Thursday · Dec. 24, 1942
’Twas the night before Christmas.
And all thru the quarters…
Dec 24, 1942
Dearest Ginny (also my Darling wife)
“’Twas the night before Christmas and all thru the house, not a creature was stirring.” That’s about what the quarters are like tonight. Most of the fellows are just getting out on their Xmas eve celebrating. There will be plenty of them get high tonight
Many of the officers have been able to get cognac at $10.00 per bottle—and the price is still going up. I like the beer at 10 20¢ a bottle
Packages came in today but none for me. The mail clerk has gone to get another load and he will be …
… back with it tonight. Maybe—?
You will remember my telling you of my last night with the Cannon Company when it rained and my things got wet. Well, another company a half mile away really got it. I talked with one of the officers today They slept in some lowland in a grove of trees. There was practically a cloudburst in the hills above them and the water came thru the camps almost 2 feet deep. He woke up floating on top of his air mattress. He used it for a boat & towed his belongings to shore. It is now a week later and they still don’t have their stuff clean—and lots of it they couldn’t find. It’s …
… scattered all up and down the stream bed.
I am going out tomorrow to be a guest of the French military unit stationed nearby. That should be an interesting event. Only I think we will probably have better chow here. Our turkeys won’t be here until after Xmas but the mess sgt has bought about five for the officers and I’ll miss out on that
It’s still raining today and not too pleasant outside. Maybe it will clear up for tomorrow.
Our food is still the same—Spam is wonderful—but not every day. There is plenty of P-Nut Butter & Jam so you can see that I always enjoy my …
… meals. Lately we have been getting a lot of dehydrated vegetable soup which is pretty good. At breakfast we have fruit juice or fruit, cereal (oatmeal or [Wheatena?] ) which I eat in copious quantities; powdered eggs, bacon or sausages. Sometimes we get French toast or pancakes. All in all, that is getting to be our best meal. Lunch today, we had Spam, creamed corn, spinach, b & b, jam, tuna salad, sliced tomatoes, fruit cocktail. Now that is good,—but we have had it so often we are getting sick of it
Sweetheart, I hope you aren’t worrying too much about me. It doesn’t pay to worry, and there is not much reason to worry as things are now. I don’t think the Lord would want our little family …
… broken up so he will watch over me and get me back safe to you and Linda. I love you honey—but I can’t write how much.
It’s time to take my shower—hot. so I’ll close
All my love
Your John
About this letter
Christmas Eve in the officers’ quarters: most of the men are out celebrating, and John writes about the weather, the food, and faith.
THE MENUSpam, powdered eggs, dehydrated soup, peanut butter and jam. “Spam is wonderful—but not every day.”
READING CLOSELY
“I don’t think the Lord would want our little family broken up so he will watch over me and get me back safe to you and Linda.” Christmas Eve, 1942. He did come home safe, in 1945.
“B & b” is bread and butter.
His last night with the Cannon Company was Dec. 18, when his tent flooded.
The Big Picture
A hard Christmas
On Christmas Eve, Admiral Darlan was shot dead in Algiers by a Frenchman opposed to Vichy. Darlan had made the deal that brought French forces over to the Allies. On Dec. 27, Gen. Henri Giraud was named to replace him.
The same day Darlan died, Eisenhower called off the attack on Tunis. On Christmas Day the Germans retook Longstop Hill. Mud would stop any new attack in the north for about two months.
The race for Tunis was lost. But Hitler was now sending troops and planes to Tunisia that he needed elsewhere.
Where he was
Near Oran, Algeria, now on the 3rd Battalion staff as intelligence officer (S-2). The 1st Division was still training around Oran while British, American and French troops held a line in the hills west of Tunis, more than 500 miles to the east.
In this letter. That afternoon, about 200 miles east in Algiers, Admiral Darlan was shot. John writes about it the next day.