Back in the USA

Thursday
[late July or August 1945]

Dear Mom & Lou,
​
Your letter with the letter from Hovel arrived today - which, incidentally, has been a doozer.  It now looks like either Camp Shelby, Mississippi, or Ft. Belvoir, Va. for me.  Of course I prefer Belvoir, it being so close to Washington and not too far from New York.  The main thing, though is to be somewhere nearby when my number comes up.

Boarding the train to Pine Camp, NY

Of course I was pleased with the “Up Front” Mother. I thought I had mentioned it.  Thanks a whole lot.  Has Anthony ever done anything on my book plates?

I’m sending home another package - this one containing a few things for rifle-cleaning, some steel wool, and for Martha’s [Stromberg, a cousin in Norway. Martha Stromberg’s sons are John & Tore.] family - a coat Lt. Alapoulos [spelling not clear] discarded and, believe it or not, a pair of size 7 G.I. shoes for Tore [Stromberg].  Don’t ask me where I got them.  Better take the insignia of rank (bars) off the coat,  - the shoes are used ones, but they have just been rebuilt and are in very good shape.  Tore will be rich with those.

I wrote John [Stromberg] - told him to try to find a G.I. to whom you could send their packages. That would make it much easier to send things.  I’m sure John will be pleased with all the stuff you are sending - certainly is better than sending packages to me.

I also wrote to the U.S. Army there as one G.I. to another, asking them to do whatever they could for John & Tore. Also I told John that the American soldiers are lonely away from home and will appreciate being invited into a home no matter if the family cannot set up a feast.  You might hint to Martha that some American G.I.’s might be good medicine for Elsa [another cousin in Norway, who had an affair with a German soldier, and had her head shaved for consorting with the enemy after the war] that worked all over Europe.

Martha’s description of the welcome given to the King [of Norway] sounds like what we got in France.

The peaches sound wonderful - I wish I were there to eat some of them - and it was amusing to hear about the radio - I’ll bet it did attract attention, it really is smart.

Certainly it will feel strange to be in an outfit other than the 603rd.  I hope we will not be going thru any training or other nonsense but either doing a job or awaiting separation.  Rumor has it that the points will be lowered to 70 soon.  I surely hope so.

Well, that’s about all for now - I thought you’d be glad about the shoes for Tore.  I know how Europeans prize G.I. shoes. In France one could get $25 for a used pair.

Love
Harold