Overseas

[Tuesday]
October 24, 1944

Dear Mom & Lou,
Your two letters of Oct. 10 got here today - it sounds like you wrote on the 9th as well because you hardly more than hint at receiving my letter about where we had been all this time.

Lou, please check up on the Classic Club books - I have not the slightest intention of letting it slide for even one month.  I want all their books because they are all worthwhile.

You have a lot to do, haven’t you, Lou, particularly when a lot of my letters come the same day.

Wilda said she was under the impression that she had written you but had decided that she had not and would do so right away. She says she’s scatterbrained.

Mom says Thelma [Van Duyne] is quite grown-up.  Claire says Thelma had a broken heart over some G.I. who came home on furlough and never so much as called her on the phone.  For my money any guy who has a chance to convince Thelma and renegs on it is just plain crazy.  But don’t tell her I said that.

Mom says she gave Claire the Hitler Jugend pin so I assume from that that the package containing them arrived O.K.  You see them, or rather, that emblem quite often here.  Did you like the Paris pin?

You can tell Glenn Niles that I don’t think this is a wonderful as he says.  But that is a matter of personal opinion.

We took a picture today of a little girl named Nettie eating out of my mess gear.  I always have to share my meals with her, - she’ll be good & fat if this keeps up - Lord knows the poor kid is skinny now and at 9 she has the body of a child of 7 and the face of a little old woman.

Claire’s ink isn’t doing me much good now that my pen is gone - so far I haven’t found another.  If it is still possible to buy a Waterman maybe it would be a good idea to send me one Air Mail.  Could you do that?

There won’t be much in the way of souvenirs, I guess.  I don’t like the idea of shipping home a lot of ordinary, useless stuff.  So far I have the compass - the officers coat, some books, my ammo box which I use every day, and the Mauser.  All are useful and none are difficult to maintain.  Some guys send home all kinds of stuff - gas masks, helmets and almost every thing.  I’m pretty well pleased with what I have.

Well, that’s all for now - I’ll write again another day.
Love
Harold

P.S. Another thing you can do when you have a chance is to get me a pair of collar insignia - the US and Engineer.  I gave mine away. Just keep them against the day when I might need them.