Category: Letters

This is scanned in parts, because it was written on the 8×12 onionskin, but not folded into a booklet, so it was too long to fit in the scanner.

Monday May 28,45

Dear Family,
    I don’t know how to start this mostly, I guess, because I haven’t thought about what I’m going to say. Anyhow there isn’t very much that I can say. To start with I’ll tell you that I got a letter from you this evening. It made me especially happy this time because it has been three or for days since I had received any. It was written May 18 and at that time you hadn’t heard from me for quite a while. I hope by this time that my letter have started coming through.
    It sounded as if on the 18th that you were having changeable weather a good bit like ours over here. It finally has settled down enough though that we had one nice day (today). Maybe it will decide to act like summer one of these times.
    I sure hope that the sun did shine a little back there during senior so that you could get a picture of Richard in his cap and gown. If you haven’t sent them already perhaps it would be well to keep them till things become a little more settled. Keep writing, of course, but anything you wouldn’t want to get tangled up in the mails for a long while had better not be sent. There are all sorts of rumors flying around but anything that seems to be the least bit official seems to think we’ll be doing something soon. Of course, some few people will be staying here but I expect I’ll be traveling. I can’t see any angle that will keep me here. Perhaps - just perhaps - we’ll get to go through the states though. At least it makes something to hope for. If I did get home this summer it would be nice for it to be before Richard leaves for school. But looking at it another way, the longer it takes to get started traveling the longer it’ll take to get there. And I’m in no hurry at all to get started fighting again. I can’t very well take much stock myself in the rumors of Japan's surrendering.
    I’m still doing the job of mail clerk but I’m beginning to get onto it a little more now. It doesn’t quite take every minute of my time as it did in the beginning. Everybody’s beginning to get excited about moving and I’m getting a lot of boxes of stuff they’ve picked up to send home for them. That just makes one more headache for me. 
    Let’s keep looking to God for strength and guidance.
         Your son and brother,   
                         Donald

May 25,1945

Hello Folks,
    Well right now I’ve got another job so I didn’t get to write to you yesterday. I don’t know why but for some reason or other (my main reason was just for something to do) I’ve been helping the mail clerk some since I’ve been back from Paris. Well he was hurt yesterday in an accident on the way back from getting the mail. So it just came natural for me to take over the job. The mail clerk wasn’t hurt too bad - (outwardly at least) so he should be back before too long. This is a good job while the outfit is in a combat but since I couldn’t actually hold the job I’m not so enthused over it. It’s a job for a cpl or T/5 on the books so a Sgt couldn’t hold it. And anyway since I did all the work of communication sergeant in combat I might as well have the job now. It’s just about about the best job in the company when an outfit is in training. The reason why the mail job is so good in combat is because the mailman stays back to take care of the mail and rarely if ever goes up to where the firing is. But I was up there not only doing a hard job but also taking the risk. So to sum it all up I’m glad to do the job temporarily but I doubt if it will be permanent. As I said about the forward observer job, it’s just one more subject that I’ll know a little about.
    I’ve not received any letters from you for a couple of days now so I’ve none to answer. I guess or rather am sure that Richard graduated last night and if school let out early it is all over by now (9:30 - 6hrs = 3:30). Maybe it’s just winding up at this very minute.
    If you remember I said that I had some more pictures taken in hopes that they would be better. Well I am just a little prouder of them. I’d really rather they would be displayed than the others but it doesn’t make too much difference. I’ll send them in two or three letters  so there won’t be too much weight at any one time. You can do as you please with them but at least I want Grandma Carver to have one of these.
    I got your package of Readers’ Digests and S.S. papers tonight so I think I’ll read just a little bit before I go to bed. This is the first time for a while I’ve had anything to read and now I’ve hardly time to read it. 
    Forgive this messy letter. I tried using German ink and it even stopped up the pen so the other won’t work. God bless you.
      Donald

Scanned in color because he mentions the “crazy german”, purple ink.

