World War II Letters & More

Felix Herrman 1944

    The page you are entering was setup to share a little more about my Uncle Felix Herrman. This site contains letters and pictures from my uncle’s collection.

    I never knew growing up just what my Uncle Felix had accomplished or what he went through until after he passed away. I did know he was in and out of hospitals, but back then people didn’t really talk about the bad side of war and what it did to our young men. Even people close to me would say things about my Uncle that just weren’t right but I didn’t realize just how wrong they were until I read his manuscript and his letters home to his mother. As you read the letters you will notice he completing isolated the war he was in from his parents and never let on how bad things were. On only one occasion I found him referring to his condition as malaria.  It easy to understand why his health issues work properly documented at his discharge, he never acknowledges they existed. The VA called this a nervous condition but today would be known as PTSD. The paperwork is all attached as part of this documentary. 

    I remember one afternoon getting to spend so time with him in his workshop as mom and dad visited with grandma. He showed me how he would work on radios and fine tune them. For those that are wondering, yes they were vacuum tube radios and yes I’m that old. It was really cool seeing all the things he was working on. People including my mother were always asking him to see if he could fix things and often times he did.

   The really sad part of this story is we often do not realize what people have gone through as we judge them. I hope that by sharing my Uncle’s Life Story through his manuscript and letters we will be able to recognize his accomplishments and understand the difficult times he went through. I also hope this story gets shared throughout the world so we better understand the effect of war on our men and women in the services. Most of all, I hope we give our veterans the help they need when they come home, which was something Felix never did receive though the VA.
    Special Thank you to my sister Sylvia Gross for going through and typing all the letters out. 

Timeline:

Aug 2, 1944 - Sworn into service

Dec 27, 1944 – Turned 19 years old

Mar 11, 1945 – Landed at Gulf of Leyte Philippine Islands

May 4, 1945 – Headed up Villa Verde Trail

May 11, 1945 – Became Squad Leader

May 18, 1945 – Pulled off Villa Verde Trail

July 1, 1945 – Relocated in Philippine Islands

July 18, 1945 – Bridge Guard Duty (May have led to Malaria)

Aug 13, 1945 – Last of Active Duty on Philippine Islands

Aug 24, 1945 – Reached Manila Hospital

Sept 9, 1945 – Reached 35^th General Hospital

Felix's Dad John L Herrman

Felix Herrman's Mother Katie 

Felix's Letters

                                                         1944

Saturday Night

Home

Just to let you know we came to Leavenworth all right, late Friday nite. We didn't have to take any exams today and they are not going to examine us anymore so we are ready to be sworn in, which will be Monday sometime. We Rush County boys are about all in the same barracks and will stay there for sometime maybe a week or so. I and Mike Shaffer are together right now writing letters. The boys are all going up to the PX to have some pop so guess we'll join them and get the letter mailed before it gets dark so good bye and don't worry I'm alright.

                                                                 Felix

Sun.   (No Date)

Dear Folks

Received your letter this week sometime, it's Sunday morning just came back from Mass, so I'll answer your letter. I didn't get to see any of the boys this morning except Bill Legleiter, he told me he had six weeks of training and he had to quit last week I don't know what's wrong with him. Well in my last letter I told you we were not going out on maneuvers till Nov. 14, well they changed it again we are going out this afternoon, we'll not be on maneuvers this week but all the same we'll be out in the field for the next three weeks, we might come back to camp next Saturday and Sunday I'm not sure yet, hope we do.

     Well I took my picture last week I'll get them next Saturday if I get to town. I got six small ones 3x5. I got them ready for mailing, if I get a chance to mail them. I took only six just to see what they were like, they came out  pretty good, not the pictures but the job, so I reordered six more 3x5's and on enlargement 5x7 I had this one tinted, these last seven are the ones I'll get next Sat. I had the enlargement made for you, if it comes out alright I'll send them home as soon as possible. I paid $2.00 for the large one and $7.75 for the 12 small ones (with folders). Those small snapshots I'm sending I took them sometime ago but forgot to send them.

