France
Dec 3,1944
Hello Family,
It would certainly please me greatly to hear from you one of these times. As yet our mail hasn’t caught up with us and that’s one of the things that means the most. It’s a rainy, muddy day here and if it weren’t for church services it wouldn’t seem at all like Sunday. It does help a lot though in enduring conditions like this just to think about home. I also find that prayer is very helpful along this line. Since I know that you are praying too, after I have prayed I almost have a feeling of having communicated with you. Let’s let prayer keep us together even though so many miles are between. It is very noticeable at a time like this how the feelings of the fellows change towards religion. It’s very common now to hear almost anyone talking about reading his Testament. I am anxious to see if the crowd is any larger at the services today.
I think we are going to work this afternoon but I’m very thankful just to get Sunday morning off. I wonder how things in general are coming at home. Richard and his basketball work are still big questions in my mind. It’s not long till church time and I’m out of space anyway. I’m OK.
Love, Donald
Category: Letters
Categories
December 2, 1944
Vmail to his Grandparents, Alfred and Grace Carver
France
Dec 2,1944
Dear Grandparents,
I started this letter last night but I got as far as the date and decided to finish it this morning. So now I’ll try to get it written before church time. I’m sure glad that we are permitted to have church services even though we are living under such difficult conditions so far from home. It’s really surprising how much more interest is taken in religion now than back in the states. It is a very common thing to hear most anybody talking of reading his Testament and even the services are picking up in number. A few things like this and getting mail go a long way towards keeping up the spirits of soldiers.
I do a lot of wondering about the condition of things at home. I hope you are getting along alright with your work. I’d hate to think that the weather there is as miserable as it is here. Even snow would be a relief from this everlasting rains.
Let’s keep trusting in Him that all things will work out for the best and we all may be together again before long.
Lots of love.
Your grandson, Donald
Nov 30,1944
France
Dear Family,
If there has been any lapse in my mail you no doubt have guessed that I have moved. I wrote a regular letter a couple days ago but this is the first we’ve been allowed to send. If I don’t lose it I’ll send it the first chance I get and then there will be just a little repetition.
Any time now that you cease to hear from me very often you’ll know I am either too busy to write or there are difficulties in the mail situation. Keep praying and I’ll do my best to write. You may be concerned about me but don’t worry. It won’t do a bit of good. Let’s both trust in Him and all things will work out for the best.
I sure can’t say about France as I did about England that I’ve seen many very interesting sights. We saw La Havre and it certainly has been ruined. That is also the situation in just about every place I’ve seen here. You can certainly see the effect of war on the looks and actions of the people.
For the present till I can do more writing, I’d appreciate it if you’d sort of spread the news around to those I should write to that I’ve moved. It looks as if my days of being a garrison soldier are over. We’re really living in the field now. Hope everything is alright back there. I’m doing well in body and unoppressed in spirit.
God bless you. Love, Donald
Donald arrived in France.
From 346th Infantry:
… On the 26th (of November) we loaded on the ships that were to take us across the English channel. The crossing was uneventful. The Regiment lined the rails of the ship that had carried them across the channel and gazed out into the clear night at the bombed-out shores of Le Havre, France. It was the 28th of November, 1944, “D” day for the 346th Infantry’s personnel invasion of the European continent, just 175 days after the first Allied Invasion force had hit the Normandy Beach.
ASHORE IN FRANCE – The harbor was filled with the hulls and masts of sunken ships, and rumor had it that mines still made passage to shore dangerous. But a short time later LST’s bumped the beach and the 346th had arrived. Tugging at heavy duffel bags, the men scrambled up a slight hill and assembled for what-ever was to come. And it came. A long eight mile hike with full field equipment. At the halfway mark rain began to fall and the morale dropped with it, reaching a new low when the column stopped in the middle of a muddy field-the bivouac area.
After a session of fighting insomnia brought on by mud and cold, the troops moved by trucks to the Red Horse Assembly Area located some five miles south of St. Saens, France-another open field. But by now the sun was shining and the ground a little drier, and there were pup tents with straw floors.
The grapevine spread the news that it was just a matter of days before the Regiment would hit combat so the men spent the next few days writing letters, cleaning weapons, and thinking.
This is scanned in color because it is on different, rougher and heavier weight, paper than the previous
Nov 29,1944
France
Dear Family,
It looks to me very much like I’d better grab this opportunity and get a letter written. We’ve no way of sending out mail yet so you’ll understand if I have to hold on to this for a few days before I get it mailed. From here on I’ll do my best to write you but don’t expect letters very often. If the letters I wrote in England have arrived or ever do arrive you’ll understand that I’ll write every chance I get.