May 23, 1945

Hello folks,
    Don’t expect me to start writing everyday but there are a few things I have on my mind so now is a good time to get them off. If I’m not interrupted I’ll try to finish this in one attempt this time. If any letters come today they won’t get to be included in this letter but they’ll give me something to talk about some other time.
    That letter I got last night made me very happy. If that box had contained only one of my awards I wouldn’t have been quite so worried. From now on I think I’ll send things like that separately. In connection with this, I found something in a Tribune of March 26 that just came the other day. It was all news to me. It sounded so much like a funeral that it sort of aroused my curiosity. What really did happen. (Part of the article is enclosed).
    Daddy asked about this division still being in the third army. As soon as the fighting was over they really began shifting us around. It seemed as if they were trying to make sure we weren’t going to be in an army that is staying here. First they put us in the 1st army then in a few days we were put into the 9th army. We were in the seventh when we first hit combat so now we’ve almost made the rounds.
     I wonder what you’ve found out about whether Ben is really back in the states or not. It may mean that they’ve had bad luck but the chance to hit the U.S. is worth something.
     As each day goes by we wonder more what’s going to happen to us. There’s no use worrying but it is a question for deep concern. Mother made a casual remark in one of her letters along this line that has done and is doing me a lot of good. It just stuck in my mind and is giving me constant encouragement. “Prayer changes things.” Even if the Lord wants me to go to the other side, he will be with me there. May His will be done.
    How’s everything coming back there now? Hope the Aladdin job is still proving satisfactory. I sure would like to be home tomorrow evening. I’m anxious to hear more news of the Senior Week activities.
Be good and God bless you,
             Love,  
                Donald
(Forgive this crazy German ink. It’’s the best I could do right now)

Scanned in color because it was hard to read in B&W.

May 22, 1945
Germany

Good afternoon,  
     When the mail comes I hope to get a letter so I’ll have a little encouragement on this one. It always makes writing a whole lot easier for me. Sort of gets me in the mood I guess.
    The most important thing going on around here (at least the most important subject for conversation) is the speculation on what’s going to happen to us. If we do go to the CBI1CBI stands for China, Burma, India Theater, but evidence shows that it was used by the soldiers in Europe as a term for the Japan/Pacific Theater as a whole there is a chance that we might get to go via the states. But I’ve decided that I could afford to sacrifice a furlough right now for a chance to stay here. This is certainly better than going over there. Of course, what I want will make no difference in the matter. Some one else will decide for me.
    I was looking over one of you old letters in which you were telling about your beautiful spring weather. I sure am glad my home’s in Indiana instead of Germany. We are still having both very miserable days and nice days in alternate spells. Last week was so nice that everyone was beginning  to get a little tan from going without their shirts. But about four days ago it started to rain and we’ve had an average of about six hours of rain every day since. The sun has just about forgotten how to shine. Besides rain it also has been cool enough that you need a jacket almost continually. No doubt, though, it’ll rain itself dry and in a couple of days we’ll be sweating again.
    This, being the week that it is in Richard’s career, is one week I sure would like to be home. I’d hate it worse though if things weren’t going on in an almost normal manner. I’m anxious to hear the report on the senior week activities. I’ve not heard anything about the Spectrum yet this year. I hope that it was possible some way or other to have one. If there was one made  I suppose it’ll be coming out this week if it’s not done so before.
    This won’t be sent out today anyway so I think I’ll sign off now ‘till after the mail comes.

Bedtime
    Just in case I don’t get time tomorrow I want to finish this in some fashion tonight. The mail came late this evening. Got your letter of the 14th. It really made me glad to hear that my medals got home. Keep praying and all things will turn out for the best.
             Love,   
               Donald

This is scanned in color because he mentions his new (blue/purple) pencil. This was in an envelope postmarked June 3, but addressed using the same pencil, so possibly it got held up in the mail.

May 20, 1945
Germany

Hello all,
    Don’t think I am getting extravagant doing all this writing in one day. The other letter I dated the 20th I really wrote last night. This is the first I have written today. By the way how do you like my new pencil. It is something that was in a captured warehouse. I was using it tonight when I was helping the mail clerk re-address some letters to boys in the hospital. It wrote so easily that I decided to write a letter with it. (It looks like a carbon copy doesn’t it?) You can see that I got your letter of May 1 today because I am using the air mail paper you included. I had received later letters but this cleared up a few questions in my mind so I was very pleased with it.
    You asked if I had ever got any of Ben’s letters. As I remember I have gotten one of them and I wrote to him once not so long ago. I expect I ought to write him again.
    I knew at the time that it would sound crazy about that prisoner deal (guarding them and writing at the same time) but I guess that’s why I mentioned it. But that actually wasn’t such a complicated situation. Most of those guys were soldiers who had been wounded and were at home recuperating. They just couldn’t get out of town when we came in and weren’t very likely to cause trouble.
    An order just came out that we can now tell you where we are and I expect you would be interested. I know you can find Plauen, Germany on the map. Well if you could find the Plauen airport at the little town just outside or Plauen, you’d have my exact spot.
    We’re living in tents as we’ve always done but it’s pretty nice weather now and not bad at all. An airport makes a nice area to bivouac in but of course when it rains there aren’t any hills for the water to drain from. If your tent happens to be on ground that’s an inch or so lower than the next spot you’re liable to have to move out of a puddle of water.
    I got to go to church again this morning. I hope that since the war is over, we will be able to have services more regularly. Our company is away from the rest of the battalion and we had a service of our own this morning. Consequently the crowd was pretty slim and it almost was like being at a prayer meeting at home. It was such a nice little get-together and the chaplain talked on such a good subject that I got a lot of good from the service. The theme of his talk was God’s wrath on the evils that we see around us. Boy he really brought it down to our present situation.
    I learned something tonight that made me feel a little better about my silver star’s not getting home yet. I had told the mail clerk to insure it for me and thought I had paid him for it. But I never had been given any receipt so in had no proof. He asked me tonight if it ever reached home and so I was asking him about it. We got to figuring on the date, etc. and he found my receipt. So now if it doesn’t get home I’ve got a little proof on my side.
    Well I’m about to run down for now. Hope things are running smoothly back there. God be with you all.
                    Love, 
                     Donald