                                                                   Your Son

                                                                         Felix

Aug 1, 1944

Dear Folks

Just to let you know that I was sworn into the Army Mon. afternoon and got

my uniform today we got moved to another barrack but most of us boys are still together, you can send letters now if I get moved my letters will follow, don't send anything but letters as we might pull out any day. Well we get good food and beds and no work so far. There's not much to write so be good and write me a big letter soon as possible.

                                                                      Felix Herrman

Sign Up Docs

Sign Up Docs

Sign UP Docs

World War 2 Uniform / At Discharge

War Bonds

Aug  2, 1944

Hi Folks

I am sending you some papers that you have to sign they are in regards to the allotment, here's what I want you to do: Take the big sheet of paper that has the large letters APPLICANT'S COPY on it and look were it says CLASS B DEPENDENTS it is all ready except were it says DATE OF BIRTH. I didn't know your ages so you put that in, then have it notarized go to some Notary that doesn't know you so well as you don't want everybody to know that you get an allotment. If somebody ask you tell them it's mostly my pay and the government pays the rest. I don't know how much you will get but you should get about $75.00 or $80.00 as they put me down 100% dependence. On the other sheet sign your names were it is marked by the 3 x's. Since Jerome is under 18 I must have his birth certificate and return these papers at once.

     I had the papers made up by a WAC.IT.  And I have no trouble in convincing her of my dependence. Looks like the WAC's are good for something after all. Well I was moved to my 3^rd barrack today I'm in Co.B now don't know how long we will stay here they send out over 100 every day. It's a nice camp here lots of trees and it's nice and cool at night. Elmer Herrman, Fat Haranimay (not sure but that's how it was spelled) and I sleep side by side in the same BK. I get to see the rest of the boys everyday. Four of us  boys walked out to the old Fort(old buildings from the last war about one mile march from here we saw a free boxing match they gave us free cokes and popcorn we even get ice cream for supper sometimes. I'll write another letter Sunday right now I got to write one to  Alvin.

(Send all papers to me)

                                                           So Long

                                                              Felix

Felix's Clothing Issue

Felix's Toilet Kit and Equipment Issue

Aug 7, 1944

Dear Folks

Well I'm not in Leavenworth anymore. I'm “Deep In The Heart Of Texas”. We left Ft. Leavenworth Monday night just before sundown we were send on a Troop train. I don't know how many were on the train but it could have been around 500 troops in one shipment. We came to Camp Walters just 24 hours later, they send all the Lacrosse boys to this same camp there are some in my barrack I don't think we'll stay that way for long as this is a big camp and finding some one is like finding a needle in a haystack. We will be assigned to our permanent barrack this week yet, and we'll start on our basic training next Monday this training will last for 17wks. After this I might get 10 days furlough that is if I get moved to another camp. They told us not to write to many letters till we get our permanent address as they have a hard time finding us this way. I didn't write to the rest of the girls yet as I would like to send them my real address and besides I don't get much time we don't work much yet but they always keep us on the move so when we get in we are dog “tired”.

     You asked how my uniform fits well it fits alright my shirts are a little big but I think they will be alright when I get them washed my winter uniform fits good too, we got all our cloths summer and winter.

     Well we just had dinner and we might be called out anytime for a little drilling so I better close.

                                                                         Your Son

                                                                         Pvt. Felix Herrman

Aug 8, 1944

Dear Folks

      Received your letter and was glad to hear that all is still well, also got that letter with those papers and medal, I forgot to tell you  but I did get a medal from the priest but two are always better then one. I wear one on my dog tags and I keep one in my billfold.

      Well I wrote a letter to Harry and to all the girls. I wrote one to Alvin wonder if he got it I haven't heard from him yet.

      You asked how, I liked it in Texas, well in that part of Texas where I am there isn't much to like, the country is very rough, it is unsettled, there are no fences and I don't think there is an acre of land that has seen a plow, outside the camp the county is full of trees and brushes, the grass isn't very nice. I don't think it rains much here, the ground is a red or rusty color. It's hard as a rock the air is very dusty and extremely hot, in this time of the year it is much like our home.

