Overseas

[Saturday]
Nov. 25, 1944

Dear Mom & Lou,
I have 3 letters from you - Nov. 4, 5 & a VMail of Nov. 13.  I saw the little girl in the dress you sent and she looked very cute.  There was a little sweater with some stuff the other day so I wrapped it as a Christmas present and gave it to the mother [Mrs. Lippert] to save for one of them. (there are 3 - Nettie, Nellie, who is my special pet (10 yrs old) and Jeannie, pronounced Johnny, who is 13.)

Nellie Lippert, Luxembourg

As I’ve told you I guess, several more packages have arrived - if you want a request you could send me some dates - Thelma’s letter hasn’t arrived yet.  Wrote Cush yesterday - from the news he must be pretty busy - Betty [Sharp] told me he was in the 7th Army somewhere.

Lou,  you can always draw on my account when you want to use the money for something special. - I’m glad you got the books you mentioned - am still trying to get a bookplate design from Vic Dowd.  Any books you buy are to be kept there.

I sent cards to Patsy & Mary [Van Duyne] - seemed funny to think of how far apart we all are now.

I guess the news about the Japan raid from Saipan gives you an idea where Ned [I believe this must be referring to Ned Parks - a relative of Lucy’s dead fiancé Groves Parks].  Have you heard from Dave Mastin?

Now for the big news so hold on to your hats - I bought a violin! It will keep me broke for a couple of months & will mean that I won’t send any add’l money orders, but we have good fun with it and I’m sure it is a good buy.  I paid 2,200 francs for it complete with bow & case which is about $50 and I feel quite certain I can get 2 or 3 times that in New York.  It has a lovely tone - was made in 1779 and is marked on the inside “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonetis - Faciebat Anno 1779”.  It looks to me like an inferior Strad that has been somewhat abused, but it is still a pretty good fiddle and worth considerably more than $50.

I am enclosing some snaps - Joe Taney in Paris - Crider & Ed Hiland, and me in a muddy spot I won’t forget very soon.
Love
Harold