Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, July 26, 1945

Honey you should have seen me doing my home work this afternoon. I got a new cap and a pair of trousers and had to sew braid on the cap and alter the trousers. I wear 30 - 31 and the only pants I could get were 32 - 33. I proceeded to rip the seam out in the back and took them in about two inches. Believe it or not they don’t look too bad either, if I do say so myself. Anyway I’m hoping they hold together until I can find a tailor to sew them on a machine. My others are so filthy dirty that they will stand by themselves but I am going to wear them until we move into billets and we hear that will happen next Tuesday. From all indications it looks as though we are moving to Radstadt and the boys who saw them say the billets are very nice.

I helped Bob again this morning posting circulars and am going to pull C.Q. for a while tonight for Geo. Marrell who is sick. Bob wanted me to go swimming with him in Salzburg this afternoon but since I have a touch of the GI’s again and have to make a mad dash for the latrine occasionally, decided I better stay close. I would liked to have gone as this has been one of the hottest days we have yet had and I know the water would really feel swell. At present I am sitting here on my cot in my shorts writing you. That is the only advantage of being in the   field, you can almost dress as you wish as there is no one around to see us anyway.

I received three letters from you last night the 17th, 18th, and 19th of July and was glad to hear my letters are still coming through in good shape.

I think Viola is foolish not to get Pete home if she possibly can. I don’t know how Pete feels but do know I would want to be with you if you were ill, in fact I should say, want to be with you period. I don’t give a damn what any one else would think if I could just be home with you. With the Dr’s help she wouldn’t have much trouble I’m quite sure. We had a fellow leave a couple days ago, (his name was Arnold and he is from Ottawa, Iowa), for discharge under the exact circumstances. Perhaps Pete would prefer to get out under the Army way but I doubt it, as for me honey, I’ll take any way out possible and the sooner the quicker.

Honey you asked about the non-fraternizing ruling being lifted. Personally I can’t see where it made much difference, the fellows who wanted to fraternize and raise hell did it anyway when the ruling was in effect. I havn’t been to any of the clubs since its lifting but doubt if they allow them to bring girls in. I have read a few letters in the Stars & Stripes from girls in the States complaining about the lifting of the law. Actually I can’t see where any of them have a thing to worry about, I havn’t seen any   girls over here that would begin to compare with those in the states.

Your mention of having bananas sounded wonderful. We had something yesterday, the first since being overseas, liver and onions. Honestly that liver tasted better to me than steak and I ate three big pieces. Its funny how one can get a craving for some thing like that now and then. It got to be an old saying in the chow line when we had steak, “what steak again, when in the hell are we going to have liver.”

So you and Vi go window shopping in the rain now. Honey, no need for you to look at twin beds because when I get back you’re going to sleep right in my arms and anyway, climbing in and out of bed so often would be such a nuisance. I can just picture you two walking down the street in the rain with your bag of laundry.

Well darling, guess thats about all the news for today so will close.