June 26, 1945

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Marseille Area

June 26, 1945

Dearest Mother:

After the time has rolled by so rapidly, I realize it has been ten days since last I wrote you.   But after a few days here I realize there is nothing to write of.  One day is followed by another one just as hot and dry as the preceding one.  I never saw such a place before that lacked so much as this place does.  All that saves us is the ocean (which I can see) breeze which cools things off some.  The day before yesterday the last package you sent me with the hair oil, Vicks etc arrived in good shape.  The candied walnuts were as always good and I do appreciate you sending them.  In this weather they are the only kind of candy that will keep.  All of the chocolate melts into a nice mess.

Have here your letters No 18, 23,24 and your V-Mail No26 telling of Mrs. Miners good fortune of Richard coming home.  Also have letters from Joseph, Jay and Mr. Tedesco who is no longer in Ft Worth.  They are now in Okla. Just over the Texas line.  She received the bottle of perfume which I sent her and she really liked it.

On the roll of film you received, do not forget to have prints made for me.

The passes to the Riviera which I mentioned previously fell through as everything else does here.  So we are here for a vacation. 

When you see Marshall be sure to give him my regards.  He has owed me a letter for some time.  I suppose he now has many other things to think of tho. And I do not blame him.

Sorry to hear of you catching a cold.  I have been lucky in that respect and have not had one since I was in Holland last October.  And that was severe enough for me to last for some time.

I can well understand the ordeal of Jay being out to dinner.  He wears anyone out if they have to be around him for a very long period of time.  He has never told me about writing him.  When he does he will really get a piece of my mind.  He wrote of Nina and Bill being there also.

Glad to hear of Kathleen being married again. Ann as you say needs a father and a better home than she now has.

I had often tried to get a gun for Dad, but with no luck. And then they would have to be carried around with me and all that so I never considered it worth it.  And the clipping recently received is just about what I thought would happen some day.

How high are the fuchsias by the steps?  I supposed they have really grown.

I gave up on the German.  I would rather have them learn English which most of them are willing to do as they think th Americans will be around for some time.

We are now off the essential list of Army personnel, but our status is still unchanged.

The story of Jay and the tablecloth was very amusing.

Did the “Easter Lilly” in the shade garden do anything this year?  It should bloom this Fall if it came up at all.  All the roses needed a good pruning and it always does them good.

I am a little ahead on Air Mail stamps just now but I will have for them soon when I will not be receiving any from you.

Yes, I remember Rev. Gaines and I always liked him.  He used to come to the garage while I used to be there.

Yes I wrote V-Mails to everyone I owed letter

Well about all for now and until again from the Dust Bowl”

February 16, 1944 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Holland

February 16, 1945

Dearest Mother:

I have nothing much to write about today but will write a few lines anyway to let you know I still am able to write.

The weather here today has been beautiful and Spring seems just around the corner.  The trees here all look as tho they would soon be in bud, but they tell me it is too early for Spring.

I suppose my little apricot tree is thinking of starting to bloom.

We are getting on quite well with our family and find them quite interesting and agreeable.  I am learning quite a bit about the Dutch people and their customs.  The little boy, that is the smallest one, who is seventeen, got me a set of very beautiful stamps the other day.  They are some which were printed while the Germans were here.  I will send them along with another money order.

W have worked part of the last two night and I like being back to work again.  One thing I really would like to have done tho would be to have gone to Brussels as we had planned.  I never even went to Liege again even as close as it was.

I am now just about caught up with all my writing and am now waiting for some more to answer.  Our mail has been very scarce here recently.  I have heard from Mrs. Tedesco and Miss Mosher in last few days.  Miss Mosher sent her letter in two V-Mail forms typewritten.  So it makes a very nice letter.  I still owe one to Joseph and will have to get one started to him.  I always like to write a nice long letter to him as his are always so generous.

The father here just showed me a new pair of shoes he bought and they have wood sole on them and he tells me they are nix good (no good). Altho they do have a rubber heel of some kind.  The little girl here is quite a housekeeper.  She does all the mending, cooking etc. since there is no mother in the family.  She is only thirteen years old.  They have a hired girl although.  The mother was killed as a result of a bombing last September.  All four children speak very good English.

I want you to send me another tablet of this type with some more envelopes, plain and air mail, also some more of the chocolate and also a can of shrimps it they are not to(o) many points.

Well about time to bring this letter to a close and I remain as always.

All my Love,

Stanley

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.

