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Sgt. Daniel C. Morrow 34212217
83rd QM Co APO 83
c/o Postmaster New York
New York
Mrs. D.C. Morrow
408 W. Front St.
Burlington, NC, USA
Air Mail (6 cents)
Postmarked US Army Postal Service 83 APO, June 15, 1944
Captain George P. Branch, censor
[Army Examiner 35039]
- - - - -
Wednesday Night
14 June 1944
Dearest Eliz.
Received your letter today written the 6th & 7th and it was such a
wonderful letter. We will have all those things yet and maybe it
won’t be far off. I still don’t know where you obtained that little
touch of “Republicanism” but frankly had just as soon hear Bob
Hope myself. Didn’t hear the President’s speech but know that
Dad heard every word and agreed to the letter with it all. Had a
letter from Thurston and she said everything just about closed up
and went home on D-Day. Too bad we all couldn’t have, but the trek
home has at last started and though will have to detour via Berlin
and Tokyo will get back there and the sooner the better. You will
have the children spoiled to death before you know it and it will
take quite
awhile to get them back to normal. There is no spoiling to be
done ‘cause it can’t be said that either of us were -- not much.
Finally got the little package off and hope it arrives safely.
Still haven’t gotten
any from you but it takes about a month so they should be rolling
in before long.
Had a V-Mail from Frances today too. She & Ned[1] are back in
Memphis but don’t
expect to stay too long.
Must close and try to get a note off to Dinnie. Hope my letters are
getting to you now as although they are not much to read, they are
written with a heart full of love and all for you. Loving you more
each day and so so proud to say and know you are mine.
Forever your,
Carter
- - - - - below, first letter home from Normandy - - - - -
. . . again, very circumspect, due to censorship - - - - -
Sgt. Daniel C. Morrow 34212217
83rd QM Co APO 83
c/o Postmaster New York
New York
Mrs. D.C. Morrow
c/o E. L. Sanders
Pageland, SC, USA
forwarded to
704 Granelin Road
Charlotte, NC
Air Mail (6 cents)
Postmarked US Army Postal Service 83 APO, June 4, 1944
Captain George P. Branch, censor
[Army Examiner 35039]
- - - - -
Thursday 29 June
Dearest Elizabeth,
I certainly hope and pray that you haven’t been duly overanxious
over the fact that I haven’t written, but know that you understand
as to why. Not much to write about as usual but am safe and well
and missing you more every day.
Received a batch of letters from you day before yesterday and was
wonderful to get letters again. I think you hit the nail on the
head when you said most of the people there at home didn’t know
there was a war on. Maybe its best to be that way as a form of
covering up the strain and all, but I doubt it.
Hope that you were able to see Clyde[1] when he came home.
Hope too that you found the folks all well. Give them my regards.
Received the first box you all sent and it was really good.
Everything stood the trip except the peppermint candy, which was
stuck together. That made no difference, however, as it is all gone
all ready. Am anxious to get the other one. Figger that it takes
about a month to get a package.
Believe have enough razor blades & soap now but send all the
candy that you can. Too, I dropped my pen on a cement floor and
cracked it so if you can find a pen, send me one.[2]
Must close darling and get a bit of shut eye. Will try to write
more a little later.
The picture was good -- your face is a bit chubby. So glad you
are getting along so well and I know everything will. Loving you
more & more each day,
Forever your
Carter
[1] DCM's brother-in-law.
[2] This letter was written in pencil
- - - - - second letter from Normandy - - - -
1944/06/30 Friday
Sgt. Daniel C. Morrow 34212217
83rd QM Co APO 83
c/o Postmaster New York
New York
Mrs. D.C. Morrow
c/o E. L. Sanders
Pageland, SC, USA
forwarded to
704 Granelin Road
Charlotte, NC
Captain George P. Branch, censor
[Army Examiner 35039]
Air Mail (6 cents)
Postmarked US Army Postal Service 83 APO, June 1, 1944
Postmarked Pageland, SC, July
10, 1944, 8 AM
- - - - -
Friday 30 June
My dearest Elizabeth,
Didn’t get a letter today but I can’t complain as your letters have
been so regular and mine have been just the opposite. Your letters
are always so wonderful and I look forward to them so much. Haven’t
received the second box as yet, but it will finally catch up with me
sometime.
Wish I could get a picture made and let you see how short my hair
is. Since you waved and cut yours I couldn’t let you get ahead of
me. It’s very convenient. Just run fingers thru it (what can find)
and it is combed. Be sure and continue to keep sending the
snapshots of yourself. They mean so much and it too lets me feel as
if I were there too for a few moments when I look at them.
Very little that I can tell you about my daily activities as you can
understand, so my letters are very dull am sure, but I try in each
one to let you know in the simple way, the only way I know, that you
are everything that is dearest and loved by me. We haven’t had the
opportunity to live as we should but darling that is one of the
reasons that I’m here, so that we can live the way we should and the
children that are to be ours won’t ever have to go thru this
pestilence again and thru the pain of separation. I somehow can’t
help but feel it won’t be long until we are back together again. I
am hoping and praying that I could be back to be with you when am
needed most, but in case am not, know and I know you do, that I’m
with you every moment and thinking and praying for you constantly.
