Between Nov. 1942 and Aug. 1945, Stanley W Safford wrote around 180 letters to his mother. These were found neatly preserved in the order they were received, in his old bedroom at his parents'. They were wrapped with a green ribbon. Stanley was one of the first Army medics. He spent 19 months at Fort Sam Houston, TX training other medics. His group was attached to the Ninth Army in the Summer of 1944. His letters give a front row seat to a medic's life during WWII.
Showing posts with label hospitals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hospitals. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Mulhausen - April 1945
If you recognize anyone, please contact me and I will be glad to forward copies of the pictures.
May 22, 1945 - Germany
Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976
5th Auxiliary Surgical Group
APO 339
c/o Post Master
New York New York
Germany - 13
May 22, 1945
Dearest Mother
After such a long time the censorship
has been lifted and the idea alone inspires me to write a few letters today.
From my room here, which is a corner
room on the third floor of a German civilian hospital I can see for some
distance in places where the trees do not restrict my view. The sky is overcast and has been trying to
rain but perhaps eventually the sun perhaps will shine.
Another sergeant and myself are the
only ones here, and that is only for the military portion of the hospital of
which they have 200. Our business is
merely the Allied Administration of POW Hospitals and the last place I was
doing the same work only the major was with me.
He is now across town at another hospital. I only make rounds with him once in a while.
My last station was at Bad Salzuflen,
which is one of the very beautiful little towns in the famous resort center of
Germany. The Wehrmacht turned it into a
hospital center before their defeat and we have taken over and are clearing out
all the sick POWs. Our house there was
surrounded by beautiful gardens full of trees, shrubs and flowers. We have
gardens here but we are more or less in a hotel. We had maid service there for everything
including the serving of the meal. We
have the same here. And the beds here are the real thing for comfort.
You will find our location not far
off the Autobahn south of Hannover in case you have a map there.
The last place had hedges (artificial)
constructed through which the run water slowly, and when the breezes blew thru
them the air became cooled. They had a
great number of them all about 30 feet high in various places around the
hospitals.
The town here is quite torn up since
it was a German Army headquarters and hospitals or not they had to get the
headquarters.
You mention Iris being in bloom in your
letter No15. Here in the resort place
which I am (at) they have been originated here and are really beautiful. You should also see the Rhododendrons which
they have here. Nurseries are quite
abundant here. Pansies are certainly
beautiful in the large beds outside.
You perhaps can tell from the outward
appearances of things that I am very happy at present, despite the enclosed
clippings which I have always known would more than likely happen, as I have
told you previously that I did not expect to get out for some time to come, so
the news does not affect me too much.
The MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) number of 861 is mine and the
225 is Sgt Ryan since he is a male nurse.
The doctors are all worried now since they are declaring us
essential. Ha Ha!
Has Mrs. Miner heard anything of
Richard yet?
Received a very nice letter from
Howard Kiel the other day. Also others
received have been from Thelma, Aunt Dell, Jay, Miss Mosher and Joe.
In your letters 16 and 17 you at the
time were expecting something to happen.
I often before then had heard of things happening but that type of thing
always take time. Conditions here with the Displaced Personnel such as the Russians
is becoming impossible in more ways than one.
But enough of this for now as the time will come when I can tell you
more.
Glad to hear of you getting the
chickens. You should save the best
rooster of the bunch and have your own source of chicks hereafter.
Muriel’s birthday has slipped upon me
without me knowing it so it you think of something she wants within reason,
will you get it for her as a present from me?
You need not worry about replacing
the money too soon. If you need it for
other things, do not fail to use it for such, as I am in no need of it here and
perhaps will not be for some time. No
need of caching bonds for cash as long as you have my money handy. You have invested in them so get the full
value from them.
I had a notion some time ago to ask
you for Mrs. Ohashi’s address, only I thought it would seem rather strange to
him if not an insult. You get it for me
and I may be able to use it some day in the administration of Japanese
hospitals etc. Would be rather
interesting.
Well about all for now and thanks for
the airmail stamps enclosed in two letters and I hope this reaches you in good
health and that Dad is well recovered from the accident.
