:: letters home - favorite son ::

 

9 April 1945

Dear Mamma,

Well here is your favorite son again.  I haven't had as much time to write as I would like but maybe before so very long.  I can't see how this war can last so very much longer & it would be over this month, I hope.  Wouldn't it be funny if it should end on my birthday?  If we get some nice weather so that the air corps can operate it will speed things up an awful bit. 

You said in your last letter that I never mentioned receiving your letters.  I'm sorry if I haven't but then you'll have to remember that I have been unusually busy and my letter writing hasn't been under the best of conditions.  I'll try to tell you each time that I get one of your letters but if I forget don't think that I don't appreciate & enjoy them just the same.  I haven't received a package in some time now but should get one any day now.  I could really go for some fried chicken, say about a gallon can of it.  How to you like the way my German pen writes?  I have 3 now all brand new. 

Lots of love

Arthur Jr.

:: letters home - differences ::

Dear Mama,

Well, here's your boy again and he is just fine. How is everything going back home? I surely wish that I were home to enjoy some of that spring weather that I hear that you have been having over there. We are having a little more sunshine here and it really feels good although it isn’t nearly as nice as that we get back home. The country over here doesn’t smell good in the spring like ours but then it stinks anyway all the time. They don’t have the plumbing here that we have back in the states & that helps stink the place up. They don’t have bath tubs or showers like we have back home either.

I slept pretty late to-day and didn’t get up until about 10 o’clock and really enjoyed it to the utmost. I think that I shall have to do that every day when I get home. Do you suppose that it could be arranged? I could also use some golden rod eggs. Will you tell me just how you are supposed to make them? I know that you boil the eggs and grate the yellow over the white paste like part but how do you make the white part? I’d like to make some and have the boys try them out.

Guess I had better close now and say so long.

Lots of love, Arthur

[april 1945]

:: letters home - on veterans day ::

9 april 1945

Dear Daddy,
Well here comes a short letter from boy. He has seen an awful lot of action lately but has not exactly killed any more Germans with his own hand (that he knows of) although he has fired several rounds of 76 M.M. high explosive into towns that they were in. They mean & fired some 88 MM's back at us but they aren't so hot as they didn't hit too close. I was right up there when the 1st & 9th joined the other day. We really did some traveling too believe me. I have lost an awful lot of sleep so you will know why I am so lazy when I get home.

I have seen so awfully pretty fireworks especially the night that I crossed the Rhine. I wish that you could have seen it. I'll never forget it as long as I live.

There are thousands & thousands of Russians and French that have been freed starting on their way back now. You should see these Russians as they walk back along the road. All of them are looking for cigarette butts and I give them the pkgs that I receive in my "K" rations. The French are much nicer dressed and much cleaner. The war is over for most of them & I wish that it were over for everyone. Tell everyone hello for me. Lots of love
Arthur Jr

:: letters home - comforts of home ::

9 march 1945

Dear Mamma,
Well here is all of one full page of v-mail coming to you. I just wish that I could send you a present but they don't have very much over here & what they have is hard to get. I'll try to bring a trunk full of stuff home when I come if I can get by with it.

There really isn't very much to tell from over here except that I haven't been able to take a bath as often as I would like to. They just don't have as many baths as they need to have. I don't believe that they have ever used as many as we have back home. I haven't shaved in about three days and I need one so I'll shave to-morrow morning. I did have a mustache and took a picture of it but I have lost the film so I am just back to where I was before. I'll have to grow another one so that I can let you see how I look with it. I suppose that I can borrow a camera and take a picture of it as I lost mine. I hope that Lillie insured mine for I would like to have it replaced some day. I'd like to have a little different one when I get another one.

I have found a couple of good movie projectors that I believe I can pick up for nothing and if I can get it home I will do just that. I will see about that to-morrow morning. Tell everything & everyone I said "hello" I'll be glad when everything is all over and I can come home again.

Lots of love
Arthur

:: letters home - for memorial day ::

it's been ages since i've posted one of poppy's letters home from war. it was a year ago yesterday that i posted the first. with memorial day comes many reminders and memories of my favorite soldier.

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14 FEB 1945
"ENGLAND"

Dear Mamma,
Well here comes a much delayed letter to you. We have been moving around quite a bit on maneuvers and I haven't been able to write as much as before due to lack of time. I have lost a little sleep but am doing O.K. now. My bed roll has really come in handy and so have my overshoes. I'm glad that I had Willie sew that blanket in my jacket for it is much warmer than it would be otherwise. I hope that we have no more cold weather here but I'm afraid that we will.

