Sunday · Jan. 10, 1943
Why they don’t report just facts is beyond me.
Packing up, and fed up with the hometown paper.
Jan 10, 1943
My Darling Wife
Another day—another package—no mail—The package came from Aunty Em—mailed in Atlantic City. It contained a carton of cigarettes, a lge bar of Nestle’s chocolate, a box of salt water taffy, and chewing gum. A swell package. Now I have to find time to write a letter.
Today we are packing our things for a short move. It is going to be tough to sleep out in the open again after having these nice beds.
The Newspress of Nov 11th came in today—full of war news—but all very vague. After reading the papers I get disgusted. All they do is report favorable rumors. The paper of Nov 11 reported the French fleet on the way to join us.—there are many other examples—all optimistic—too much so. The worst is that they tend to report rumor as fact—probably resulting in over optimism at home. Why they don’t report just facts is beyond me.
We had a swell chicken dinner at noon today. It reminded me of Sunday at home—and how I wish I had been …
… home with you and Linda. I think of you both constantly and wish I were home—living as a normal husband with his family. I hope you are both well and getting plenty to eat. I love you both so very much it hurts,—and I don’t mean perhaps. That picture of Linda is a dream—so is she—I only hope the package with your picture gets here soon.
There is little to write about so I will close
All my love
Your
John
About this letter
A short Sunday letter written while packing. The next day he was sleeping in a pup tent.
THE FRENCH FLEETThe Nov. 11 paper said the French fleet was coming over to the Allies. It never did: on Nov. 27, 1942, the main fleet at Toulon scuttled its own ships.
AUNT EMEmma, his mother’s sister, mother of his cousin Jo Harris.
READING CLOSELY
“I think of you both constantly and wish I were home—living as a normal husband with his family.” Sunday chicken dinner reminded him of Sundays at home.
The Nov. 11 issue is one of the Glendale News-Press issues covering the Oran landing he had been waiting for.
“I don’t mean perhaps” was period slang for “and I mean it.”
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. The Nov. 11 paper was full of rumors stated as fact. The French fleet he mentions had in fact scuttled itself at Toulon on Nov. 27.