Friday, February 9, 2018

The War Letters

February 9, 1944


"Well I guess I'll have to snap off a 'quickie'...oh people I've never felt so dirty. It's a crime to have facilities to wash right here and not be able to utilize them..." The laundry situation is still challenging. It's been two whole weeks since he arrived and in a way, it seems like an eternity to him. Not that he dislikes the Army, but "the inertia around here is beginning to get to me...there is no purpose to what I do here and I'd just as soon get going." Most of the "little boys" who were with him have already shipped or are leaving today. He and the other "older ones" tried to keep them on track. They all had colds and had no idea of how to take care of themselves. They ran a Vicks line - cough drops, nose drops, VapoRub and aspirins - even checked up on their BMs. "They were so young and to feel sick when you're so completely away from the ones who have taken care of you all your life is a pretty lonely experience...it broke your heart to see them split up into different units and ship with older men." Lou Harwick left yesterday, leaving only Abraham Arom...36 years old, a linguist who has taught in New York for some years. He's written a modern text in Hebrew with the hope of it getting accepted for study in Jewish Sems. "He is an individual acquaintance of whom I am proud, fine character...I have no doubt he will be placed in the intelligence corps for he is fluent in Ukrainian and Baltic and Slavic languages. It makes the Army worthwhile for you know that unless you were in this exact position, you should never come in contact with men like Abe." In two weeks, he's learned a lot, "the Army can breed years of tolerance and understanding into you in a very short time." He got to Mass, Communion, and Novena yesterday...most innocent confession in years." It is here that he asks his family to save his letters, "they should make an interesting chronicle for me one day."

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