Friday · Jan. 8, 1943
No more one-page letters.
His first mail in over a week, and it was short.
Jan 8, 1943
My Darling Wife
Today I received my first mail in over a week—your letter of Dec 18th with only one page.—an Xmas card from Fred [Gruwell?], one from Dr J A [Newton?] (you do not know him) and a copy of the Infantry Journal.
Something must be haywire in Washington if you have not been getting your allotment regularly. I wrote to you once before and told you who to write to. You should have coming to you as of Dec 18th—
$35.00 for October (Rec’d in Nov)
$210.00 for November (Rcd in Dec)
Travel pay.
$25.00 I sent home in Dec.—money order.
I mailed yesterday another money order for $25.00 and you should have December pay by now. I just read a copy of an order authorizing officers to allot as much as they want. I have instructed the personnel clerk to prepare a new authorization for allotment of $235.00 per month—that should start either in February (for Jan pay) or March (for Feb pay) That leaves me $52.00 per month—from which I must pay $15.00 for food—a net of $37.00 per month for my [fund?]. That is the safest thing to do—In the event I get captured or am missing—you will continue to receive the $235.00 per month. What will you do with so much money honey? That is as much as I was getting from the city—and I pay an additional $[9.25?] per month for insurance now.
If you don’t get your allotments, be sure to write the Finance Officer, U.S. Army, Washington D.C. c/o Allotments of Officers Div.—explain the amount I have allotted, what you have received, and ask them to send you what is due.
Oh yes—I got some more copies of the Newspress today. From reading them, all I can say is that the newspapers put up too much optimism as fact—It probably discourages the folks at home when what looks like an easy thing turns out to be otherwise.
Last night I was invited to have dinner with the French family I told you about. Two other officers were present and we all had a good time—although I can’t say I raved about the food. …
… They had hearts of artichokes, cauliflower, mashed potatoes, soup, lettuce salad, coffee and a tart. It took from 7:30–10:30 PM to eat the dinner. Each course was served on a different plate. I took a large quantity of food to them and they were welcome, I gave them a can of cocoa, 2 #lbs of butter, canned [beef hash?] etc—items which we had a little too much of on hand. My French is now progressing and one of their parents gave me a small pocket dictionary with the more common words.
The new Colonel of the Bn. arrived. He is one I knew of before and I hold him in the greatest contempt. How I will manage as a member of his staff is something else.
Letter writing still continues—but a change may come any day and then my letters will be fewer. However I will write as much as conditions will permit.
Yesterday it rained cats & dogs—and in the midst of it we got hit by a hell of a lot of hail.—great big ones. From that you can gather that it is very cool today.
There are many blue days for me and this is one of them. I want to be back home with you so much it hurts, but I guess I’ll have to keep on hustling. Honey, you are my everything and I hope you know it. Its the hope of getting home soon that keeps my spirits up.—Give Linda a kiss from her dad and I’ll close this before it costs me a fortune to mail it
All my love
Your John
P.S.—No more 1 page letters—at least 4 pages each letter [illegible]
About this letter
Five small pages. The pages were scanned out of order; the slides show them in reading order.
THE ALLOTMENTOfficers could have part of their pay sent straight home. He raised Ginny’s share to $235 a month, “as much as I was getting from the city,” and kept $52 for himself.
THE NEW COMMANDERThe 3rd Battalion got a new commander this week. John doesn’t name him.
READING CLOSELY
“Honey, you are my everything and I hope you know it.” P.S. “No more 1 page letters—at least 4 pages each letter.”
“The city” is the City of Glendale, where he was a deputy city attorney before the war.
The Infantry Journal was the Army infantry’s professional magazine.
He wrote a second letter dated Jan. 8, probably the next day.
The Big Picture
Waiting out the winter
The new year found the war in Tunisia stuck in the mud. Winter rain had stopped the fighting in the north, and both sides were bringing in more men. For now the Allies no longer outnumbered the Axis (Germany, Italy and their partners).
In Russia, the German army trapped at Stalingrad was cold and starving. On Jan. 8 the Soviets offered surrender terms. The German commander, Gen. Friedrich Paulus, refused. On Jan. 10 the Soviets began their final attack.
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. He raised Ginny’s allotment “in the event I get captured or am missing.” His division was days from leaving for the front.