July 1943 - A Letter From Ellen Hall - Part Two

Ellen's letter continues...

Letter - Page 5

"...It is terrible.  There is never any breeze and it is just as hot at night as it is in the day time.  I have to take salt tablets 3 times a day to keep going.  Will I ever be happy to get back to civilized country.  By the way if you can imagine it I have a suntan.  Course it is kind puney(sic) compared to some of the peoples around here but it is sure good for me.

Grover and I had a funny experience Sunday.  We decided to go get a bottled Coke at the U.S.O.  There is one right next door so we walk in get our Coke (U.S.O. is about the only place you can get them) and sit down to drink them.  We noticed how stiff and queer everyone was, nearly all foreigners.  They were all sitting...

Letter - Page 6

"...around the walls of the room saying nothing to their neighbors all acting very queer for it being a U.S.O.  Finally Grover said look up on the wall at that flag.  In great big letters it said National Catholic Committee.  Then we looked around us a bit and there were crosses and things all over the place.  I don't know why we never saw them when we went in.  We got out of there in a hurry and unconspicuously(sic) as possible.  We decide after that we would go to the regular U.S.O., if it was a little father.  The regular one by the way is in a building that housed wounded Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.  This town has a lot of historical buildings in it.  It is the oldest city1 in Georgia."

Letter - Page 7

"I'm going to go see if I can find me a job today.  They are terribly hard to find here.  Particularly soldiers wives, they don't like soldiers or their wives here.  They claim they have ruined their town.  Maybe so but if it weren't for the soldiers this town would be absolutely dead.

By the way what do you think of Mussolini quitting?  Sounds pretty swell to me.  But I hope they don't let him get away like they did the Kaiser in the last war.  

Ann Holcomb isn't very old to be married is she?  Seems to me she is several hears younger than I am.  Guess age doesn't have much to do with it though.  The couple next door have been married a lot longer..."

Letter - Page 8

"...than Grover and I but she was only 18 yesterday and he's not 20 yet.  She is a Greek and has only been in this country 7 years.

Sure, Sis I would like to have the slip.  About keeping it for me or sending it.  That is up to you.  The only thing it's hard telling when I'll have a chance to come home.

I would like to see your new dress.  You're doing almost as good as I am.  I hadn't had a new dress in over 2 years when I bought that one in L.A.

Well, Sis I have a lot to do so will sign off for now.  Write often.  Tell Jim to write a line too.

Love,

Ellen & Grover"   

1 - Augusta, Georgia