IN ITALY
8 June 1944
Darling:
Herewith is monthly MO plus ten for incidentals I might ask or did ask you to send me. I won’t miss any of it as there is still very little I can spend my heard earned lettuce!!
Also I include three (3) pictures – two of them need no explanation. However, in one of my last V-Mails I promised to get even with you for sending me those “special” packing boxes and therefore the third and largest picture. To be really mean I should send some without further explanation, but to avoid starting another War here is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and I feel I need help!!
I previously mentioned the Red Cross Clubmobile usually calls on Saturday mornings and we are served coffee and doughnuts through the courtesy of the Red Cross. In addition to the coffee and doughnuts they usually send some “cheesecake” so that we all can get a glimpse of American womanhood again. This particular Saturday morning was no different from others, except when I walked to the coffee urn for my turn someone said “Just a minute please” I turned around and for the first time noticed Signal Corps Captain kneeling and aiming his camera at two girls. I started stepping to one side, but he told me it was OK that I should get into the picture and hold my cup under the spigot and look at him. I did, and the camera clicked. I then received my coffee and doughnuts, said ello to the girls, walked away and forgot the incident. The other day the Captain came into the office and presented me with two prints of the picture. Right then and there I made him promise not to publish the picture in any papers back home. He then told me it would cost me $10.00 to keep it out of the papers!! I don’t know what happened to the originals but herewith is the one print and the full story behind it. The girls in the picture no longer come around here as they have been replaced by some rookies who recently arrived in this theater. So now you have the story – and I hope you believe same.
I hope you notice on the pictures that I am wearing your ring and am very proud of same.
Flash: We just towed the clubmobile into the Motor Pool – one of the girls smashed it against a wall and did a job on same. I just talked to the girl in the white sweater (via telephone), but she had a date with and officer!! So I’ll continue to write letters as I usually do.
I still love you Darling as much as when I left the States – or possibly more. Please keep loving me.
Woody