I can not say about France what I did about England. I’ve seen just the opposite of interesting and pretty sights. Although what I’ve seen so far is likely very insignificant compared with the whole, it's enough to make you wonder about how civilized we are. Just seeing some of the destruction makes you wonder if we will have gained much when the war is won.
Before we left England, we were given ETO (European Theatre of Operations) ribbons so I’ll have something to show off when I get back. They don’t mean much here but of course sometime we’ll be proud of them.
It looks to me as if my days of being a garrison soldier are over. Right now we’re living in pup tents and it may not be long before we’ll have to get along with even less than this. We have sleeping bags and as long as we’re able to use them, we can get a very decent night’s sleep. I’m thankful for what I have and am not worrying about what I haven’t.
I am praying that the best will come out of all of this but I am not worrying about what hasn’t happened and very likely won’t happen. I appreciate the fact that you too are praying but please just be concerned about me and do your worrying about something else (or don’t worry at all).
I hope it won’t be too long before mail comes through. I can see that a letter is sure going to mean a lot more than it ever has before. So whatever you can contribute along this line will be appreciated. I get a great kick out of imagining what must be going on at home. I have come to the conclusion that it’s better psychologically for me to think of myself as imagining about home rather than wondering. That way you can keep up even though letters don’t arrive so often.
I am well in body and unoppressed in spirit. Hope you can say the same. May God’s richest blessing be upon you.
Love,
Donald
Dec 1, 1944
This is the letter I mentioned in the V-mail. I’ll send it more because I have it written than because it contains anything new. I guess there is no real news to tell so I’ll just say that I am still alright
Your son & brother,
Donald
Nov 21,1944
England
Hello Folks,
I hope a Vmail will serve this time. This is my last form so if I don’t get more it’ll be my last letter for a while. I like to use them once in a while but would hate to use them all the time. If you had a little extra space sometime in any sort of package I’d appreciate a few Vmails. We’re rationed on all sorts of stationary so just plain writing paper would also be useful. I’d like more than anything this thin airmail paper I’ve been using or something similar - envelopes too.
In the last two days I’ve received letters from you dated Oct 25 and 30. The one between telling of the football game hasn’t arrived. It’s plain to be seen it pays to use air mail instead of regular mail. It takes regular mail 20 to 25 days and air mail 10 to 14. That means at least a week saved.
You asked about my sweater and wristlets and I think it would be good to have them. Warm things will come in handy but as yet don't get anything we don’t already have. I don't know how soon I will be in need of things like this but if I slow up on my writing you’ll know that something has happened.
About my radio work which you asked of - I seem still to be classed as a radio operator but I have another job too. I went to a radio operations class yesterday afternoon as I might wind up spending some of my time doing that.
We took a little hike this afternoon and my feet feel the effects of it. It’s been a good while since I have taken a hike and I sure let my feet soften up. A few more like today and they’ll be tough though.
Hope everything is OK back there. Let’s keep praying but not let things get the best of us.
Lots of love,
Donald
Letter addressed to his brother Richard
Saturday Evening
Nov. 18,1944
Hello Richard,
I got your letter today that was written two weeks ago this week and so I feel that this letter should be written to you. It’ll be to the whole family, of course, and as soon as I get the first part written it’ll be just to everyone in general.
You can guess that the student manager job is why I feel that this should be your letter. I read the part of the letter that Daddy had written first and he mentioned something about it but I didn’t comprehend what he meant. He had been talking about his basketball team and I thought he meant you were managing it. But when I read your part of the letter and finally caught on, it struck me as nothing has struck me before. I don’t know whether it was for joy, because of the surprise, because of the memories or what, but I just couldn’t contain my emotions. I actually broke down and had a little cry over it. I can’t explain why but that’s what happened.
I had been thinking about you going to college and naturally had been making mental pictures of it. This was a surprise almost to the point of shock. I thought Eulen had the job and this never had entered my head. It looks to me like Treesh is keeping one of his managers pretty close in our neighborhood.
I can’t say that I am sorry that things have turned out this way. I know that you will enjoy the job and get a whole lot of good from it. There is one thing about it though - it’s not a job that receives a whole lot of credit. Most of you pay will be in personal satisfaction.
I’m going to feel very disappointed if I don’t hear about you wearing my sweater at least once in a while to games. I’ll think about my bright gold sweater sitting there on the bench and imagine I’m in it. Do as you please, of course, but wear it as often as you have the faintest desire to. I don’t think you’ll wear it out.
I wished hundreds of times last year that I could get back to see one of the basketball games but that won’t compare with the desire now. Why it would be just about like having my old job again! I’d give several of my months pay checks (if I got checks) just to be back for a game or two. I certainly want to wish you all the success and luck in the world.
By doing it this way you may be able to stay out of the service just a little while longer and at least you’ll be able to finish high school. Get all the good you can from it. I’ve never been sorry for the energy I’ve put into the last months of high school and almost wish I’d done more.
