Richard Lee Holt Sr. letter to his wife Minneford Francis Holt, September 8, 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 8, 1943 My Dearest One Well my dear I will try and write another few lines. I hope this finds you all well. I am well and having quite a few new experiences for me. We are near a pretty good sized town but as yet I haven't been there yet. I think maby that I will go in the next day or two. The men are all getting passes to town. The people here are sure different from what I had imagined they would be here in North Africa. There are some French people which seem to be pretty well off, but for the most part of the population are a mixture of French, Spanis, and Arabic. The main crop here seems to be Grapes, altho they raise some of the smaller vegetables and a wheat and oats. The weather here now is hot and dry in the summer time and I am told that it is awfully wet during the rainey season which starts some time in the next month or two. I hope we move on before that time. The night are certainley cool, we have to use at least one blanket every night and one night two wouldent have felt bad at all. The main topic around here now is the mail, the boys are all wondering when they are going to get a letter. So far we have only gotten 10 letters in the Btry, and they have been by V mail, so I expect you had better send all of your letters by V mail. It has prefereance over the straight mail and will get here from 8 to 10 ten days sooner. I hope I get a letter before to long. It seems ages since I have had any word from home. How are all the youngsterss also all of the rest of the folks. Tell the folks that I will try and write them as soon as I get around to it. There isnt a whole lot to write about. We are still training at least we are supposed to be. So far it has consisted mostley of hikes and physical exercises. The first two or three days here we lives on C rations, which are canned foods, meat and beans and meat and vegetable stew with a can of conf- ections, which contained some candy five biscuits and a beverage of some kind. We did very well on them, But now we have our kitchens set up are eating what is called rations. They consist of the regular rations we had in the states. To-day for dinner we had stewed beef, dry beans, carrotts, light bread, lemon ade and fruit cocktail for dessert. We have a cold drink of some kind at least once a day so you see we are fareing pretty well. Anyhow it is far better that I expected over here. I have seen three or four of the boys from home over here. Honey do you remember the 2nd Lt. who stopped by one sunday aftermoon last summer to see me?. well I saw him also Jimmy Lyle and a boy by the name of Hankins, Also Lt. Stewart who came from home with us is over here. The other day Bill Duskin saw his brother Delbert, so you see it is a small world after all. Tell Mother when she writes to Wylie to tell him I will write to him also. Honey there is lots I would like to tell you but it is impossiable to write about it. So I will try and tell you as much as possiable and the rest will have to wait untill I get back. Honey see if you you can find me a good Cigarett lighter and send it to me. We dont seem to be able to get matches over here. We are getting all the cigarrets we need also some candy and other articles we might need, but the matches are pretty scarce. I am also sending some money home this pay day. We will probably be paid before long. You will get it by check. Oh yes Honey are you getting your 175.00 allotment OK you dident say in your last letter. I hope you are getting it OK. I see now that I am going to need but very little money. Well, I see my paper is all used up so I guess I will close. With All My Love Le