Overseas

[Saturday]
France, Sept 3rd [1944]

Dear Mom & Lou,
The label is from a bottle the Germans left me for the celebration of my birthday [HJD was 31 years old on 9/3/44]. While it was not the best of cognac, it still was a pleasure to have it. Also I had a real, honest-to-goodness Hershey bar in my PX ration this week and I’m going to eat that later on.

I went for water this afternoon so I saw a little of this vicinity and I must say it is the most beautiful country I have ever seen. No wonder they call this “La Belle France”!

The news makes everyone talk about prospects of getting home by Christmas. Let’s hope that one comes true.

I was glad to get the Bury’s cookies and the cinnamon the other day. They are both pretty good. Yesterday I made a little applesauce in spare time. It was not like home but it was O.K.

It is too bad that I can’t tell you about the places I’ve seen - I hope I’ll be able to remember it all after I get home. Probably I will, bit by bit. One day I went thru a town and saw the subject of an etching by a man Mr. Ellerhusen once introduced me to. It is one of my favorites so I was thrilled to see the original. And many places are mentioned in Dumas [Alexander Dumas] or have been spoken of by the Van Duynes [Towaco neighbors] so they are like old friends.

I know you are thinking about me today as I am of you and home. Things for the world look better now than they have for many years so that is the best birthday present I could have.
Love
Harold
Thanks for the cards.