I hope that another few months will change the picture of war and maybe just finishing high school will be the time you need. Even if it doesn’t keep you entirely out I trust and pray that your fortunes won’t be too bad when you do get in.
If by some chance things would change enough that you would be assured of enough time after high school is out to make it profitable, I’d like for you to consider seriously entering college.
Don’t worry about what I have said in previous letters concerning your going to college. I have only been talking just as the situation appeared to me at that particular moment. I know that all things will work out for the best.
Well I never expected to say this much about it. I expect I’ll talk a good bit about it before this winter’s over. I sure want to hear about your work. So much for that.
Oh yes, before I forget, I must have missed the letter that told about the last football game. At least I never heard about it. The Oct 23rd letter told about the Wabash game and in the next letter, Nov 4, football seemed to be a thing of the past. Did you write any letters between those two dates? I think that was the only period in which some of my mail might have been lost.
Just a little while before that (but I think it must have slipped your mind) I didn’t hear the results of Uncle Floy’s accident. Just in case I don’t get some of the missing letters, you might tell me about Teacher’s Institute, the Halloween doings and anything else that happened along about then. I’d appreciate it. Let me know if all my letters seem to be coming through. I have written at least three letters a week and once in a while more.
Looking over a few old letters I see that Mother mentioned something about the Joe Hartwell coming home but didn’t know all about it then. How did it turn out?
Now I’ll try to tell you a few things you wanted to know in the last letter. I expect though it’ll turn out to be more comments and things you said than answers. I hope you received my letters describing the country here. Let me know if you didn’t.
I’m anxious to hear more about how Jim makes out with basketball. He too has all my best wishes. I am glad to be getting good reports on the way the principal job is coming. May things continue to be that way. How did the revival at Lilly Creek turn out?
You didn’t ask me about the Tribunes but you said something about it and brought it to my mind. Those two I received about a week ago are all I have received. I guess they are supposed to be coming, aren’t they?
About sending me things - I’ll be glad to get anything you can send. I don’t know exactly how strict the rules are but I believe things must almost be requested before they can be sent. Just in case that’s the situation I’ll try to think a little along this line and let you know about it in the near future.
Of course I’m thinking about Thanksgiving and I’ve thought of something else I have to be thankful about that I haven’t mentioned before. I’ve been fortunate in getting to stay all this time with my buddies and not having to make new acquaintances.
Well, I’ve said about all I can think of tonight so I’ll close till tomorrow. Goodnight.
Six PM Sunday Evening
I see that I wrote enough pages yesterday that I’ll have to write small so I won’t add much weight to the letter.
It’s about noon back there and I’d sure give a lot to know what’s going on. Sometimes I can hardly realize that there is so much space between me and home but at another times it seems a long way off. Right now it seems that several years have passed since I was back in Indiana. But I guess thinking about it that way will only make the time seem longer so I better stop.
I got to go to church again this morning and it certainly did me good. Sunday sure isn’t complete without it. Besides that there is very little I can tell you about the day. I have scarcely budged from the barracks. With the exception of a very short nap I spent the entire afternoon reading. I read about two-thirds of a book between noon and supper time. I started on this immediately after supper so that about takes care of today.
If I was guessing about what went on or more properly will go on back at home this afternoon, I’d say that Richard and Jim would play some basketball before night. I’ll bet that’s the great thing on both their minds.
I sure hope you are all well and getting along OK. I’m fine and not figuring on being any other way. God bless you all.
Love,
Donald
Nov 17,1944
1:30PM
Hello Family,
I’m on guard again today so I’ll try to get a letter written between shifts. Last week on whenever it was the guard I was on was only at night but this is from this morning till tomorrow morning. By this time you no doubt know that this means I’ll be on eight hours out of the twenty-four - two on and four off. I’ve already stood two of my hours and I’ll go on again at four this afternoon.
I still can’t get used to getting mail only once or at the most twice a week. But maybe it doesn’t bother me quite as bad as it did. I told you about the last letter I got on Tuesday, I believe.
I was wondering this morning if you’ve heard anything from Duane recently. Has any more news been received about Wendell? The last I heard he was missing in action. I believe that I’ve been in England longer already than either of them were. It seems almost a strange coincidence to that we all came over so close in succession.
Without any letter to get ideas from I have to think pretty hard to find something I can say. Of course, I think a lot about and wonder how things are coming back there. I even miss just hearing news of what’s going on at school. There’s a little question in my mind that basketball must be the big thing all about now.
I hate to think that right now I am due to be home on furlough but that just can’t be helped. It was eight months before I got to be home last time and I expect it’ll be longer than that this time. At least it’s going to be more than six months, I know.