All my Love,
Stanley
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
May 13, 1945 - Germany
Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976
5th Auxiliary Surgical Group
APO 339
c/o Post Master
New York New York
Germany 11
May 13, 1945
Dearest Mother:
After a very hot day, which I am told
is very rare here I will write you a few lines to let you know I am still in
circulation.
I have spent the day making rounds
with the major on an inspection tour of former German hospitals in the surrounding territory.
Our team is no longer in
existence. The nurse has been returned
to headquarters and the other technician is with the other officer. In other words we are all over. We arrived here yesterday from our last
station much nearer the former front that here.
We came thru headquarters for lunch and then on back over the famous “Reichsautobahn” highway and had a much
better chance of seeing some of the country than we had on our way up. The country is now in its full Spring beauty
and I imagine it is at its best.
The highway I speak of is four lanes,
two each way with parkway dividing them and now crossroads. All incoming road are either underpasses or
over passes.
The 5th Aux. Status is as
yet as far as I know a deep secret which no one has as yet answered for
us. I am just as happy in my present
place as I could be anywhere else, especially at headquarters which I want no
part of at present or any time in the future as has been mentioned. I am the only 5th Aux enlisted man
here and I am left entirely alone, so in the future I am going to get some
writing done in my spare time instead of sitting around talking with others as
previously done.
The gardens here are certainly very
pretty. Found a lilac bush the other day with each individual flower in the
spray about as large as a violet and in the same dolor. That
was the first time I have ever seen like that. Outside there is a beautiful blood red peony
in full bloom which I had a desire to pick but it is much too pretty for that.
I have not received any mail from you
for 8 to 10 days, but eventually it will come thru, I am sure.
3 hours later
After a long walk in the park I will
finish my letter. Noticed in the woods a
lot of “Jack in the Pulpit” plants and along the path in one place a lot of “Lilly
of the Valley”. The stream is alive with
fish after the mosquitoes.
Sgt Ryan is
near here somewhere but I know just not where.
Strange to be so far from the others.
Well about all for now and more later
when I have the time and more to write off.
As always,
Love
Stanley
PS:
We had a lot of released Air Corps prisoners at our last station
and from them I understand they only had two Air Corps enclosures one in Pomerania
and the other in Austria where Richard Miner perhaps was. They are certainly being well take care of
and are being flown out.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
January 16, 1943
My dear Mother:
I suppose you have been looking in the mail box every day and in hopes of finding a letter there from me. But I think I am in the same boat as you are as far as having a lot of time to write in, because we sure have not had too much in the past week and they have really meant a lot of study for me. I brought my grades up on my Anatomy and Physiology test, as I told you in my brief letter of last week. I got 89 on my first test which did not phase me too much although there is a lot of them leave here with an average of lower than that. So on my Anatomy test which we had for two hours and were graded two times, one for each hour and I got a ‘Xs’, which stands for excellent and is the highest a person may get. How I made out on the other ones I do not know for the grades have not been given out yet.
I received your letter of Jan 11 Friday and was sure glad to receive it as I am all of your letters, for I sure like to receive letters though I am not able to write much myself.
Yes I will receive the large sum of 54 dollars a month now but when they get through hacking at it for insurance which comes to $6.50 and the bond a month at 418.75, and $1.50 for laundry, these deductions will lessen it $26.75 and here at school we only get half or two thirds pay for some very silly reason of which no person has been able to explain as yet, not even the company commander. The only excuse is that this is not our permanent camp or something of that type. So if I find myself running short I will cancel my bonds and if that bond is not there by the fifteenth of February, you let me know and I can cancel it in short order because of they take it from your pay they will present the bond very shortly thereafter or they will hear about it. Some of the boys have been in four and five months and made out family allotments and have had the $22 taken from their pay each month and the family has not received a cent yet. That is very poor management, in my opinion and they treat me better or I will take care of my own money.
The Brooke hospital is strictly an Army hospital but they do have a few civilians there but the head of the hospital is an army man. I have as yet not been once but hope to next month. One of my acquaintances is in the officers ward and says some of them are very easy to care for but there is one Col there who is quite a problem and is always fighting with the nurses and ward attendants all the time. There was a Col. Over there that died last week. Most of the army hospitals are named after Medical Corps generals etc such as the Letterman in San Francisco and the Fitzsimmons in Denver. They practically established the Medical Branch and there is the Walter Reid in Washington DC.
