Overseas

To Mrs Anna M. Dahl
Towaco
New Jersey

From: Sgt. H.J. Dahl 12161982
Co. D. 603rd Eng. Cam. Btn, Sp. 23rd Hq Sp Trs
A.P.O. 655 c/o Postmaster New York, NY

[Sunday]
Christmas Eve [1944]
France
VMail

Dear Mom & Lou,

Winter in France, 1944-1945

Well, we’ve made a bit of Christmas to start the tears in our eyes.  We managed to fix a tree decorated with garlands of Christmas paper, imitation candy canes, cards, and ornaments made out of the bits of metallic paper that is used to confuse things in air attacks.  We found a large package and it proved a godsend - it serves as “rain” and also takes the place of regular ornaments with some persuasion.  Then we collected a huge amount of candy, gum, rations & cigarettes, made up several dozen boxes for kids and a lot for families.  We then arranged to have a lot of kids of Nazi-deported families from Easton Europe come in after supper and each get a box of exciting things to carry home.  Then we went out with the family boxes and took one to each of the kids’ homes.  In the home I visited they had a little tree decorated with Life Savers hanging individually on strings, bits of paper, G.I. ration biscuits (horrible things) but it was a tree and I know their petite was thrilled with it as she sat under it pawing thru her little package over & over again.  I wish our own kids at home could know how fortunate they are.  Several of those here tonight had both their parents killed off before that bunch of supermen shipped the kids over here.

You will know that I’ll be thinking of you on Christmas and wishing that next year will find me at home.
​
Love -
Harold