We had chicken to-night for supper and also last night for supper. One of the hens that they cleaned had fourteen eggs in her. One was a hard shell one and two soft shell. The rest were yellow ones that ranged in sizes from about half as large as an egg to about the size of a "BB". I had never seen that many in one chicken before.

The people here where we are staying usually ask us in every night to have some pie & coffee. I wish they had some good ole butter milk. I could use some cracklin corn bread. I haven't received any packages as yet, but expect to any day. Tell everyone I said "hello"

Lots of love
Arthur

:: letters home - a valentine for mamma ::

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5 Feb 1945

Dear Mamma

Just a card to let you know that I am thinking of you on Valentine's day.

Love
Arthur Jr

:: letters home - on veteran's day ::

i'm so grateful to all of the men and women who willingly and bravely sign up for a job that many of us couldn't and wouldn't do. i give thanks to and for all those who have served. happy veteran's day.

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30 January 1945
'England'

Dear Mamma,
Well here I am again. We are having some pretty cold weather over here with plenty of snow. Every night it snows a little more. We are quartered in an old house that must have at least thirty or more rooms. Some of the rooms have fire-places and some don't we are lucky enough to have one in our room. Of course it is still around 50° but that is much better than being outside. The people here seem to like the American soldiers an awful lot and so far there have been very few fights between our boys and them. I haven't been back to see the squire for the reason that while I was in London she called and asked us to come out to tea & Lt Nye was going to call her back after he had talked to me. He found out that I was on leave and before he could call her he was sent off on a trip and left the calling up to Lt Betts. Lt Betts said that he couldn't find her name in the phone book. Of course she wasn't called and I suppose that she felt insulted as she never called us again. I'll have to write her a letter and explain things to her I suppose. How is everything going back home at this time? I hope that I can be home with you all by next Christmas. Tell everyone "hello".

Lots of Love
Arthur

:: letters home - winter at war ::

it's been a while since i've posted one of poppy's letters home from war and i was reminded of that yesterday when i friend emailed me, asking if i'd run out of letters or, if not, asking me to post another one. for those who enjoy reading these, i apologize for the delay in the latest episode - guess i'm just unintentionally keeping you in suspense as you wait to see if and when he'll receive his package from home!

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"ENGLAND"
27 January '45

Dear Mamma,
Well how is everything and everyone back home these days? I suppose that everything is just about the same as usual isn't it? From what I can understand you have been having some pretty cold weather there. We've had some pretty bad weather here ourself and I suppose that there will be at least a couple of more months of it before spring starts in.

Has Elizabeth heard from Walt as yet? I guess he must be pretty busy by now. How many times has Capt. Sullivan been up to see you? I'd like to see him again not to mention all of the family there at home. I saw several people that I knew while I was in London. John Gantt said that I spoke to 9 out of ten people & he spoke to the 10th just to make it complete.

I haven't received any packages as yet but haven't given up hope as yet either. I have received the December issue of "The Link" but so far the January issue hasn't reached me. Tell Daddy to oil the guns again & tell Forrest to keep that one oiled too. The war looks awfully good doesn't it? Tell everyone at church "hello" for me.

Lots of love
Arthur

:: letters home - winter at home ::

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15 Jan 1945
England

Dear Mamma,
How is everything back home now that you are having a little cold weather? I guess the coal in the bin is beginning to go down isn't it? I wish that I could be home to fill the hopper for you for the the rest of this winter.

Has Daddy gone hunting this winter? Don't let him forget about oiling my guns for I'll want to use them when I come home. I'd like to be using them when this week is over but it will be nearer when this year is over.

What is Walt's new A.P.O.? I know that he must have a new one for the one that Lillie sent me was just a temporary one. I'd like to write him while he is in France. Maybe I'll get to see him before the war is over. You never can tell, can you? I wrote Aunt Clara & Uncle Gib and Eros & Billie yesterday. I'll try to get around to the others before so very long.

Tell Mr. & Mrs Caldwell & The Bighams I said "hello". Can you send Bobby's address to me? Never mind I can get it out of "the link". Guess I had better close now. My packages haven't come in yet. Maybe soon though.