I also received the box of letters and the handkerchiefs and sox for which I want to thank you for as you say they come in handy and also the letters. The one from Camp Cooke I do not even know the person although he knows me. He speaks of Mr. Vosbery and school and of Carl Hamilton but do not think I will even answer it for I cannot even read his name. If it comes to me who he is I may but I already have too much writing. I also sent a short note to Ray Coates telling him I was here, perhaps I will see him soon and Marshall’s letter was quite peculiar and he did not state why he wrote to me instead of here. One of his statements was: “I am saying these things because I realize now, more than ever that I may never see you personally again” and he refers to Dec 7, 41 a year ago and also refers that he may go overseas or that I might. What do you think of that?
I sure appreciate your sending me the newspaper clippings from home, although San Antonio has newspapers but they do not compare with L.A. papers.
What did you think of the inside of Joe’s house and the Chinese rug etc. Quite nice of Mrs Scheltina to call on you. She is quite sociable that way and her curiosity was probably getting the best of her and if I know them they have discussed us pro and con, and both of them are good at flattery. She never gets much company from Mr. Scheltina. You know he is 80y old and that is quite a bit older than she.
Do not forget my s----(?) is in the chest in my room, so watch it once in a while. Do this Nelson’s parents have money?
The reason I asked about the church is that there is one of those religious fanatics here who’s always talking about his church but since I have learned to stay away from these religious fanatics. You wouldn’t want to meet a much lazier bunch or a worst bunch. There was a 7-day Adventist and he would not do a thing on Saturday until the company commander let him go into town on Saturday and then he had Sunday off with us also. The whole bunch of them give me a pain.
Cameras are prohibited here on the post.
You speaking of chauffeurs: all the colonels, majors etc here have negro chauffeurs in uniforms. In fact this school is quite the style. But most captains etc have not had any real military experience and it gives me a laugh to try and carry on a military display of any kind.
One of them who we call Dr. IQ because he has a fifteen minute question period every day at the beginning of class and he talks just like the Dr IQ of the radio. His real name is Dr. Rosenbaum. Guess what? He can not stay in step with our platoon so he changes cadence to match his about every 30 steps. He came out yesterday morning for inspection with a lovely pair of nice brown shoes and we had quite a heavy fog and the ground was quite moist and the soil quite sticky. Only the soil is black here and in digging a place to stand (he can’t see as the others can where to stand so he has to step it of and mark it so when he comes back he won’t lose his place). He got mud or soil all over his shoes and if he wasn’t a sight standing there at attention trying to scrape off the mud. Of course they are all like that here, because they were given their commission upon entering the army.
And then we have the cute little major who comes in for inspection Saturday morning in a large overcoat and nice kid gloves with which he rubs his finger things to find dust and he is quite agile for he climbs up on beds so that he may his fingers on the rafters to see if there is dust there also, all the time moving very quickly.
You would enjoy seeing some of the beautiful spots here. The big shod(?) houses and there is quite a few of them have huge ancient houses here on the post. The houses are a cross between true southern and probably little French. Some of them 2 or 3 stories high. I would sure like to have some pictures of them.
Last Sunday I went to Brackenridge park where they have an enormous zoo with loads of animals and birds of all descriptions.
I also saw my first Texas longhorn steers there and also a cross between the steers and one of the Burmese animals. With the hump on their back. I can’t think of their name now and what a huge animal it made.
I just turned around and there stood the colonel with an elaborately dressed captain and two women one of them has on a gorgeous mink coat. I suppose she is the colonel’s wife. Quite a show here all the time.
Also at Breckenridge park I went to the Sunken Gardens which is an abandoned rock quarry which has been made into a sunken garden with water in the bottom and little planks. I will send you post cards of it. I am sure you would like it.
The reason I asked about Camp Young was that there is a boy in the barracks who is attached to a tank destroyer outfit who has moved there and he will join them there the end of the month after he is finished here with his schooling here.
I shall go into town one of these evenings and have some pictures taken to send to you.
I asked Mr. Matson if he would send me a copy of his rose list so that I could order some for Miss Mosher and asked if he could mail them to Alhambra, but he in his letter to me said he did not as yet have one made up but he didn’t mention sending them for me. So I am in a state of wonderment. I had intended them for a Xmas gift and told her they would be later. Although I suppose he will send it later and I hope not too late, for he is that way.
