Sunday Afternoon
8 April 1945
Germany
Kay darling,
It’ such a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I wish so much that we could be together someplace—I wouldn’t care where—just so I’m with you. Spring is almost here with the flowers blooming, grass turning green, and leaves budding on the trees—Gee I would give anything if I could be home with you now—It would be such a swell time of the year to get married too. But from the looks of things here today we will have to stay around until May (tomorrow the Army may decide to keep us until the end of the war—or release us next week)—So darling, don’t expect me until you hear that I am in the States—via telegram or telephone—Our commander is trying to get us released and sent home as fast as he can but some General wants us to stick around until all the bridges are well secured—which they estimate will be near the end of April—So sweet, that’s about all I know at the present.
My commander sent me to Paris last weekend on business and I just had time and money to send Mom a cablegram that I was okay and safe. Kay, you have no idea how close your future husband came to having his name in the casualty list—I don’t know how I escaped except that the good Lord was watching over me. It was damn near too much for me. I’m still a bit jumpy but things are very quiet here now so I’m not bothered much. We have a very pretty house (was occupied by a German doctor—but we moved him out) very modern, and completely furnished with lights, radio, toasters, etc. The old German, a high Nazi official in this town, doesn’t like it at all because we ran him out—but that’s just too bad—He probably hasn’t heard about the millions of people the German soldiers ran out of their homes—We are eating very well also—for example, at noon meal today—we had venison (one of my crews shot a deer a couple days ago near here) fresh creamed potatoes, fresh English peas, fresh butter, champagne, and wines (we have so much wine we don’t know what to do with it all), coffee, and peaches for dessert—Last night we had five colonels and a captain drop in on us—They were passing through and heard the Navy was living here so they said they could count on a good meal and a place to sleep—so we had our cooks (a sailor and a colored sailor) fix up something last night—we had steak and fresh eggs— Don’t ask me where all the eggs and steak is coming from because I don’t know—it just started since we moved up here on the Rhine—Our food wasn’t too bad in France but we didn’t get it (steak, chicken, etc.) as often as we are now—So much for my living quarters, food, and stuff—
Now, you tell me what you are doing, where you’ve been spending your time, how you are feeling, and the latest news from home—How is Frieda and the future little Gillespie— also Ed and Elsie? Any new gossip going on?
Since I began this letter we have had company and guess what I have been talking about?—Dallas—A Lt. in a combat engineering outfit is working with us—His name is Marvin Hoffman—ex-Forest High--finished the same class I did and went to A&M. We were wondering how swell it would be to go on a picnic out at White Rock Lake or drive around Dallas on a beautiful Sunday afternoon—Sure is swell talking about things we used to do in Dallas—
Sweet, I must close now—but first I want to thank you for your many prayers, your love and devotion—Just remember that I love you so damn much and want so much to hurry home to you—Write me often, darling, your letters are keeping me going because the old chin gets pretty heavy at times—Bye for now Kay.
I love you,
Stormy