Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, June 13, 1945

This is another of those rainy and gloomy old days of which we are having many here of late.

Honey you could never guess in a year what I just finished doing. I was cleaning some radishes and onions and boy are we ever going to feast tonite. Some people near here have a large garden so they gave Insull, Harris and myself some vegetables and we gave them a few sticks of gum in exchange. That is one of the things I have surely missed, your nice crisp salads and honey I believe I could live on them for a month. I understand we are to have some salmon for supper tonite and you know me and salmon especially after 10 days on “C” rations. Speaking of “C” rations, some G.I. wrote in the S and S that he felt the packers of “C” rations should be brought to trial as war criminals at the earliest possible date. Naturally we all agreed with him.

I am packing the things I got for you from Paris and Nancy tonite for mailing on the 16th. I want to pack them well as I am particularly anxious they arrive okay. I am quite sure it will be something you like. I showed it to the   Captain (O’Brien) and he thought it was very nice. Aren’t you curious now? I think it best to send it to Co. Bluffs as I thought perhaps your mail box wouldn’t take packages and I don’t want it stolen. Seriously honey it isn’t that wonderful but it is a little remembrance for the one and only in my life. Perhaps if we are over here for longer period of time I can someday locate something suitable to your wonderfulness honey.

I suppose you saw in the papers where the 3rd and 7th are to be the armies of occupation instead of the 15th. Naturally we are now wondering where we stand as we are now fully in the 3rd army. The thing we never know is when they may transfer us to the 9th or 15th however as I wrote a couple days back, we are now in Phase #2 of the education program.

The Bn C.O. (our Col.) was just here inspecting our castle and seemed to be well pleased. I doubt now that we will move for a few days since he approves of the place.

Well darling I’m out of news again so will close and hope to hear from you tonite.