The weather here was quite warm until today the coldest wind came up and it made everybody want to go inside and I decided to stay in also and not go into town, instead write letters and got caught up on them.
I have seen one show since leaving home and that was “Once Upon a Honeymoon”.
I think Cary Grant and Ginger Rodgers and it was quite good but I would just as well spend my time when I do go into town in seeing the beauty spots. The Alamo is quite interesting and quite pretty in the Spring time. I suppose you know that it is directly in the center of town, quite an unusual place for something of that type.
I had the other evening or that is Friday evening while I was in town for the third time since I have been here. My hair cut and the stripe sewed on my coat – one on each sleeve, but I would like it much better if it were about three of them but I can wait a while.
You had better go see a doctor about your arm because do not take chances with it. Did you ever get both Blairs’ addresses. I might send him a card sometime.
I had better be closing now for this letter is becoming quite bulky and will save some to write later.
With lots of love,
Stanley
Insurance receipt enclosed.
I suppose you have been looking in the mail box every day and in hopes of finding a letter there from me. But I think I am in the same boat as you are as far as having a lot of time to write in, because we sure have not had too much in the past week and they have really meant a lot of study for me. I brought my grades up on my Anatomy and Physiology test, as I told you in my brief letter of last week. I got 89 on my first test which did not phase me too much although there is a lot of them leave here with an average of lower than that. So on my Anatomy test which we had for two hours and were graded two times, one for each hour and I got a ‘Xs’, which stands for excellent and is the highest a person may get. How I made out on the other ones I do not know for the grades have not been given out yet.
I received your letter of Jan 11 Friday and was sure glad to receive it as I am all of your letters, for I sure like to receive letters though I am not able to write much myself.
Yes I will receive the large sum of 54 dollars a month now but when they get through hacking at it for insurance which comes to $6.50 and the bond a month at 418.75, and $1.50 for laundry, these deductions will lessen it $26.75 and here at school we only get half or two thirds pay for some very silly reason of which no person has been able to explain as yet, not even the company commander. The only excuse is that this is not our permanent camp or something of that type. So if I find myself running short I will cancel my bonds and if that bond is not there by the fifteenth of February, you let me know and I can cancel it in short order because of they take it from your pay they will present the bond very shortly thereafter or they will hear about it. Some of the boys have been in four and five months and made out family allotments and have had the $22 taken from their pay each month and the family has not received a cent yet. That is very poor management, in my opinion and they treat me better or I will take care of my own money.
The Brooke hospital is strictly an Army hospital but they do have a few civilians there but the head of the hospital is an army man. I have as yet not been once but hope to next month. One of my acquaintances is in the officers ward and says some of them are very easy to care for but there is one Col there who is quite a problem and is always fighting with the nurses and ward attendants all the time. There was a Col. Over there that died last week. Most of the army hospitals are named after Medical Corps generals etc such as the Letterman in San Francisco and the Fitzsimmons in Denver. They practically established the Medical Branch and there is the Walter Reid in Washington DC.
I also received the box of letters and the handkerchiefs and sox for which I want to thank you for as you say they come in handy and also the letters. The one from Camp Cooke I do not even know the person although he knows me. He speaks of Mr. Vosbery and school and of Carl Hamilton but do not think I will even answer it for I cannot even read his name. If it comes to me who he is I may but I already have too much writing. I also sent a short note to Ray Coates telling him I was here, perhaps I will see him soon and Marshall’s letter was quite peculiar and he did not state why he wrote to me instead of here. One of his statements was: “I am saying these things because I realize now, more than ever that I may never see you personally again” and he refers to Dec 7, 41 a year ago and also refers that he may go overseas or that I might. What do you think of that?
I sure appreciate your sending me the newspaper clippings from home, although San Antonio has newspapers but they do not compare with L.A. papers.
What did you think of the inside of Joe’s house and the Chinese rug etc. Quite nice of Mrs Scheltina to call on you. She is quite sociable that way and her curiosity was probably getting the best of her and if I know them they have discussed us pro and con, and both of them are good at flattery. She never gets much company from Mr. Scheltina. You know he is 80y old and that is quite a bit older than she.