Lots of love, Arthur

:: letters home - the first battle ::

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"ENGLAND"
11 JAN '45

Dear Mamma,
Well, I have been in my first battle and we came out OK. In fact I didn't even have a man wounded. We waited until we were within twenty yards before we opened fire. They had already fired on us but were doing no damage. We chased them back into the schoolhouse and then went on back to camp. I suppose that they'll be waiting for us tomorrow with plenty of snowballs. We were ready for them to-day and I guess we'll have to watch our step every day as we go to the motor park. This is some war isn't it? I was wounded by a woman in the motor park yesterday. She hit me right on the side of the neck, while I was warming by the fire, with a snowball. She kept throwing snow balls at everyone until she got the worst of it.

I received your letter that Lilian addressed and Lilian's letter to-day. So far I have received no packages except the one from Lillie with my wedding ring. I went out to-night and looked for rabbits but found none and only saw some tracks. Maybe I'll find some in the morning. Tell Daddy & the rest I said "hello."

Send me Walter's A.P.O. if you have it.

Lots of love,
Arthur

:: letters home - new years eve ::

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"SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND"
31 Dec 1944

Dear Mamma & Daddy
Well I am very happy to-day for I received quite a bit of mail. I had five letters from Lillie one from each of you, one from John Gantt and a $50.00 Bond from Eastman Kodak. That is enough to hold me for awhile, however I would stay awake all night if they would keep coming in.

I don't know of anything that I can use except a million pounds in English money, which would be just a little over four million dollars, and a discharge from the Army. Seriously though if you could send some v-mail stationary and some good air mail stationary. The condition of the packages that the fellows are receiving are in fair condition but they need more than just the mailing cartons. I believe that just a little wrapping paper would make the difference.

I have bought just a couple of presents so far but haven't found a suitable box to mail them in. I hope to get them off in the near future. One of them is a little dog for Margurite and it glows in the dark. I suppose that she'll be glad to get it. I'll have to close for now but I'll write again soon. Tell the rest "hello".

Lots of love
Arthur

:: letters home - on Christmas day ::

i made goldenrod eggs for lunch today. an old family favorite. the process, the smell, the taste - it reminds me of childhood. reminds me of maunga & poppy's house in decatur. it was almost a year ago that we lost our dear poppy art. i haven't posted a letter home in a while and thought it would be a great complement to my breakfast-for-lunch.

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25 Dec. 1944
Dear Mamma,
Well here we are having Christmas in England and I had much rather be spending it at home. Maybe I'll be able to spend the next one at home and I certainly hope so. We have a turkey dinner with all of the trimmings and the only thing wrong with it was the fact that we had to wait for the Col so long that it was cold. Everyone was mad at him.

I am on duty to-night as Office of the day and I have to inspect the guard again in a few minutes. I won't have to be on again until about the middle of January.

There was no mail again to-day but I know that I must have a lot on the way somewhere. I just hope that it begins to come in soon. I have received only one letter so far and that was from Lillie written on the 28th of Nov.

Has Elizabeth been hearing from Walt very often? I haven't written to him as yet but will someday real soon. Tell everyone hello for me & will you send Billy & Tish's new address? Will write more later. I need some v-mail.

Love, Arthur

:: letters home - at Christmas::

i'd thought about saving this letter home for Christmastime, but decided i would keep posting them in the order they were written and sent home.

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19 Dec. 1944
Dear Mamma,
It won't be long now before Christmas now and I suppose that by the time you get this Christmas will be over. Last night I could hear the people from the town singing Christmas carols and it sounded pretty. There must have been quite a few from the volume. I don't know whether they were singing it for us or not.

I still haven't received any mail whatever from any of you. If you will tell everyone to use v. mail it will arrive sooner. Have you sent any fruit cake or fried chicken yet? I could really use it right about now. I wrote Daddy a long letter a few days ago and I suppose he has received it by now.

I have visited Liverpool and it is a pretty nice place. I hope to make London some day and then I'll write you all about it. I tried to call John Gantt but I couldn't get him so I wrote him a letter. I should hear from him before so very long.

Can you send me some candy and cookies and ask Elizabeth to send me Walt's A.P.O Did Elizabeth get my letter to buy Lillie's Christmas presents?