      The nearest town is Mineral Wells. It's about 3 miles from camp. I haven't been out of camp yet, we have our own stores, theater, and church here in camp. I might go to Mineral Wells sometime, they say it's a very nice town. I think you have heard of it.

      Well there are about 12 boys in this camp that I know well. They are four of them in my barrack. Alvin Herominay, Paul and Elmer Herrman and Jack Foos, the rest of the boys are about 3 blocks east of us, with all the boys together it doesn't seem like we are away from home. We were all in Mass on Sunday morning and looked the camp over in the afternoon. You asked what branch of the Army. I'm in it was one question that I hoped you wouldn't ask but since you did here it is. I was assigned to the 15 Regiment in the Infantry  ….did you ever hear of a machine gun rifle bayonet or pistol well..............

      You said you got an allotment check, and you put it in the bank for me, well you can keep some of it in there but you must draw most of it out, this money if for you to use and if you don't use it they will stop the checks at once. This money is to take my place on the farm, don't work your ass off, if there is some hard work to do and you can get help take it and pay them from this money so that everybody knows you need it, under all circumstances don't save it for me, it will make you trouble. You can save about $15.00 to $20.00 dollars a month if you can't use it. If I where you I wouldn't milk so many cows this winter and use this money to make a difference.  I took out a $1000.00 like insurance. Save those papers I'm sending home. One is for the life insurance and the other is for bonds.

     I haven't heard from Celly yet since I'm in the army but I send him a card, besides your letters I got one from Isabel.

     Well it's  just about time for lights out so I'll have to sign off, you can send my stationary and my harmonica if you want to. The reason I send home all my stuff is because the army gave me everything from top to bottom. I'll tell you in my next letter just what all I got until them its:

                                                                       Your Soldier Boy             

                                                                         Pvt. Felix Herrman

Aug 25, 1944

Dear Folks

     Received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you. I'm still Ok and still like my training. This morning we had the nicest training we had so far SWIMMING we had to walk about 2 miles to the pool but it sure was worth it. We'll get 2 hours of swimming every week. I didn't know a thing about swimming when I went in the water this morning but I could swim before I came out of the water. We got some of the very finest instructors, they started us in very shallow water it was really nice out there just like having a morning off.

     I took my Military Courtesy, hand Saluting and Army regulations test last night I passed it and got a Class “A” Pass, this pass is good till Jan 1. it covers a radius of 20 miles from camp. I haven't been out of camp yet. I'll go to Mineral Wells the first chance I get and have my picture taken. I went to confession and communion last Sunday, we don't go to that chapel I send you, they have only one Mass there (at 11:00), we go to a theater where they have Mass at 7:30 and 9:00, all the rest of the boys go there for Mass and Communion and it gives me a chance to see them and it's much cooler at 7:30

then it is at 11:00. We Herrman boys are still in the same barracks and we are together nearly all day.

     Well I can't think of anything else right now I'll write again Sunday I'll write 2 or 3 times a week from now on. And don't worry about me drinking cold water the army sees to that we have to water half and hour before we get cold water we drink warm salt water in this time. (this is his exact sentence.)

      I wonder if you have any extra cloths hangers at home, I can't get any here. I could use at least 6 of them, I don't think there is anything else that I need right now but if you can send the hangers please do.

                                                                       You Son

                                                                          Felix Herrman

Sun Aug. 27, 1944

     Dear Folks

    It's Sunday afternoon I haven't got anything to do so I'll write another letter just wrote one to Hilda this morning. I went to 7:30 mass this morning I didn't get to see any of the other boys so I guess I'll go up to their barrack and see them  tonight. Well for once we had a nice rain yesterday, it's nice and cool right now still can't see the sun we might even get some more rain it's just like a new country.

     I got that Stationary and Harmonica yesterday I got it in good shape, you can send any kind of packages you want to now they bring our mail right here to the barrack we get mail just before dinner and nite when we come in.

