25 September 1945
Dearest Evie,
All day today we have been sweating out the arrival of the new men who are to make up the 866th Air Engr Sq. We in the Orderly Room are looking to their coming with a great deal of pleasurable anticipation, because when they arrive we will turn the Orderly Room over to them (with our blessings) and retire to our own huts and sacks where we will take it easy from now on. I'm not kidding, 'cause that is exactly and literally what we are going to do. I expect that in a week or two we will be free to take one pass after another until we ourselves are alerted for shipment. The "866th" is scheduled to move out to POE on 6 October, and my own shipping orders should be along almost any time after that, and possibly before, because there aren't many men left with scores as high as 77 points.
While I was sitting and twiddling my thumbs this afternoon, it occurred to me that here was an ideal opportunity to get a long-delayed letter off to Mom. So I hunted up some lined paper and got to work. It has taken me most of the afternoon, but I feel a lot better for having done it. Tell Mom I'm sorry if I got my "gimmels" and "zyens" backward (I never can remember which is which), but I don't expect that she will have much trouble deciphering my message. Tell her, too, that I'd appreciate it if, in replying, she also used lined paper and made an effort to make her writing more legible than in her previous letters. I managed to make out what she had written, but it was slow work.
Today brought no fresh mail from you, Sweet, but I did get three letters nevertheless. There was one from (you'd never guess, so I'll tell you) Marjorie Nerenberg! Surprised? I was! The other two were from buddies of mine who transferred to other fields last week, Red Barnhart and Joe Cunningham. Almost forgot to mention that Marjorie enclosed three pictures of herself in answer to my request for the same. If I remember correctly, you have seen her picture - at least, I remember that you described her in one of your letters. What do I think of the way she looks? Well, let's see - To begin with, I was favorably impressed by the "clean" cut of her. She is prettier than I imagined she would be, with strong, yet delicately-chiseled features in a head the shape of which instantly reminded me of your own. Her lovely (no less) blonde hair is well groomed in an underswept "page boy" coiffure. She has, on the whole, the type of face that no one could possibly mistake for anything but "aryan", or "shickse", as the intolerant Jews are wont to call them. She appears to be very tall - I would guess about 5’7" (without heels), and is very thin. But she dresses smartly and wears clothes well. It seems extremely incongruous to me that she should fall for a guy like Jackie. The guy who said opposites attract certainly has the strongest kind of proof for his theory in this case! She is "pure aryan" - Jack is "pure semitic". She is tall he is short. She is fair he is dark and so on. But, if I am any judge of character as shown by physiognomy, she is strong-minded, purposeful, determined, stubborn, and with a will and mind of her own. Which, I don't need to tell you, is the exact complement of Jackie's makeup. She says that they are very happy, but that Jack appears to miss the "big city". I'll send along the pictures, which Jackie made himself, and her letter just as soon as I have answered her.
Last night, having nothing better to do, I went to the movies with Sgt Murphy to see (don't faint now - ) "Call of the Wild".
This morning I had to move to another barracks. That took up most of the morning. Incidentally, I have an honest-to-goodness one-piece mattress now for the first time in the ETO! Isn't that wonderful? What, you don't see anything wonderful about it? Well, lady, if you had slept on three “biscuits" for over two years, I have no doubt you would appreciate how wonderful a one-piece mattress can be!
It is now 5:40 (by my new watch - still ticking merrily along) and we are sweating out the arrival of the new men. We may have to work late tonight.
That's about all I have to report today, honey, so I'll say so-long for now. My dearest love to the punkin and all. I love you, baby - or did you know that?
If you ever had the slightest doubt about it just you wait 'til I get you in bed - I'll show you! But that is only one side of my love for you. The other side hates me for talking that way to you - you're so sweet, my darling.
All ways
Your Phil
All day today we have been sweating out the arrival of the new men who are to make up the 866th Air Engr Sq. We in the Orderly Room are looking to their coming with a great deal of pleasurable anticipation, because when they arrive we will turn the Orderly Room over to them (with our blessings) and retire to our own huts and sacks where we will take it easy from now on. I'm not kidding, 'cause that is exactly and literally what we are going to do. I expect that in a week or two we will be free to take one pass after another until we ourselves are alerted for shipment. The "866th" is scheduled to move out to POE on 6 October, and my own shipping orders should be along almost any time after that, and possibly before, because there aren't many men left with scores as high as 77 points.
While I was sitting and twiddling my thumbs this afternoon, it occurred to me that here was an ideal opportunity to get a long-delayed letter off to Mom. So I hunted up some lined paper and got to work. It has taken me most of the afternoon, but I feel a lot better for having done it. Tell Mom I'm sorry if I got my "gimmels" and "zyens" backward (I never can remember which is which), but I don't expect that she will have much trouble deciphering my message. Tell her, too, that I'd appreciate it if, in replying, she also used lined paper and made an effort to make her writing more legible than in her previous letters. I managed to make out what she had written, but it was slow work.
Today brought no fresh mail from you, Sweet, but I did get three letters nevertheless. There was one from (you'd never guess, so I'll tell you) Marjorie Nerenberg! Surprised? I was! The other two were from buddies of mine who transferred to other fields last week, Red Barnhart and Joe Cunningham. Almost forgot to mention that Marjorie enclosed three pictures of herself in answer to my request for the same. If I remember correctly, you have seen her picture - at least, I remember that you described her in one of your letters. What do I think of the way she looks? Well, let's see - To begin with, I was favorably impressed by the "clean" cut of her. She is prettier than I imagined she would be, with strong, yet delicately-chiseled features in a head the shape of which instantly reminded me of your own. Her lovely (no less) blonde hair is well groomed in an underswept "page boy" coiffure. She has, on the whole, the type of face that no one could possibly mistake for anything but "aryan", or "shickse", as the intolerant Jews are wont to call them. She appears to be very tall - I would guess about 5’7" (without heels), and is very thin. But she dresses smartly and wears clothes well. It seems extremely incongruous to me that she should fall for a guy like Jackie. The guy who said opposites attract certainly has the strongest kind of proof for his theory in this case! She is "pure aryan" - Jack is "pure semitic". She is tall he is short. She is fair he is dark and so on. But, if I am any judge of character as shown by physiognomy, she is strong-minded, purposeful, determined, stubborn, and with a will and mind of her own. Which, I don't need to tell you, is the exact complement of Jackie's makeup. She says that they are very happy, but that Jack appears to miss the "big city". I'll send along the pictures, which Jackie made himself, and her letter just as soon as I have answered her.
Last night, having nothing better to do, I went to the movies with Sgt Murphy to see (don't faint now - ) "Call of the Wild".
This morning I had to move to another barracks. That took up most of the morning. Incidentally, I have an honest-to-goodness one-piece mattress now for the first time in the ETO! Isn't that wonderful? What, you don't see anything wonderful about it? Well, lady, if you had slept on three “biscuits" for over two years, I have no doubt you would appreciate how wonderful a one-piece mattress can be!
It is now 5:40 (by my new watch - still ticking merrily along) and we are sweating out the arrival of the new men. We may have to work late tonight.
That's about all I have to report today, honey, so I'll say so-long for now. My dearest love to the punkin and all. I love you, baby - or did you know that?
If you ever had the slightest doubt about it just you wait 'til I get you in bed - I'll show you! But that is only one side of my love for you. The other side hates me for talking that way to you - you're so sweet, my darling.
All ways
Your Phil
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