Must close darling.
Give the children a big hug and keep the biggest hug & kiss for you.
Ever devoted & loving
Carter
- - - - - post-VE Day uncensored letter, in which DCM feels free to
say more about where the 83rd had been - - - - -
Friday Night
25 May 1945
My Dearest Elizabeth and Sandy,
Was awfully busy last night and worked up until about three this
morning so couldn’t get a letter off to you. I haven’t received any
mail at all this week except a couple of papers that I got today.
Guess it has been delayed somewhere again and I sure do want to get
a letter from you saying you have heard from me at a recent date.
The folks at home haven’t written either and they say they haven’t
heard since way back in April and I can’t understand why neither of
you have heard.
I know that while we were tearing across Germany and never
stopping long enough to set up before we took off again, that my
letters were few and far between, but now that we have stopped more
or less, my letters should be reaching you.
Last night I did send a booklet that was distributed to us entitled
Thunderbolt Across Europe, and darling it is one of the best things
that I have ever seen.[1] It tells everywhere we have been and what
we had done, but of course it was written as the dough would write
it and not like a rear troop Joe like myself, as I didn’t go thru
that part of it.
I did go thru that claustrophobia he speaks of and I can still smell
and see those wrecked barns of towns in Normandy and the countryside
littered with bloated cows that had been dead for days and no one to
bury them. I went back thru that country months after we had left
it and it still smelled and I believe that that odor will be there
forever.
Brittany was swell. We couldn’t believe that there was open space
and houses that were not torn down and people that were not broken
and beat. I was about 6 miles back from that bombing that was the
prelude to the breakthrough in Normandy, and darling, the ground
shook just like jelly. I would stand still as I could and the
vibration would make my trousers legs just quiver. That was the
most spectacular thing I had ever witnessed and that was the real
beginning of the end for
Germany.
Luxembourg was nice as I have written you before and then Germany
for the first time. I wrote you all that I believe before but as I
said this booklet brings it all out. We were supposed to get
another one or two and if I do get another will send it to the folks
as they would enjoy it too. If you get up there before I get home,
take it along for them to see, but you keep it.
Am talking mighty optimistically about being home but kinda feel
that maybe it won’t be long. Do you want me to surprise you and
walk in on you or had you rather I try to call you to meet me before
that day ever arrives. I don’t see how I can stand it much longer
darling. I feel sometime that if I can’t soon see you and Sandy,
hold you in my arms and love you as you have never been loved before
that I will scream and go mad. Don’t build up too many hopes for a
soon arrival
as we know absolutely nothing and if we did, couldn’t tell you,
so there it is.
The radio is might good tonight. Make me awfully homesick and
makes me long more for you when I listen to some of the old songs
that we used to listen to together. Darling, I have in many ways
and at many different times [tried] to tell you how much you mean to
me and how much I love you, but each time and each word seems so
inadequate to describe my feelings. I just wish a million times
that I could have the words to tell you and describe them to you,
but they are beyond my limits of comprehension and I just can only
say, darling, you are so wonderful and I love you so dearly. With
Sandy there to look after [you] there is at least a part of me with
you every moment, a live part and you always have my heart and soul
and every thought with you.
You might think that I don’t mention Sandy much in my letter, but
darling, maybe it’s because he is still a stranger in a way to me.
I love him and worship him, but darling, it’s still all sort of a
wonderful dream to me to be a father and each day as I look at those
wonderful pictures of you and Sandy, I more or less pinch myself and
say, “Are they mine?”
After being in this mess and taking so much of the unpleasant things
of life, I can’t
seem to bring myself around to believe that anything so wonderful
as you and Sandy belong to me and yet I feel your presence and your
love with me every moment.
Darling, Sandy and I will be the best pals you have ever seen and
darling my promise to you as always is that I will be the best
husband and father that
mortal can possibly be, if trying and devoting one’s whole life
to it will make him such.
Well, must close my darling and go to bed. It’s about midnite again
and I had a pretty rough day and another ahead tomorrow. Loving you
more and more each
moment and living for that moment when I can gently turn and kiss
you and say goodnight and drop off to sleep with you in my arms.
Promise me you will never sleep any other way when I get back. I’m
so lonesome for you.
With all the love there is and you have [it] all
Forever,
Carter
PS They made some pictures at the party the other night & will send
you some when I get them. Saw one today & honey you will wring my
neck when you see it. Never again, never.
[1] Ernie Hayhow, The Thunderbolt across Europe: A History of
the 83rd Infantry Division (Munich: 83rd Division, nd [1945].
DCM’s copy disappeared. I found one later through a used book
service and gave it to him for a Christmas Present.
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