  I am in hopes of seeing it.

I am very glad to hear of Dad’s health improving and hope he is well again soon.  You have not mentioned your own recently.  Hope he does not have to return to the garage soon.

In regards to your question about Kupfer’s violin playing.  He plays very well and plays both by ear and music.  He just recently returned from a pass to Paris. 

Major Skinner is still with us and I saw him in January when I happened to be at the hospital he is located in.  Both he and Major Grubin are doing some beautiful work. 

Most of the last few lines are answers to your letters starting with yours of Feb 25.

The silver pitcher came from Fontainebleau, France and was supposed to have belonged to the Empress Josephine at one time.  Quite a unique story as to how I came into possession of it.

You have not mentioned the mine recently.  Are they doing anything on them or what are their plans?

The reason for our living in private homes while at the Evacuation Hospital was for lack of quarters.  The buildings used for hospital were just large enough for such purpose. We all lived in one place or the other.  We of course had all of our meals at the hospital kitchen.

Had I mentioned previously that I had received two letters from Joseph from last October.  They all had just 339 on them and no designation of organization on it.

In reference to my questions regarding the will, I was referring to Grandpa Matthews will.  I know of course from one of your later letters the answer.  What were the special bequests to other members of the family? Did Gladys get what she thought she would.

All troops here were issued sleeping bags according to WD directives.  Every once in a while they make a reissue of things such as new jackets as we are getting now.  They are a much nicer type, but not quite as warm.

I am glad to hear of you buying new records and tying them out on the phonograph.  That is the reason it is there for.  Your latest additions sound very nice and I am sure they are nice.  “Il Bacia” is very nice.  I saw a picture while in Maastricht regarding the life of Ernest Ball the composer.  The picture had a lot of very good music.  Have you seen “Rhapsody in Blue”” yet? Also saw “Mr Skeffington” with Bette Davis which was very good.  It was the last I saw which was a couple months ago.

Very pleased to hear of the apricot and avocado tree doing well, to(o) bad they can not be moved.

In regards to your question about the clipping regarding the furloughs after the ETO.  I do not know but the CBI looms ahead for some reason to me.

Received Nelson’s address and will write him soon as it may take some time for my last to be forwarded to him.

What happened that Don Finley went into the Navy? I should have imagined he would have be (en) exempted with family etc.

If you wish you may give one of the small plates (Delft) to Muriel.  And only give Thelma one large and one small one.

Your war stamp chain sounds interesting and I am looking forward to hearing more of it.

While we were in Holland I did not see many tulips as the season was wrong and they grow the large bulbs of them further west nearer the coast.  A little place called Heize was the fartherest North in Holland from Eindhoven. That  was way last year tho. That was the place the tents blew down.  Remember?

Well about all for now and thank you for the Air Mail stamps and the jokes which were very good.

(Note from transcriber: Strange ending for the letter… no page is missing that I have found.  Nothing else for this letter)

10 July 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

10 July 1944

Dear Mother:

About time that I was deciding to sit myself down and write you another line or so.  Received your last one Saturday.  I imagine you are quite tired out after all of the visiting and of course you, as usual I suppose, got well behind in all of your work.  Well anyway do not work too hard trying to make it all up.  Take things a little easier as I hope to do after getting aboard the train and on our way.

Well now I will explain what all of the grand rush was over the money.  I decided to finally send my good wrist watch home and get another one.  I have always been afraid of losing it or having something happen to it.  So I bought another one for $23.10 and am quite well pleased. Shockproof and waterproof supposedly.  I did not want to spend everything I have on one watch since the month is a long way off now and a lot of things are going to happen and I will be prepared.  Received your box of walnuts, razor blades and tooth brush and I want to thank you a lot for them.  I mailed the wrist watch home Saturday and you should get it soon.  We have had our time extended so will be here a few days longer from what I hear.

We are just about all packed now and everything is in readiness to go and the sooner the better, since we are under such a pressure all the time in our present state.  I have packed three crates of professional books and do not care if I never see another one.  I also am sending a few home that I have collected here and there, since I came into the army. You may have to go to the depot to pick it up tho.

There will be some parcels of letters tied together which you can put away for me and the rest do as you wish.

I played the smart one the other day and lost my set of keys which included the one to my leather case and another to my footlocker and last the one to the office here.  Somewhere up town in the show, I believe.  I saw “The Story of Dr. Wassell”[1] and thought it very good.  So I had to take the front off the case lock and break the footlocker open.  They had another key, for the office.  I really had quite a time of it. 

I got another pair of shoes and like them very much.  I will send the other ones home and if I need them will send for them.  They are still in very good shape but I do not know what the conditions are where we are going, as far as shoes are concerned.

The new ones are the ¾ shoes and are very comfortable I must have a change from my GI’s.  I would rather take something of that type than some of the other things which they are taking.

