Richard Lee Holt Sr. letter to his wife Minneford Francis Holt, September 11, 1943

Mrs Richard L Holt 1st Sgt Richard L. Holt Fayetteville, Arkansas Btry "B" 936 FA Bn. RFD #3 Box 10 APO #4779 % Post Master New York, Ny. September 11, 1943 My Dearest Ones All Saturday afternoon September 11 North Africa Good afternoon my sweet and how are you this nice warm afternoon, at least it is afternoon here. I guess you are just about getting up at home at this time. Well I feel like a new man, I got your letter of the 14th yesterday and your V letter of the 28th this morning. So I guess the V mail is much faster, so you had better use it all t- gether. Well sweetheart the war news is looking pretty good. I expect that you hear about what happens over here before we do. The Englis are envading France now, and since Italy has fallen I really dont now what we are doing over here. There are sine outfits over here that have been here for several months, so it may be that we will stay here for some time. The only place that we can go now to really do any good would be somewhere in France, and I believe by the time we would get there they will have quit also Every one here seem to be of the same opinion. Well enouhg about that. I am just feeling fine and except for wanting to see all of my family am getting along swell. I want to town day before yesterday and I think it will be my first and last trip. The town is very pretty and picturesque, but the population is something else again. For the most part there is every nationality in the world. But there is so much disease that I dont see how any of them live. Vermal disease is the worst, and of course the hard part of it is that the children are the ones it effevts the worst. They all have open sores of so- me kind and it seems to effect their eyes the worst,. It just made my heart ache to see little children with their eyes all mattered up and running. I sure am glad that we are civilized nation and dont have to bring our family up in a place like this. Honey you spoke of writeing a long letter in between the V mail letters. Dont you think it would be better to borrow a type writer and type a few letters. You can get so much more on a page. We had our usual Sat morning inspection this morning. It sure seems funny to stay in the States so long and not have one, then to come away over here in Africa in all this heat and dirt and oull a Brigade Inspection by the General and all his staff. But I guess they have a reason for it. Our sats are getting much better. In fact I believe we are getting better rations over here than we dud un the states. Several of the men are going to the beach this afternoon, oh yes we have a beach here. I havent been as yet but I think maby I will go tomorrow. We are being paid Wednesday and I will be sending some money home by cable. It will be sent to the Finance Department nearest our home and a check will be sent to you from there. So yours will come from Ft Smith or [Camp] Gruber. You should get it about the 25th so it takes about 8 or ten days for it to go through [channels]. I dont know exactly how much I will send this time. I wont need more than 8 or 10 dollars a month at the most, that will be for cigerrets and candy. We are lucky in being able to get as many things that we need over here, of course there may come a time when we wont be able to get them. We also have ice for lemonade and ice tea here, so when you take it all and all we are pretty lucky. Well Honey give all the folks my love and remember me to all the neighbors. I hope you have gotten moved back home and gotten settled. It will soon be time for school to start, and I know you will be lonesome for a while, ir maby it will be a relief to know where the kids are for a change. I saw several things in town yesterday that I would liked to have gotten for you but since I dont have any place to keep them I guess maby I had better wait and get them later. Well Honey I guess that is about all for this time, so will sign off. So with all my love to the only wife in the world and May God Bless you and keep you safe and well untill we are together again. Your Always Loving Hubby Le