Dear Dick,
Two weeks ago I went and had my picture taken at one of the department store studios in the city. I am enclosing one of the pictures for you to have as a keepsake and to keep thoughts of returning home in your mind. I normally wouldn't have thought of having them taken but was convinced by both my mother and the girls at work. Hope it brightens your day to see a face from home.
The weather has turned cold here and the last of the leaves are falling from the trees. I would not be surprised to see snow falling any day now. About half a dozen new girls arrived at work just recently. I was cheered by their arrival as now the workload will be a little lighter once they are properly trained. I am looking forward to getting to know each of them as they seem a very upbeat and jolly bunch.
We are beginning to feel the affects of rationing here at home now more than we were before. Now that it is winter and gardens are not producing anything we are finding it fairly difficult to get what we want at the grocers. Nice cloth is also becoming hard to come by, but that is not much of a concern to me as most of my clothes are either cotton or wool, both relatively easy to come by.
What is the climate like wherever you are? I do hope that you are staying warm enough and don't fall ill. Take care; I'll be thinking of you.
Yours Always,
DeEtta
Dear DeEtta,
It was a pleasant surprise to open your last letter and have that picture fall out. I believe you are even prettier than the last time I saw you. You'll make some lucky young fellow a fine wife someday.
The word has finally come down from higher; we are to move out tonight. This worries me slightly due to the fact that we do not have adequate supplies of food, ammunition, or clothing and the weather has turned bitingly cold here with plenty of snow falling at night. We have been instructed to hold a key section of the main line of resistance with the help from a few other divisions yet no word has come on when and if we will be re-supplied.
I am enclosing some of the ration coupons we were issued several months ago in England but for some reason I never used and have continued to carry with me. I am hoping you will be able to put them to good use back home and obtain some of the things you need. Do not feel guilty in the least about using them, for I will not have the opportunity and I have already sent some back home to my parents also.
We still have several hours before we will begin moving out, but I am going to close this letter now as I still have many last minute things to check up on. Know that I am thinking of you and wishing I were home.
Always,
Dick
Dear Dick,
Thank you very much for the ration coupons you sent; you are thoughtful beyond words. They will most definitely be put to use before too much time has elapsed. I woke very early this morning to two feet of new snow on the ground. Everything is so beautiful and still that it is hard to imagine during times like these that there could be anything going on out there that would spoil the peace. I could not fall asleep after rising, despite the early hour, so I grabbed a blanket and spent the next hour or so watching the snow fall from the big picture window in the living room. It was very relaxing and I wished you would have been sitting there with me.
I was terribly sorry to hear of you and your men being inadequately supplied. I worry about you more now that ever before, I think. I was shocked to look at the calendar the other day and find that the year is almost through and that the holidays are now almost upon us-not that there is much occasion for you and the other men to celebrate.
You are in my thoughts and prayers. I know how you hated the cold here at home and am hoping that you can stay warm enough and that you are alright. I miss you, miss you, miss you and wish you were home.
Yours Always,
DeEtta
Dear DeEtta,
We have now been occupying our current position for about a week now. We are still finding ourselves to be woefully low on supplies and I don't believe I have ever been so cold in my entire life. Everyone is doing what they can to stay warm and prepared, but I'll tell you, it sure is an uphill battle. Boy, what I wouldn't give to see all my men pulled off the line and in adequate shelter with hot food and warm clothes. I dream at night of being home, sleeping in my old bed with a couple big quilts and some hot tea.
I apologize for rambling on to you about such things but there is no other news to report. All we do, day in and day out is hold the line, watch for German advances, and pray that any shelling we receive will be light.
It has snowed every day that we have been in this position, bug wet flakes that stick to everything and soak your clothing if they happen to melt. Haven't seen the sun for days and days, just grey clouds and white snow everywhere so it seems as if the earth and sky meet and become indiscernible from one another.
Easy Co. received a new CO not long ago, an arrogant, overconfident man who probably couldn't make a quick decision, let alone a good one, if his life depended upon it. I know the men do not trust him very much and as a result,I have been trying to come up with a way to transfer him out of this company and put him somewhere where he is less likely to inflict as much damage as he could manage to inflict here, but I have not yet found a way to do so.
I miss you, DeEtta, and wish so badly that I could talk to you in person once again.
Always,
Dick
P.S. Just so you know, when I dream of home, I always dream of you.