Do not forget my s----(?) is in the chest in my room, so watch it once in a while. Do this Nelson’s parents have money?
The reason I asked about the church is that there is one of those religious fanatics here who’s always talking about his church but since I have learned to stay away from these religious fanatics. You wouldn’t want to meet a much lazier bunch or a worst bunch. There was a 7-day Adventist and he would not do a thing on Saturday until the company commander let him go into town on Saturday and then he had Sunday off with us also. The whole bunch of them give me a pain.
Cameras are prohibited here on the post.
You speaking of chauffeurs: all the colonels, majors etc here have negro chauffeurs in uniforms. In fact this school is quite the style. But most captains etc have not had any real military experience and it gives me a laugh to try and carry on a military display of any kind.
One of them who we call Dr. IQ because he has a fifteen minute question period every day at the beginning of class and he talks just like the Dr IQ of the radio. His real name is Dr. Rosenbaum. Guess what? He can not stay in step with our platoon so he changes cadence to match his about every 30 steps. He came out yesterday morning for inspection with a lovely pair of nice brown shoes and we had quite a heavy fog and the ground was quite moist and the soil quite sticky. Only the soil is black here and in digging a place to stand (he can’t see as the others can where to stand so he has to step it of and mark it so when he comes back he won’t lose his place). He got mud or soil all over his shoes and if he wasn’t a sight standing there at attention trying to scrape off the mud. Of course they are all like that here, because they were given their commission upon entering the army.And then we have the cute little major who comes in for inspection Saturday morning in a large overcoat and nice kid gloves with which he rubs his finger things to find dust and he is quite agile for he climbs up on beds so that he may his fingers on the rafters to see if there is dust there also, all the time moving very quickly.
You would enjoy seeing some of the beautiful spots here. The big shod(?) houses and there is quite a few of them have huge ancient houses here on the post. The houses are a cross between true southern and probably little French. Some of them 2 or 3 stories high. I would sure like to have some pictures of them.
Last Sunday I went to Brackenridge park where they have an enormous zoo with loads of animals and birds of all descriptions.
I also saw my first Texas longhorn steers there and also a cross between the steers and one of the Burmese animals. With the hump on their back. I can’t think of their name now and what a huge animal it made.
I just turned around and there stood the colonel with an elaborately dressed captain and two women one of them has on a gorgeous mink coat. I suppose she is the colonel’s wife. Quite a show here all the time.
Also at Breckenridge park I went to the Sunken Gardens which is an abandoned rock quarry which has been made into a sunken garden with water in the bottom and little planks. I will send you post cards of it. I am sure you would like it.
The reason I asked about Camp Young was that there is a boy in the barracks who is attached to a tank destroyer outfit who has moved there and he will join them there the end of the month after he is finished here with his schooling here.
I shall go into town one of these evenings and have some pictures taken to send to you.
I asked Mr. Matson if he would send me a copy of his rose list so that I could order some for Miss Mosher and asked if he could mail them to Alhambra, but he in his letter to me said he did not as yet have one made up but he didn’t mention sending them for me. So I am in a state of wonderment. I had intended them for a Xmas gift and told her they would be later. Although I suppose he will send it later and I hope not too late, for he is that way.
The weather here was quite warm until today the coldest wind came up and it made everybody want to go inside and I decided to stay in also and not go into town, instead write letters and got caught up on them.
I have seen one show since leaving home and that was “Once Upon a Honeymoon”.
I think Cary Grant and Ginger Rodgers and it was quite good but I would just as well spend my time when I do go into town in seeing the beauty spots. The Alamo is quite interesting and quite pretty in the Spring time. I suppose you know that it is directly in the center of town, quite an unusual place for something of that type.I had the other evening or that is Friday evening while I was in town for the third time since I have been here. My hair cut and the stripe sewed on my coat – one on each sleeve, but I would like it much better if it were about three of them but I can wait a while.
You had better go see a doctor about your arm because do not take chances with it. Did you ever get both Blairs’ addresses. I might send him a card sometime.
I had better be closing now for this letter is becoming quite bulky and will save some to write later.
With lots of love,
Stanley
Insurance receipt enclosed.
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