A flashlight from a dead German.

March 5, 1943

My Darling Wife

Its raining—just started—and it makes quite a racket on top of the tent. It was pleasant all day and didn’t start to rain until dark.

We had a swell meal tonight. After reading the menu you should be able to guess why.

Sausage, beets, carrots, navy beans, coffee, fresh bread, oleo, P-nut butter & fig jam. I ate so much bread, P-nut Butter & Jam that I can hardly move.

Today in between doing my various and sundry jobs—I got a shave and got at my extra clothes. A final check shows me minus two of my four raincoats, galoshes, two of my three flashlights. The flashlight I’m writing with is one I took off a dead German—which he in turn had taken from some American. That isn’t bad for two months. I have quite a supply of cigarettes—about six cartons. Today I got my ration for the week—7 pkgs of Phillip Morris, 4 boxes of matches, 5–1¢ Tootsie Rolls—not bad. We get about that much each week. I hope however, that that box of cigars George sent gets here because I could really go for some right now. I’m debating whether to ask permission for you to send …

… me some things. I would like cigars, insignia, dictionaries, sweets etc—but I wonder if I’m not better off without them.

The men got paid today. The poker & crap games are going strong—some betting $20= $50= on a throw. There will be a redistribution and concentration of wealth overnight. Money means nothing so they just roll it away. The officers were not paid and we don’t know when we will get paid. I have two months coming to me—approx $150= When I get it, most of it will be on the way to you via money order. With the $118.25 I mailed you yesterday (check for your travel) the money I’ll get for pay, plus $100= for uniform I should get soon you’ll have an additional $350= to lay away.

Incidentally you don’t have to worry about paying any taxes—as I have told you before. However we will have quite a bunch to pay when I get home. When you see Ken ask him for his advice re: purchase of tax anticipation certificates which bear interest and can be used to pay taxes. I don’t know whether they are as good as defense bonds. I do get the benefit of making the interest on my taxes and can thus save from [$10?] up pending the length of the war.

I got one of your letters today, honey,—mailed Dec 15th. Your letters have been grand and I feel that I know just how my family is getting along as if I were there. Keep up the letter writing. A lot of them are repetitious but they come through …

… It would be well to send V-mail (or air mail) letters every other day—between air-mail. They seem to have some sort of priority at present. We expect more mail right away—X—(my fingers). Please send stamps in your letters. I have received about 3 letters with stamps in them—but I write much more often than your stamps will permit—and it is not easy to buy them in the field.

Last night I got a letter from a friend of Bert Rolfe in Andover, England, inviting me to spend a few days with them. It’s too bad I didn’t know they were there sooner. I went through the town on numerous occasions—including the day I went shopping and bought a trench coat. Please call him up and tell him I received his letter and the letter from Andover—and that I’m sorry I didn’t have the information sooner.

I sure do miss you honey. If it weren’t for your letters I don’t know what I would do—and I write often because I think of you often. One of your last letters told me about mother saying I wouldn’t write often & she was my mother and ought to know. They have been wrong often—remember when we got engaged. Maybe they are wise and all that but I’ve always done as I felt I should regardless of their advice and I don’t think even they can say that I did anything but the only thing—in marrying you when I did. I got my perfect mate—and a very lovely girl—and between us a little princess—Love does funny things—In this case it made me a letter writer.

Must close now. All my love
Your
John