This is dated the 20th, but in a subsequent letter he says that this was actually written the night of the 19th.

May 20, 19451Apparently actually writen the night of May 19

Dear Mother,
  As I said in Mary’s letter this isn’t a letter but just a note of explanation. This handkerchief too came from Paris but I am not at all satisfied with it. It was just impossible to get anything at all suitable. I got handkerchiefs because I could send them in a letter and also because there was hardly anything else worth getting. So just to make up for it a little I am sending you one of these awful pictures. They weren’t very expensive so I had another bunch taken in hopes of getting something better. They are mailing these to me and if the are any better I want you to throw this one completely away. You’ll just have to overlook the many faults. Love
                Your son, 
                    Donald
I almost had a notion not to even show you these pictures at all.

Written on both sides of the page, so apparently they had stopped censoring by this point

May 18, 1945
Germany

Hello Folks,
    I am going to start this while I have a little time this evening but no doubt it will be tomorrow before I get it finished. The main reason for writing tonight is to sort of half way answer some of the questions that you have asked me. Since I got so many letters at once (8 in case you didn’t get the letter I wrote this morning) when I got back from Paris, I’ll be sure to miss some of the things I might have said if I had received them singly. 
   One of the things I remember that Mother wanted to know was how many battle stars do I have on my EJO ribbon. I guess the reason I remember it is because we have been discussing that question recently in connection with the point system for discharges. As yet we have not been issued any stars but we’re pretty sure of at least two. The list I saw the other day said that there would be stars issued for the following campaigns: Normandy, northern France, southern France, Ardennes and Germany. We certainly fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Germany and we fought about two weeks in the Saar before that. I don’t know whether that will be considered as part of one of the campaigns of France or not. We did do some fighting in France but that may turn out to be a donation as far as stars go.
    Daddy seemed to be worrying a little bit about changing things while I am gone. We’ve been wanting to get a little remodeling done on the house for so long that I’d feel bad if you didn’t do it now that you have a chance. It’s even more pleasure to look forward to seeing something better than it is to think about seeing the same old things. Don’t take me to mean that seeing familiar sights won’t be good though.
    I can see that what mother said about Jim’s growing is sure true. The picture of him in the basketball suit shows quite a change. It would be a shame if he didn’t grow though.
    I am very interested in what is happening and will happen to Richard . It looks as if he certainly will have a high school record to be proud of. Being valedictorian and getting the scholarship is sure getting his honors off to a good start. Maybe this should have been a letter congratulating him. I guess that's even better than a guy could really ask for.
    Richard’s course in chemical mathematics sounds interesting to me. He mentioned about using the slide rule a little. It has passed through my mind several times that I would like to know a little about that instrument. I’d be interested in getting a little pamphlet or anything that might enlighten me a little on this subject. Don’t go to any trouble and be sure not to send anything that Richard will be able to use.
    It’s getting almost dark so I think I’ll sign off for tonight. Hope things are OK. back there. I sure hope that Dad is coming along with his job.
    Goodnight

May 19

    If I am guessing correctly, this should be Richard’s last day of high school work. Perhaps this won’t get there till after commencement but I sure want to send my congratulations. I wish it were possible for me to attend the commencement. You’ll just have to understand the circumstances and forgive the fact that I don’t even send a graduation present.
     I sure would like to be where I was this time last year. A year is a very long, long time to be away from home. I hope that I never have to spend another year like the last one. One does get pretty  lonesome for home but letters etc. do help out a lot. I got quite a thrill out of that box yesterday and the day before.
    The mail didn’t bring me anything yesterday so I’m sort of looking forward to mail time today.
  Be good and God bless you.
            Your son and brother,
                        Donald