     These last two weeks we got up at 6:00 it's still dark at that time, we eat clean our barrack and fall out for drilling at 8:00 we get one hour rest at noon we get off at six in the evening after that time we can go any place around the camp we want to, we have to be in bed by 12:00. We'll get some night drilling in a few weeks I don't know just when.

     We'll get our pay Sept. 10 I still got $10.00 we don't need much money here in camp, we buy everything wholesale we can see any show in camp for 12 cents I might go to a movie tonight haven't been to any yet since I'm in Texas.

     Well that's all I can think of for now so don't worry I'll try to keep one letter on the way all the time.

                                                                         Your Son

                                                                               Felix Herrman

I send you some Gum let me

know if you got it.

Aug 30, 1944

Dear Folks

    We we just had dinner, we were getting ready to go out again but they just told us we got the afternoon off it doesn't sound right but it's true, some of the boys are so happy they are standing on their heads. It's been raining steady since last Sat. we get most our training indoors, our officers don't like to get wet and they would have to get out with us, I guess that's why they gave us the afternoon off. This rain sure broke the heat, it's cold right now, we got one man in our barrack, he just put on his winter underwear this afternoon he's always a little off the beam.

      We are going out on the rifle range next week, we'll get seven days of rifle practice, with this cool weather these seven days of shooting should be a lot of fun, anyhow I can't wait to get my hands on that rifle and machine gun, they tell us it's the nicest part of our training so I'm looking forward it it. We get a little training in handling rifles everyday just enough to make it dirty so we have to clean it every night. My rifle always passes inspection so far.

      Well it's always the same thing around the camp so there is nothing more to write. I'm still alright and so are the rest of the boys except Bill Legleiter, he hurt his leg a little at Leavenworth and they put him in the hospital down here. I think he is alright by now. Well that's all I can think of for now so hope to hear from you soon.

                                                              Pvt. Felix Herrman

Sept 3, 1944

Dear Folks

      Received your 2 letters this weekend, it's Sunday morning I just came back from mass so I'll start writing letters. I see in your letter that you got some more papers to fill out if I understand right they want to know your income and expenses. I talked to the 1^st Sgt. about it and he said you just make out a list of  your monthly income and expenses just like when you file your income tax. I'd advice you to go to Alois Basgall or somebody that knows more about it. When you figure your farm income be sure your expenses take care of the income and put down enough labor expenses because you might need a lot of it. And your cream and eggs income make it as low as you can. Just see that most your income goes for farm expense and your household expenses. You made out lists like that before and I don't think you'll have any trouble with it just get it in as fast as you can mail it to:

Army Service Forces

Office of Dependency Benefits

Newark 2, New Jersey

    If anything goes wrong just let me know and I'll see my officers, they are glad to help and I'm sure they can and forget that Birth Certificate, I had another one made and they should have it by now just keep the one I send you. You said I got only Mothers name on that insurance paper that not right dad's name must be on there somewhere or at least it's on record. If you want them changed send them to me and I'll see what I can do.

      So they had a big crowd at the picnic I guess that beer must have been a good morale builder for the folks at home. I wish dad had some of that beer they got out here, it's that Texas beer they advertised over the radio it's good and plenty of it we can buy it for a dime a bottle. So they had dad on guard duty at the picnic sounds like a good job for sure, tickled me when I saw it.             

      You asked me why I picked the Infantry and not some kid of a radio job, I don't think you understand it but no matter what job we get we must take 17 weeks of training. I'll do like you said after my training I'll try to go to a Radio school, I don't think, I'll pass the overseas exams so I might have a chance to get a light job here in the states anyhow there are many jobs in the Infantry and I don't think I should get the worst one, at least it's been easy so far.

       I'm still with the rest of the boys and we are staying together for sometime we are always together we sleep, march, drill, eat and even do K.P. together it keeps us from getting lonesome that's one thing about this great organization there is never a dull moment. All the boys in this camp are in the Infantry and they all do the same thing I do.