1 November 1944 - Holland

Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

APO 339

c/o Post Master

New York  New York

Holland

1 November 1944

Dearest Mother:

I have been sitting here by the fire for sometime this morning debating on whether or not to write now as we may be busy later in the day.

We have had quite a rush since my last letter and have also changed shifts from night to day which I like better as things seem more normal for me.

Received a small parcel of mail the first part of last week, and it contained six of your letters from Sept 14 – October 17.  One of them contained Dewey’s speech and I really liked that.  For my money he is by far my choice.  It is hard for me to understand what has happened to a lot of my letters although I suppose with all of the moving around that we have done we may be lucky to have had service as we have had with our mail.  I am quite surprised and rather worried about the silver not reaching you by that last letter.  The package situation, I suppose, is just awful at the same time a letter from Joseph and Mrs. Tedesco and another V-Mail from Miss Mosher.

As for the mention of our whereabouts in my letters.  Our position of course would give out a lot of information as to losses etc of the supported units. Censorship of Service Forces has always been more strict than with combat units.  You hear over the radio where they are but not if losses are heavy etc.  factors which are vital to the enemy.

I received the statements also and was quite glad since I now know where I stand. Since the bond affair is always coming up and they seem to have the opinion that they would just as soon have everyone buy their own bonds, I have decided to drop mine and then make an additional $25.00 allotment to you and you can buy one $25 bond a month for me and use the balance in clearance of my debt to you.  Perhaps that will be a much better system all the way around for all concerned.  You can buy them the same as they have been coming.

I believe that I have received all of the snaps which you mention such as the ones of Aunt Edith etc.

Sent another package to you yesterday and it contained post cards, 3 German printed French francs, some Scotch heather and 2 pairs of swimming trunks which I have decided to finally send home after bringing them this far.  The packages I have sent so far have been : 1. Silver; 2. Versailles portfolio; 3. Paris flower book; 4. Wooden shoes for Jon which contained lace for you and then the one last night.  Did you get the lace collar? And are you going to be able to use it if you did?

I am enclosing in this letter some money (bills) which I have picked up while in my travels over here.  You perhaps will be interested in some of it.  A lot of it is Invasion money and others are pre war money.  I really have no place to carry much money for collection purposes and it is better off at home.  Also you will find enclosed the silver certificates, giving dates and periods.  You can keep them with the silver.  You take notice of the dates.  They are really ancient.

Our headquarters ha(ve) moved a little nearer to us now so we should not have much trouble in getting our mail hereafter as we have had in the past.

I never dreamed that a canal could be as large as the Albert Canal is and the destruction of the bridges etc along it are masterpieces of tearing things down.  Liege is a town much larger than I ever imagined it to be.  The part which surprises me is that things are modern in so many of them.  Modernistic buildings are nothing new here at all.  All of the cities of any size have both residential and business districts all modern.

The “Sect. 8” which you mention is merely a part of or a type of discharge.  There are eleven sections and the VIII is just one of them.  The CDD is “Certificate of Disablement Discharge” in other words a physical discharge on Mental disablement.  A person can just act funny and get one of those.

Your mention of fall weather makes me homesick as I used to always like the fall and the thought of a beautiful Spring to follow.  Over here we have mud and chilly nights.  The trees are all bare except for a few leaves here and there on them.  They make a beautiful tracing against the autumn skies that we have here.  The country here is just like the painting of the Dutch masters who have painted them and captures their beauty long ago.

I am very fond of your idea of the bookshelves for my books. I often thought of getting one for myself before coming into the army but never got around to it.  I have always wanted to have a large kidney desk in mahogany as a sort of business desk.  That of course will have to wait until another day.  You can charge the bookcase to me.

Do not become worried as my mail will eventually all show up.  I try never to let too long a period of time elapse between them, but I will do better in the future.

What are the full details of Ethel Zimmers exit from their home?

Well all for now mother and more later. Hope this finds you all well.

All my love,

Stanley

Juy 2, 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

July 2, 1944

Dear Mother

Received your card of “Olvera Street”[1] today as well as a nice long letter from Mr. and Mrs. Matsons.  Yes, I wish that I were there to enjoy the dinner etc with you.

The Laboratory group next door left yesterday afternoon amid a lot of confusion caused by the post in getting them all cleared.  I really will miss them since they were certainly a wonderful group of boys, in fact much better than our own group is.  They were all a little more educated and read the most important magazines etc.  They could always carry on a good conversation where our group is always at a loss for that. Their POE was changed to Seattle, Wash instead of San Francisco.

