Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, October 18, 1945

It is now nine oclock and I just finished having a big Pinochle game so decided to write you now while sweating out the ambulance returning with our mail. We heard there were lots of packages today so naturally I’m hoping one will be for me. I really enjoyed the card game and havn’t played Pinochle since I can remember. I didn’t have any outstanding hands and Hudyka and I lost 3 out of 5 to Lupa and Nerneth[?], but it was a lot of fun.

After writing you last night I went to the theatre here in Hallein and saw “Capt Eddy”. It was the life story of Eddie Richenbacker and was very interesting. I could have gone to Salzburg to see Diamond Horseshoe tonite but decided against it as I left too tired to get cleaned up. After the show last night I received two letters from you, the 10th and 11th. Honey you have lots of mail on the route some place and also quite a lot of money which I hope arrives safely. I am wondering now if you received any of my letters telling about the furlough deal before receiving the Radiogram. If not, no doubt it was all Dutch to you.

Eventually the letters will catch up and explain every thing. We are losing two of our Captains tomorrow, Capt Sackett and Capt James B. Martin, not the one you disliked. Capt Sackett is one of the nicest officers I have ever known. I have been kidding him for a long time about going home and his orders arrived last night transferring him to the 26th Div. this morning when I went to breakfast he was sitting at the officers table and I said “Good Morning Doctor Sackett”. He laughs and said “I’m not home yet, are you trying to rub it in. I said no, I’m just trying to get you accustomed to being a Civilian. We are very fortunate in the officers we have, they don’t like the Army and want to be civilians just as much as we. Cap’t Benton is very bitter about the Army and doesn’t care who knows it. Cap’t Sackett gave me some new underwear shorts and shirts which he didn’t want to lug home. I told him I would probably be here long enough to wear them out.

Well honey the ambulance just arrived and I received your letter of the 12th and a card from Charlotte and Otto. According to your letter you still havn’t received any from me later than Sept 24th. That really pisses me off, I suppose some of the strikers   in New York and very happy to keep the men overseas and their wives from getting mail to each other. I’m telling you if I ever get home they would never get me out of the states again. We have read of some plenty raw deals being pulled in the states.

So the folks are reorganizing their house, sounds like a good deal if they plan to keep the place and apparently they do.

Well darling it is now ten and my bed time so will say Good Nite —