Lots of love,
Arthur

:: letters home - mamma's birthday ::

this year's memorial day (weekend) was very different for me from those of the past. normally, i would have my thoughts of gratitude toward those who have served, and i would move on about my day. this year i was constantly reminded of my late grandfather. a man who served his country and his family honorably. as though i don't think of him often enough! i thought of his sacrifice as a soldier more than ever. i kept thinking of him as a young man, leaving his mother & father and wife and sisters and going to a foreign country to fight in a war. in a time when foreign didn't just mean "overseas" or "far away." it really meant "unknown." he didn't have that real-time inside view like we have today (via internet, tv, etc). england, france, germany, belgium…those places were truly foreign to him. shoot, new york city was even shocking to his small town (atlanta, ga in 1944) frame of reference!

i have a stack of letters and vmail that i salvaged from my grandparents' house in decatur when they moved to greenville a few years ago. to me, these are not just a fascinating view into the life of my grandfather as a young man (and my family's past), but they're also a really neat piece of american history.

v-mail was used to expedite the mail delivery overseas during the war. notes were written on full-sized paper, inspected (the mail was censored) and photographed. microfilm containing pictures of numerous letters were then shipped, saving valuable space (and weighing much less than physical letters would). the photos were printed, smaller than the originals, folded and placed in special v-mail envelopes, specifically designed for the layout of the stationery (so that the mail-to address would show through the small window on the envelope's front). because of the very specific design of the stationary, notes had to be kept short, else the legibility be compromised (when the image size was decreased) or the address placement not be correct.

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13 Dec 1944 [england]
Dear Mamma,
Happy Birthday. I know that this will reach you a little late since it won't even leave here until the 14th but anyway it will show you that I am thinking of you on your birthday. To be very frank I had let it slip up on me and one of the boys waked me this morning and asked me for a pass so when I wrote the date it suddenly registered. I went into town this morning to see if I could find you anything but they are just about out of everything. Maybe I'll be able to find something later on. I may even get a chance to go to London and then I may find something to send you.

I have visited Liverpool and saw some of the effects of the bombing that they had there back in 1941. I'm really glad that the war wasn't [arrived?] to our country so that we would [n't] have bombing etc.

Mamma this money over here is really a mess. I believe that our system is much simpler. How about sending some fruit cake & chicken?

Lots of love,
Arthur Jr

:: letters home - in memory of ::

i've been wanting to share poppy's letters from war for a while, but just haven't taken the time to get them all scanned and figure out how i wanted to post them. so for memorial day, i'll go ahead and put a couple of them up here. his first two letters home.

in honor of my favorite soldier.
letters from my favorite soldier.

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21 Nov. 1944
Dear Mamma,
Here is the first letter that I have had time to write since we left Georgia. We had a nice trip and all went well. The train was made up of pullmans, a kitchen and a couple of baggage cars. Traveling by pullman really beats the old coaches.

The weather here is pretty cool and it has been raining for a couple of days. I suppose that it will really get cold when the rain quits. My blanket-lined jacket really comes in handy now. I wish that I had a sheep-skin vest for really cold weather.

Will you have Daddy oil my guns every couple of mo weeks or every month. They should be oiled both on the inside & outside. Tell him to keep the inside of the shotgun barrel in good shape even if he has to buy a rod & brush for it. I'll pay him for the brush. He doesn't have to worry about the inside of the rifle barrels for they won't rust.

Don't worry about me for I am o.k. and will get along o.k. Tell the rest I said hello and will write as soon as possible.
Lots of love,
Arthur Jr.

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25 Nov. 1944
Dear Mamma,
Well here it is Saturday night and I am Duty Officer to-night. There really isn't very much that I can write about as we have very little news.

I'm sorry that Tech let Notra Dame beat them so bad. Tech had been riding along on luck for a long time. I guess that it really hurt Daddy too.

Martie, Buddy, Pramer, Lillie & I met in the big town last night and spent the day sight-seeing. I knew that it would be a large place but wasn't expecting it to be that large. I don't know whether I would like to live up here or not. I believe that I will still take good ole Georgia for my home.

We saw them ice skating and it looks as if they do it so easy. I believe that it would really be fun. I'd like to make an ice sled with a motor on it and ride over the lakes & rivers when they freeze over.

Has Elizabeth heard from Walt since he called her the other night? Martie & Buddy said that they hadn't seen or heard of him. I suppose that he just didn't have any time off to call her. John Jr wouldn't have anything to do with me the first time I saw him but the next time he seemed very glad to see me. I believe that he was just sleepy the first night.

I am going to close now and go check on the men.

Mamma I want you to snap out of it and quit acting like you have been about my going to the A.P.O. P.O.E There just isn't any use in your acting like and you're just running your blood pressure up and hurting yourself. There just isn't any sense in it at all. You'll just worry everyone around you. Now promise me that you'll relax and not worry or I'll just quit writing to you. No I won't do that but I'll be mad at you and no fooling.

Tell everyone I said "hello."

Lots of love,
Arthur Jr