We as yet have not gotten our Port call, but when we do we will really move.  You see we will go thru three stages.  First the Staging center then from there (to) the Concentration center, from there the actual POE or port. It should take but a few days for the entire affair.  And we will more than likely get about five days notice to get ready and out of here on our way to the port.  We are certainly scheduled to have a long and heavy train.  We are supposed to have Pullmans but we can very well still sit up all the way.  They already have our seats all numbered and everything else all by the numbers.

Well enough for that, and on to other subjects.

I hear that Mrs. Tedesco is going to go up to Denver to see her folks this month and will return next month.

Our officers and nurses are all going out on a bivouac this coming Tuesday and will be gone overnight.

I certainly hope that they like it for a change. We were originally set to go but they changed their minds at the last moment.

Enclosed you will find a picture which was clipped from the post paper.  I(t) was taken a week ago when we had the award of “Good Conduct” medals.  We stood there and listened to the Colonel and our adjutant speak, and neither one of them can speak worth a clam.  When we came n we were all wringing wet. Also you will find pictures of the surgical truck, which were taken on my camera when they were loading it for shipment to Washington. I gave the original negatives to the front office.  Also a picture of a peacock which is not very good.

My new helper is really a grand improvement and is certainly a well educated person and is so much more efficient than the last Texan which I had in here.

I have accomplished so much more here lately and done it much better. Sgt. Ryan is also in here helping me now on some typing etc.  By the last of next week I should have practically everything done and ready.

I am going to send you some maps home that you may be able to use.  They are rather nice.

The weather has been hot as can be up until this afternoon when it started raining, which should cool things off some.  The weather was fine at the pool earlier today and the water ideal.

I have run out of news for this time so will close and I will keep you posted.

Love,

Stanley

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[1] http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r293/VIEWLINER/1004%20VLTD/OLVLA1.jpg

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

April 4, 1944

Sgt Stanley W Safford 39539976

5^th Auxiliary Surgical Group

Dodd Field

Fort Sam Houston

Texas

April 4, 1944 (enveloped stamped May5)

Dear Mother:

I decided to try and write you a few lines this evening and perhaps catch up again to my two letters per week at last. 

For the past three days I have been going up and helping Sgt Rapp clean out his house on the post and get it ready for his wife who is coming down in a couple of weeks.

We are cleaning all the floors and wood work and are going to hang curtains etc.  He tells me he is quite glad to have my knowledge of home making with me.  He tells me he has never had anything to do with that sort of thing before.  I will go into details of the house at a later time.

I received your letter of the 28^th telling me of Richard’s missing over Austria and I shall have to write Mrs. Miner a letter soon.  It is certainly too bad and I am sorry to hear of it.  It very likely hit Mrs. Miner quite hard as she has already been quite sick of his being over there, let alone the fighting.  I hope there is the chance that he may be in enemy hands as a prisoner.  I am the same as you regarding the control of emotions when it comes to subjects of this kind.

We have heard nothing but bivouac for the last few weeks here in the offices and they have talked of flying both going and returning by air to such places as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Great Lakes, etc.  But we will very likely end up by going up here to Marfa, Texas or Hot Springs, Arkansas, at least I hope so.

The other day we had a very nice hike with a swim afterwards during which time one of the Majors helped me with my swimming.  I often wonder if I will ever be able to swim.

Received a letter from Jay the other day and I will have to return him a short note.  I send him short ones in answer to his short ones.  He tells me that Aunt Nina and Uncle Bill are just his friends.

I am going to go to Fort Worth one of these weekends on a three day pass to see the Botanical Gardens there which should be very nice now.  Mrs. Tedesco tells me that the roses are very nice there now.

It would make a nice trip for me and some relaxation.

The weather here has been none too good the last couple days.  A cold wind combined with rain all day today and rain all day yesterday and the day before.  And this office was like a barn all day and I had to wear my field jacket all day and my raincoat when I did not have the jacket on outside.  We have been having some spectacular lightning storm here also and the tent would be as bright as day at times during the night.  The frogs are really coming out and they are making their noise all night.

The Medical Laboratory next door (is) giving out blanket furloughs so they will very likely be on their way soon.  A person would really be surprised to see the great number of fellows which I have known in the posy, back here at Ft.Sam Houston in the reassignment antic who have already been overseas and back already for some reason or the other.

Well I am tired now so will close send you my love and asking you to take care of yourself.

What is Maibelle’s sons name?  Jerry what?

Love,

Stanley

Hope you can read this…