Pvt. W.D Johnson Jr. 34945847
G. Co. 26th Inf
APO # 1 c/o Postmaster
New York N.Y.
Feb 15th or 16th
Germany
Dearest Mother & Dad:
As I told Louise in a letter tonite I’m not even sure of the date or the day of the week. I dated the letters wrong that I wrote yesterday, I think.
Honies, I had a wonderful surprise tonite. My Christmas box from you arrived! I had long since given up hope that any of my packages would catch up with me so now I have the fresh hope that some more of them might drift in. I opened the box in the presence of my squad and we all fell to on the
nuts, stick candy and hard candy. The nuts really did hit the spot as we never get anything like nuts. I divided the gum amongst the boys and thus ended the food portion of the box. We all had a swell time eating it and all the boys said tell you all they enjoyed it. And they seemed to. And Im pleased pink with the scarf and sox. Part of the time this winter I’ve used a strip I cut off the end of a G.I. blanket for a scarf. I’ll surely enjoy the scarf and what with trench foot always a possibility I can always use some extra sox. The Army tries to keep us with changes but sometimes they fall down. I usually carry a pair or two in the inside of my helmet where no matter how wet me and my pack get, I have dry sox. Tell Grandma and Dixie that the hdkfs are most welcome. At the very moment of writing I have in my possession one dirty white(?) rag which I picked up in a town we captured and which I have been using as a handkerchief. At the time the box arrived I was not the owner of even one handkerchief! To conserve my precious rag and keeping it from using up too quickly I have fallen into that most loathsome and despicable habit of covering one nostril, honking, and aiming at the ground. Then the only duty left for the handkerchief to perform is to wipe such straggling moisture as might be clinging to my (usually) 10 day to 2 week beard.
Horrible isn’t it? P’raps I should put a preface on this letter “Do not read at mealtime”. But that’s not as bad somethings I could tell. Dad, have you ever had to go, and squatted over 2 feet of snow with fanny dragging in it and have the wind blow your breeches full of snow in the seat fore you could finish the job? And if you were also in a state of mental anguish wondering if you were far enough away from your hole for sanitary purposes and yet close enough to scramble back into it when the artillery comes lobbing in, the problem becomes more acute. So you can see that “wawer” as Mr.
Roosevelt would say it, makes a grave problem out of the most familiar bodily functions. Anyhow, folks, I couldn’t have enjoyed the package any more if it had arrived on Christmas day – and thank Grandma & Dixie for me too.
Mom, I got s sweet letter from you today dated Dec 8 and addressed to my first provincial address – as was the package. So maybe some of my other packages will turn up after all.
I read in our paper “Stars & Stripes” that there was a hurricane, or tornado rather, in Montgomery on Feb 12. I can’t help but worry some and won’t feel entirely easy till I hear from you all. I know its usually the poor people who live in the flimsy shacks who are victims of such things usually but I surely hope you all are all right. Naturally our paper didn’t have any details but it mentioned Montgomery.
Well, folks, its good to hear from you and its good to write you. Take care of yourselves and keep on praying. I’m sure its the thing to do. And write as often as you can.
Love always
David Jr