SOMEWHERE’S IN FRANCE.
OCTOBER 17, 1944
MY DEAR MR TURNER
IF NOT FOR THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON I WOULDN’T HAVE PICKED UP THIS PEN TO WRITE YOU. ANYWAY I’LL COME TO THAT LATER. HOW ARE YOU? BELIEVE YOU ARE QUITE BUSY THESE DAYS AS USUAL.
YES – WE’VE FINALLY RALLIED INTO FRANCE. I HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO SEE MUCH OF IT AS YET. “BONJOUR.” “MADEMOISELLE. COMMENT ALLEZ-VOUS?” YOU CAN SEE I AM LEARNING AS FAST AS I CAN. FINDING IT MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN THE PARTS OF “SUNNY” ITALY THAT WE’VE WALKED OVER.
AT PRESENT – I AM IN THE HOSPITAL. NOTHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT – JUST MY FOOT AGAIN – THE SAME THING THAT I GOT DURING THE MEMORIABLE LOUISIANA MANEUVERS YEP – ATHLETES FOOT OR DOBE ITCH YOU MIGHT TERM IT. – GOT SO BAD THAT DOC FINALLY SENT ME IN. ITS AFTER HALF MONTH NOW SINCE COMING HERE – ITS MONOTONOUS – TRY DO SOMETHING WITH NOTHING TO DO – I AM GETTING MIGHTY RESTLESS. WELL MY FOOT IS MUCH BETTER I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AWAY IN A WEEK.
BY THE WAY IZUMI IS HERE TOO. CAME THE SAME DAY THAT I CAME IN. HE HAD TERRIFIC BOILS. GETTING EM SINCE ANZIO – ALSO THE LAST WINTER GOT HIS FOOT TOO LIKE MANY OF THE BOYS. PROBABLY WILL BE RECLASSIFIED.
AND WHAT SURPRISED I GOT THIS MORNING WAS THIS – SOMEONE GOT A STRONG HOLD ON ME FROM THE BACK – CALL IT FOUL IF YOU LIKE – BUT AFTER A SCUFFLE I HAD THE BETTER HOLD – WHO DO YOU SUPPOSE – MY MANEUVER TIME TENTMATE AND PRESENT COMBAT SGT MAJOR TOM NOSSE. SAID HE FLEW IN FROM THE FRONT. HE IS OKAY JUST SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIS OKOLE.
THE INCIDENT I’D LIKE TO TELL YOU IS THIS. THE GOOD OLE AMERICAN RED CROSS OPENED ITS LIBRARY IN THIS HOSPITAL ON SUNDAY – YESTERDAY I TOOK A STROLL TO SEE IF I CAN PICK SOMETHING OUT TO READ – I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND A EXCELLENT COLLECTION HUNDREDS TO BOOKS – “BEAUCOUP” – I LOOKED FROM ONE SHELF TO ANOTHER. THEN ONE BOOK IN PARTICULAR CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. “LIFE IN A PUTTY KNIFE FACTORY” BY H.A. SMITH – I TURNED THE COVER AND IN IT WAS INSCRIBED – TO FARRANT TURNER – CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM PHIL & BETTY – P. CAN YOU BEAT THAT –
WELL – SO LONG – TAKE CARE – WILL WRITE AGAIN WHEN I FIND SOMETHING INTERESTING
YOURS SINCERELY –
Tad Ohta