Whichever one of these letters I write along about this time reaches you nearest Thanksgiving will have to serve as my Thanksgiving greeting. Every one of them carries my best wishes.
I am getting along OK and, if anything, am better off than I was a little while back. I seem to be getting accustomed to the climate enough that my cold is getting better. Be good and God bless you.
Love,
Donald
This was in the same envelope as the November 21st letter. Since this is Vmail, possibly they were both processed in the US on the same day and mailed together
Nov 15,1944
Hello Folks,
Just in case I’m too tired to write tomorrow, I’ll write this little letter tonight. I was very glad to get your letter of Nov. 4 tonight and hear that you have finally started hearing from me. I wonder if the letter you got had been written on the boat or after I got over here.
I’ve already answered your questions you asked about air mail stamps so I expect they are on the way now. You said something about sending me a can of chili soup and I hardly know what to say. I know that it would be good, especially if I can get it heated. But I expect it would be about like the time you sent a package air mail. It would cost more and take up more space than it would really be worth it. About Richard’s questions concerning the selling of one of the bicycles, it’s a whole lot up to him. If he and Jim don’t feel that they have any more use or desire for both of them, it will be alright to sell one. Of course you will keep the one in the best condition and the best parts off them both. Don’t sell it till you find someone who wants a bicycle bad enough to pay what it’s worth. As long as Jim’s growing up though I think we should hang on to at least one of them. I think that answers all your questions.
We’ve been doing some pretty hard training and I’m always tired when night comes. I hope that some of these days I’ll feel repaid for this hard work. If it hadn’t been that it will be a week tomorrow since I heard from you I don’t suppose I’d be so quick in answering your letter. I hope that everything is well back there. Lots of love, Donald
Nov 14,1944
Dear Folks,
Yesterday I thought of about a half dozen things that I wanted to tell you so I can see now that I should have written you then. I find it hard to even think now at all. The main thing I believe was that my Tribunes have started arriving. I was really glad to get them even though they were dated the 12th and 13th of October. They were still addressed in the old manner but as I remember they wouldn’t even have had my new address at that time.
At home you wouldn’t even consider reading a month old paper but here its really a different story. When we are lucky we can get the most important news every few days from the army’s overseas newspaper, “The Stars and Stripes.” If the Tribunes keep coming I shouldn’t lose out altogether on either the headline news or news of local happenings.
I hardly know what to think about the slowness with which our mail travels. I hate to use Vmail but I think I’ll use it the next letter I write. I haven’t received any of them yet and I just wonder how fast they do travel.
There’s one phase of being overseas that I haven’t said anything about and I wouldn’t even mention it now if I weren’t in need of talking to someone about it. That is the way the morals of the fellows drop when they feel they are so far from home that no one knows them. It was bad enough back in the States but some few had their wives with them and whatever other influences there were just held them in check a little. It’s just like the bottom had dropped out of everything and things just go wild. I’ve enough determination to continue to do as I have done in the past but it does take courage. I want you to pray for my strength along this line as well as any other.
I’m pretty tired and since I couldn’t possibly fill another page I’ll sign off. God bless you all.
Love
Donald
Categories
November 12, 1944
Letter to his Grandparents, Alfred and Grace Carver
This is dated the 12th, but postmarked the 18th. Either it’s in the wrong envelope, or it got held up in the mail
November 12,1944
Dear Grandparents,
While I am in the mood I’ll try to get down to business and write you a letter. It takes long enough for mail to go back and forth that by the time this reaches you I know that you’ll be anxious to hear from me.
I’m still in England and not spending my time a whole lot differently that I have for the past year. So far being overseas hasn’t changed things much except that the climate is different and it takes my mail longer to get here. People talk about our Indiana climate being so damp but it sure can’t compare in that respect to England.
Yesterday was Armistice Day and I sort of doubt if there was much done about it back at home. We went up as a group just to add a little to the celebration here in town. It was a very simple little program but they were very sincere about it and it impressed me greatly. It almost seemed to be a religious service instead of an Armistice Day observation. And after having thought of it, I expect that it would have been a good thing to make this year’s Armistice Day one of prayer.
Of course, I am trying to imagine what is going on back there. I hope you are still getting along with your work. Now that November is sailing by so fast, I expect that things are taking on an appearance of late Fall. Winter will sure be here before we hardly expect it. I wonder how a European winter will compare to those I have known before.
No doubt by the time you get this it will be almost Thanksgiving. We have many things to be thankful for so let us not fail to do so. I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. It would have been hard for me to imagine this time last year that I would spend another Thanksgiving in this army. This is at least teaching me not to depend too much on anything but just make the best of what happens. The best way is to just trust in Him for strength to meet our daily tasks no matter what they be.
I hope that you are as well as usual. Of course, I am anxious to hear from you at any time.
Love,
Donald