Major Grubin is taking my camera for me. Enlisted men are not supposed to have them in their possession on the boat.  The same with all other electrical equipment etc.

You will also find two wool shirts in locker which you can have Dad wear if he can.

Received a letter from Arnold Mansfield, Sunday.

1 page as usual. Nothing much too say.

Well it is bedtime for me now so I will close for now but will try to write again soon.

Take care of yourself.

All my love,

Your son

---

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Dr._Wassell

June 29, 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

June 29, 1944

Dearest Mother:

I had better begin another letter to you, so as to be able to keep up our or rather try to keep up my two a week which has failed quite often here lately.

Our time here is I believe growing near an end. I think that if we see two more week-ends here we will be lucky.  They have a bivouac planned for the officers and nurses for Monday and Tuesday of next week and after that I do not believe it will be long.

Everyone here knows we are ready to leave and are all excited over the whole affair and are all telling us goodbye. Ha Ha. Have I mentioned that the group next door is going thru San Francisco on their way out.

Received your letter of the 21 June which you mailed on the 24, the other day. Very glad to hear of Aunt Edith and daughter visiting you and hope dad and yourself have a nice time.

Well we have really had a bit of excitement here the last couple days with the nurses.  I knew of course that it was coming all the time.  One of the truck drivers had taken the nurses somewhere and was waiting for them when one of them returned early and found him laying in the back of the truck asleep and she awoke him and from what I hear suggested he use her lap for a pillow, so in such a position did the second nurse in charge a(t) Brooke General, a major, find them, and oh! The fireworks did start.  Officers, nurses and enlisted men have all been given lectures on the subject and enlisted men told to stay away from the nurses entirely etc.

Last Saturday they had a field inspection of all three groups and a ceremony of giving out some more Good Conduct Medals to the enlisted men.  Quite a display and everyone and their dog was there to see it. It is quite a rare thing to see so many officers and nurses together at one time.

Major Grubin is on a two day leave and I am here alone in the office and have had nothing too difficult come up yet.  He will (be) back on Saturday.

Today about two o’clock after about four weeks of terrific heat it started to cloud up and a strong wind came up, and within a few minutes it was pouring.  It has done the same thing three or four times since then and everything is all soaked but will soon dry out when the heat returns again.

I have been really doing a lot of cataloguing and packing of manuals of all kinds the last few days, and have just about gotten all of them and I hope to have them all mailed in by Wed. of next week.

You might start hoarding some tea for me because I am or may want some where I think we are going.  In that case you can send me some and I can have hot tea of an afternoon.

You are going to get this footlocker of mine soon and it will be nailed shut but you open it and put away the things as I will inform you later.

Enclosed you will find a couple pictures which may interest you.  I was afraid to have them sent home for fear of not getting them back in time.

All my love,

Your son,

Stanley

12 June 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

12 June 1944

Dearest Mother:

Just a line to let you know that I am still here and have not dried up and blown away yet.

The heat here has been extreme the last couple days and today the weather was very changeable.  It tried to rain a couple of times but never really got anything wet.

Major Skinner and his party of two or three are leaving tomorrow on the advance party for POE. Of course I do not know where it is and it would be a military secret if I did know.

We have been quite rushed here and the officers are about all signed in now and we are in the midst of processing the whole bunch.

The nurses training program begins tomorrow and that is the beginning of more trouble. They have already been a big pain already.  They are not able or do not want to do one thing after the other, and the head nurse is the fault of the whole mess.

Major Grubin is back from his week at home in bed and as yet is not feeling any too spry.

I went into town yesterday and had dinner and saw a show with a friend of mine here.  We had turkey and I had fresh green corn on the cob and it was certainly delicious.  And of course my favourite of course is always iced tea with my meals and believe me it really is nice on these days.

I have been hunting a Parker 51 pen for dad but have been unable to find one so far.  They are quite scarce.

I at last have the saber all wrapped and will mail it tomorrow and will hope that it goes thru alright.

Received a letter from Frances Whelchel yesterday and she tells me also of Esther’s arm not yet getting any better.

I got a lot of new clothes today and I am going to have some work done on some of them since they are quite out of fits in places.

Sgt Ryan is back again and feeling quite well.

Sgt Rapp’s wife had some delicious fried liver with onions which was very good and it was the first liver I have had in a long time that I really cared for.

I delayed sending the letter you mentioned since I wanted to mail it elsewhere for certain reasons.

I look for the European Theater first since the monsoons are just beginning and all the other disagreeable things are starting in Asia.

No I never expected to get that much returned and there was no place on the blank that indicated that I would get any certain amount back.

I heard from Newton Eberhard whom, you once ran kindly home, remember him?

Well enough for now and will write more later.

Love,

Stanley