Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, July 1, 1945

Well honey another Sunday has come and gone with the usual happenings going on. Last night we again went down to the club, drank a little wine and some beer and then all joined in singing some of the old songs that everyone knew. We had one of the best piano players I have ever heard. I don’t know his name but he is a T/Sgt in the Division and I found out later the same fellow who plays the great outdoor pipe organ every noon. He played every request that was asked and was excellent on all of them. They close at eleven so we came home and went to bed and I slept until 9:30 this morning. It made me mad as I wanted to wake up in time for chow.

This afternoon it has been quite cool but for lack of anything else to do, Watson and I decided to go swimming. Tonite I am plenty tired as we walked back from the lake. Going up we were lucky enough to catch a ride. Tonite after chow he wanted to visit a new club recently opened by the Field Artillery called the “Tulsa Club” so we walked down there. We heard they had coca cola but after arriving found they were out   and had nothing but wine and beer left. They sell tickets for 5 cents each and each ticket is good for 1 tumbler of wine or 1 big mug of beer so it is plenty reasonable. We bought 4 tickets each and drank 4 tumblers of wine and returned home. Just imagine I spent the whole of 20 cents in one evening.

Honey you weren’t just kidding when you mention me spending some time at the 24th and Farnam Drug Store if and when I get back. Some good ice cream would really taste wonderful right now. As I have stated before we have had it a few times but it doesn’t taste like the good cream in the States. Of course that’s easily understandable being made of powdered milk and powdered eggs.

I received another letter from you today dated the 25th, that’s another one in six days. I hope you are getting the same service on mine.

You could never guess in a year what I just finished doing before writing to you. I ate one whole package of that old Smokey Cheese and about ⅔ of the box of Triscuits. That doesn’t sound like me eating in the evening this way does it? I guess I must be getting the habit as it seems I am hungry every nite anymore. Our chow here still isn’t very good and we had canned rations for both dinner and supper today while the companies had   fried chicken. I had planned on going out to Schwaz to see the boys at the company today but didn’t wake up in time this morning. I can’t go next Sunday as it is my day for C.Q. so think I will use that time to catch up on some back correspondence. So far I have answered every letter written me quite prompt but I now owe Otto, Ada, Eileen and mother. It seems I don’t have nearly as much time for myself here as I had at the company because we work regular hours and have been too busy the past few days to write any extra letters at the office.

Well darling guess this will have to be all for today. I will inclose a couple more pictures I have left. The one of Stacy, Guistolise and the French Girl was taken in Cirey, France. Guistolise is a young kid from Chicago and I guess he dated her several times before they left Cirey. When I was at Cirey, we had to walk past her house to chow and at that time he was always talking about her and hoping to meet her. He told me a couple days ago when he gave me the picture that when Personnel was at Wertheim, he got a 3 day pass, went to Cirey and stayed with her family for the three days. Will send some post cards separately —