Pvt. W.D. Johnson Jr. 34945847
G Co. 26th Inf.
APO # 1 c/o Postmaster
New York, N.Y.
Feb 14, 1945 7P.M.
Germany
Dearest Mother & Dad:
Today has been a nice day. the sky was clear when we got up this AM and the sun shone all day. I’m still living in my dugout but its not leaking in on me. We never know just how long these little “rest” periods will last but we are always grateful for all the time we get.
We have been getting 3 hot meals a day here. the food has been good but I’ve missed salt in most everything. I asked a cook about it and he said they ran out of salt for the time being. You know how I like to salt food, so I’ve really missed it.
Regarding our food, we get a lot of dehydrated foods and the rest are canned but we have a good variety. For b’fast today we had hot cakes, syrup, oat meal coffee and bread. For lunch we had potatoes, meat balls with catsup, sour kraut, canned pineapple & coffee. For supper we had potatoes some kind of canned hash, beets and canned tomatoes – uncooked (that’s where I wanted salt) peas and coffee. We have bread every meal. So you see we do right well when we’re not actually up on the line where our kitchen can’t get to us.
Dad I hope you had a nice trip to Chicago altho I imagine you hit cold weather.
Mom, your letters addressed to the hospital haven’t caught up to me yet whereas the letters Louise sent to my same address right along have been coming right in. It just happened to work out that way. If I hadn’t gotten back to my outfit, yours would have caught me first.
I’m still disappointed that none of my cables or Christmas boxes got thru to me, so I guess its well that the guys ate my birthday cake as it probably wouldn’t have gotten to me.
Mom, one of the fellows called my attention to the 91st Psalm and now it’s one of my favorites. I’ve been reading other psalms but just hadn’t read that one. Read it. I read my bible Louise gave me whenever I can and carry it in my pocket all the time. It’s a great comfort, believe me.
I’m anxious for news of Macey – In a way I’d love for him to get sent to my outfit, but in another way I’d rather see him hit it lucky and draw a little better assignment. In other words one of us chasing Jerries is enuf and I’d like to see him contributing a little more indirectly.
Did I tell you I had letters from Marvin and his old girl Sara? Also I’ve gotten a couple of issues of (word?) “News from Home” which I found interesting.
Dad I could make the war very interesting for you if I could tell you little facts along to tie in with what you read in the papers. But I guess even then by the time you got my letter the news would be old.
I hope by now you all have started back to writing at this address and I will start hearing from you again soon. I am fine so don’t worry about me and don’t forget that I love you and wish you both a happy Valentine’s Day.
Love always,
David Jr