If all the French people were like them…

Jan 4, 1943

My Darling Wife

Another day—no mail—but guess what. That telegram arrived—the one you sent about Oct. 28th. Good service.—Oh yes I did get a bill from Uncle Sam for that freight bill you paid.

It is now 1:30 AM. This bunch of drunks won’t let me get to sleep. I made a crack at one of the officers over an hour ago so he overturned my bed—me in it. Then he set it up right again. He overturned it again—righted—and every 10 minutes gets the idea that he wants to turn it over again—whereupon I get out of bed. I hope I get some sleep and get this letter written. The din is terrific.

This afternoon, I took a box of soap, candy and gum to that woman attorney I met on Sunday at the prison. She wasn’t in when I …

… got there I took a French lesson from the office boy and stenographer for about ½ hour. She finally came in with her partner—a swell young Frenchman about 30 years of age with a crippled leg. While she talked with her clients, the young fellow and I had a 2 hour discussion of the differences between California & French law. Then we all went to the home of the woman lawyer to meet her family. She lived in a many roomed apt.—in one of the finest buildings, marble stairs marble walls. the apt had marble floors and was beautifully finished. It is hard to describe the fine furniture, silverware etc. I met her father & mother—very fine people—and very likeable. Then she brought in her daughter aged four—Gusinnie (?) She was a little french doll—black hair, bangs, lovely light skin a ribbon in her hair and dressed just as fancy as you dress Linda. She was a pretty sweet little …

… girl and made me think of Linda. Whereupon Linda came in for inspection and was duly admired. After talking over a few glasses of wine, the partner and I departed. He then invited me to go with him to see his family and again I accepted. and was pleasantly surprised. His mother was a lovely French woman who didn’t look her age. He also had two sisters in their early twenties. One is a legitimate actress and a lovely girl. The other wore glasses and was also nice looking. They were entertaining an Army chaplain who had been visiting them every night, teaching them English and they were teaching him French. I learned a few words during the ensuing discussion. We discussed …

… local politics, the differences in laws & customs here and in America. Altogether it was an interesting evening. If all the French people were like them, the war wouldn’t last long.

I then walked home—about 2 miles—and got home just as the dance at the barracks ended. The officers held a dance in our clubroom and invited a few nurses and quite a few French girls to the dance. This idea of getting drunk at dances hadn’t appealed to me. so I made the visits to the French families. I’m glad I did for. I now appreciate more the manner in which they live.

The drunks are now hollering to me to turn out the light. so I guess I’ll have …

… to close. I love you honey, and I wish I could have my own little home and family here with me. It made me homesick when I visited those people tonight.

Incidentally, the soap, candy, and canned milk I took along for the baby, were received with many ohs, ooh lah lahs. etc. They seemed quite tickled—which tickled me.

Give my own little princess a hug for me. The little (baby) French girl insisted on kissing me goodbye and it made me want to have Linda here with me..

They’re getting mad now—so goodnight sweetheart.

All my love
Your
John