Overseas

[Friday]
January 26, 1945
France

Dear Mom & Lou,

"Belle of the Ball" by Cleo Hovel

Courtesy of Linda Philips

Hovel, creative director for Campbell-Mithun,

created the Hamm's Beer Bear in 1952

Well, what a banner day! Nine letters from you - one from Nancy [Dahl] - ranging from January 1 to January 13 so that makes up for a long time without any mail at all.  It is good that you had a nice day on New Year’s -

I’m surprised and very much pleased about the note from Sarita - I have often thought of her and wondered how she was.  When I saw her last winter she looked so bad! I’ll be waiting for the letter since it didn’t get here yet.

I still have the violin - in fact at one place I found a better case than the one it was in when I bought it.  We used the old one for kindling wood.

Don’t you worry about the dark and cold - at least you have a warm place to go, electricity to read by and plenty of hot water & soap to wash with.  And the bathroom has heat and no snow on the seat.  Did I ever like winter?  Seems to me I did long ago.  Not that I haven’t got it pretty good, except for the snow on the seat and the wind whistling, but I’ve seen some pretty miserable guys and also people who in this weather are forced to evacuate their homes with what they can carry on their backs, leaving their homes to be at the mercy of cold-hearted armies to whom a house is just a place where an enemy can hide.  These people around here will wash all your laundry for an unbelievably small speck of food and walk 6 kilometers to deliver it.  Last night we collected some leftover cold cuts & Cumer took them to an Italian family who have befriended him.  There was not more than a couple of pounds of it but she told him that on the black market it would be worth the equivalent of ten dollars.

My letter to Claire [Van Duyne] asked her to tell you I needed a Yardley Bowl - did she give you the message?

You are right about the “New Yorker”.  I thought you might be interested in the old home town.

That is swell about the shoes - I haven’t seen Nellie for a long time but I have the means of getting things to her.  I’m glad you sent them by 1st class - but would suggest that later ones come Parcel Post which ordinarily takes only 2 or 3 weeks more.

I know Ras & Piasecki will like the stuff you are sending.  You are so generous to keep thing coming all the time like you do.

Too bad about Mr. E’s [Ellerhusen] fire, but I’m glad it was no more serious than it was.  Also glad to hear about Dave [Mastin?] being OK - if I have his address I’ll write to him sometime.

Will you, Lou, tell that charity outfit that advertises in the papers - I think it is National something or other - that Hovel has some swell sketches in finished form, of our Christmas for the kids and he will donate their use along the lines of “If our boys can do this, what can you do” You can take it from me the sketches are top notch.

Mom didn’t tell me about Mrs. Roming’s nephew but if he is in the Air Force he must be mistaken.

Glad to hear Tom Allen is still OK too - we’ll get him out of there soon.

Yes, Albee Rowland did take the records - and I must say I’m sorry to hear about Helen’s accident.  Must be perfectly terrible for her not to see.

And you can tell Edwin [Dahl] that I’d be delighted to send him a booby-trapped fruit cake.  Any guy who would give up a soft job and leave a girl like Betty to come over here or go to the C.B.I. is just plain crazy and needs to be put out of his misery.  He will soon get his rating back in another kitchen, I don’t doubt - good mess sergeants are hard to find.

Do say hello to Betty Yunker for me when you see her - good old gal that she is.

Say, that chocolate peppermint pudding was swell - can you send me some more?  I have a German frying pan that I can cook it in.
Love
Harold