Well, Happy and Safe

Dear Folks,

I am well, happy, and safe and I hope you all are the same.

I received three packages today and a letter which fully compensates for the little relapse I didn’t enjoy for the past few days. The packages contained the candy, all kinds of cookies and olives and jam. You don’t have to send any more peanut butter because it doesn’t agree with the hot weather.

You tell me that Aunt Mary says I owe her a letter, but I sent her one quite a while ago. I guess she hasn’t received it yet.

So Gene has a slight case of the whooping cough, eh? I don’t remember when such a catastrophe overtook me, but if you say it happened, I guess it did.

You asked if there was anything special I would request for the coming Christmas rush. Well, do you remember that pen and pencil set you sent me last year? It just wasn’t built to take a beating, I guess, because it is in bad shape right now. I lost the top of the pencil coming across from the States to Africa, found the same top the next day, lost it again the next day, bought another whole pencil the next day, the top of the second pencil wouldn’t fit the first, and today both pencils are broke. The pen fared a little better — it still writes, although it is a little scratchy yet. And send me a “substantial” amount of razor blades, all Gillette. Do not accept a substitute. Also, send me some Conti Shampoo, a metal soap dish, and some other things that I want to be a surprise — besides foodstuffs.

I think that I owe Vince a letter besides a number of other people. I must start writing to some of that chosen few before they all decide that I have forgotten about them. The funny part about that is that I have forgotten some of them.

I saw the picture “Cover Girl” the other night, and I thought it was pretty good. I also saw “Bathing Beauty,” which also was a fair picture. That was quite unusual, two technicolor pictures in such a short time.

How is everything back there these days? Is Pop still working in the same place and is the financial condition concerning the house still going smoothly?

Things are pretty much the same here, although there are a few minor changes in the weather. It is a little cooler at night, although the days remain about the same. As a matter of fact, the candy you sent in those packages was melted into one piece in each box.

It’s almost chow time, so I will have to hurry this letter a bit if I want to get done in time for something to eat. However, I’m not worried too much about eating with all the cookies and stuff I got today. It will carry me for quite awhile should I miss chow for quite awhile.

While I still think of it, send me some cigarettes in your next package and each succeeding Christmas package. And again, while I think of it, it is very incorrect to write or say Xmas. If you will look at the word, you will see what you are leaving out every time you write that X.

About all I do all day now is play Pinochle, Rummy and Hearts. Every once is awhile, we play a little cribbage, but Pinochle is about the most prominent. The fellows here all play it different than I do, but we manage to come to a compromise whereby all understand the now-standard procedure.

I think I mentioned before that you don’t have to send any air-mail letters because regular mail will get here just as fast. Air-mail only pertains to the States and over here it goes anywhere they have room, even if it’s only a rowboat.

I guess my mental writing capacity is just about finished because I may have to close this letter short yet.

While I think of it it, make that pen you send one with a fine point. I don’t like those large point pens at all.

Are you still getting any more War Bonds from me through the Army and how much are you getting each months by allotment? You should get $25.75 allotment and no Bonds. Let know if you that is the case and if it is how long has it been.

Well, I hear that we are having steak for supper, so I will have to move along if I want to get some. I guess that’s all for now, so I’ll sign off.

Love & Kisses,

Frankie

PDF: ‘Send Cigarettes in Your Next Package and Each Christmas’