Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, June 25, 1945

After writing you last night we had quite a party. I shouldn’t say party as we drank nothing but beer but we did have a feast. Three of the boys from Div Hqs dropped in so we opened a couple cans of soup, french fried a great lot of potatoes, toasted some bread in the oven and made a big pot of coffee. It really tasted delicious and I ate so much I couldn’t go to sleep for a least an hour after going to bed.

I really spent my money like a drunken sailor today. We received our Px rations and fortunately I received my share from both the Co. and from Div Hqs. I got six cartons of cigarettes, 20 candy bars, 8 packages of gum, 4 packages of Life Savers, shaving and dental cream, razor blades, 4 bars Lux Soap and a bottle of ink all for $5.30. I was supposed to receive just half that amount to last for a month. I was checking my cigarettes tonite and I now have 76 packs so think that supply will last a month okay. Surely wish I could send some home to you but of course these have no Revenue Stamp on them.

George and I took our E.T.O. jackets down to the tailor shop tonite to have them   shortened a bit. According to the Div S.O.P. they must be only long enough to barely cover our belts. Oh yes we now also have orders to varnish our helmet liners. That of course is to make them shiny like Gen. Patton’s. Ha! I think the 42d should have been in the 3rd Army all along with the amount of publicity each has received.

I received four letters from you again tonite, one of the 15th, two of of the 18th and one of the 19th. Some how the 17th must have gotten misplaced on perhaps it will come in tomorrow. I also received a Servicemen’s edition of “Advertising Age” from Eileen and a small booklet of “Post Yarns” sent by Magee’s in Lincoln. It was mailed June 9th and went to Ft. Riley, Camp Gruber and then here. I think it made good time for so many stops.

Honey you can tell Ruth those aren't’ all ribs some are muscle. Ha! Seriously, I havn’t lost weight, as a matter of fact last time I weighed, it was 156 which is about seven pounds more than when I came in the Army. Honey I hope you are feeling better, you havn’t mentioned whether or not you have had any more of these spells.

That’s quite a coincidence Patricia’s husband being from Omaha. Apparently she met him some where in the East.

Bye this time Dorothy should be in Chicago. I hope they have a nice vacation. How come they decided on Chicago?

I was so glad to hear Viola is home again and I’ll bet she was plenty happy to get back after all this time in the hospital.

Honey you weren’t just kidding when you said it seemed like our separation was six years instead of six months. The time now seems to go so much slower than when we were in combat and moving so often.

You mentioned the swimming trunks I was wearing in the picture. I swiped those (I mean liberated) from the pool at Bayrischzell and I still have them. They aren’t too good but better than none.

So your Dad wants to trace our trip across. One of these days I’ll write the rest of the story. I have forgotten now what the last town was I wrote about in that letter, anyway that was just the beginning.

I am sending a few more pictures of the boys in Personnel. We kid Watson and Drake about their friend. The boys think he looks like the bum who is always at Dagwood’s door in the funnies.

Well darling it is now eleven so think I shall turn it for tonite.