Arone Holzmister, Bob Schaffer and I went to Mineral Wells last night. We had our pictures taken they didn't turn out so good,  I'll take a higher priced picture when I get to a bigger city these are only 25cents each it's the best they do at Mineral Wells.

       If there is anybody that wants some letters from me send me there address or tell them to write first. I can't write many letters but I'll do the best I can.

      You asked about our food, well it has been good enough so far we get all kinds of meat we get cakes and pies about the same food I had at home. We went out on a 5 mile march last Friday night we came back at 11:00 it was nice and cool and I enjoyed the walk, the mess Sgt. Had hot coffee and cake ready for us so you can see we get enough to eat. Well that's all I can think of for now so be good and don't worry.

                                                                          Your Soldier Boy

                                                                           Felix Herrman

Sept 4, 1944

Dear Folks

Just to let you know that I'm still alright and hope this find you the same, it's late, about time to go to bed so I haven't got much time left to write, just got back from the dentist I had the rest of my teeth fixed tonight. I had three filled, with silver, and they are all fixed for now and I'm sure glad of it. I don't think they will replace those that I had pulled and I really don't care much for false teeth anyhow.

      We had a lot of rain this last week and has made our training pretty rugged we get a lot of walking here lately we walk from 10 to 15 miles a day with our full field pack and rifle, walking is the only way of transportation in the Infantry so I guess I'll just have to like it. I don't think you would believe it if I told you just how much a dough boy(I think can't make the word out) has to work in his 17 weeks of training, but here it is 1700 miles.

      Don't think there is any more news for tonight so I'll have to close

                                                              Your Son

                                                                 Felix

Sunday

Dear Folks

Just a few lines to let you know that I'm still alright, hope this finds you the same. I got your package and letter Monday night. I got it just about and hour before we left for maneuver, and it was sure a nice lunch before we left on our nine mile hike, I took the candy along in the field and it sure came handy, thanks a lot for the package, the cigarettes were alright too I smoke very little but I made use of anything that comes from home. It's Sunday evening and I'm writing you this letter in my pup tent, it's getting dark and I'm using the stock of my rifle for a writing table  so you have to pardon my writing.

I'll have to write two letters in one, we just had mail call while I was writing here and I get your other letter so I'll answer it too. I see that you got that picture and you like. That cap I'm wearing is not mine I just loved it, but I can get a new one anytime they have a lot  of them here in town. They sell for

$5.00 and you'll have to send me some money if you want me to get one.

We'll it's getting almost to dark to write letters so I guess I'll have to sign off.

                                                                                Felix

Sept 6, 1944

Dear Folks

      Just finished cleaning and oiling my rifle. I got a few minutes time so I'll write a few lines don't know any news things are still the same, and I'm still ok and get along all right and hope everything is still well at home. I got those cloths hangers this week and thanks a lot for them.

       Well I had 3 of my teeth pulled last Monday sure feels good to have those sharp things out of my mouth. I had them pulled by an army doctor so the army had to pay for it. I might have the rest of my teeth fixed I don't know just when I'll have to wait till they call on me.

       Well I was on the rifle range today I had to pass the ammunition to the firing line this morning and this afternoon I was on the firing line I shot my rifle for the first time today I shot 16 shots at a 10 inch target at 200 yards and 8 shots at 300 yards my score ran pretty good for the first day. I'll have to get used to my rifle first, we had 150 rifles going and they made a lot of noise and like everybody else I was a little nerves at first but I got over that right quick I'll be glad to get out on the range tomorrow to see how much better I can do.

      Well it's after 10:00 everybody is getting ready to go to bed and that's where I feel like going for a little rest so here is hoping you get along as nice as I do.                                                              Your Son         

                                                                            Felix Herrman

Sept 11, 1944

Dear Folks

        Received your letter this week, I'm still doing alright and in the best of health hope this finds you all the same, was glad to hear that you got those allotment checks, we got our pay last night I had $13.00. I got enough money for now and I don't think you'll have to send me any unless I have some pictures taken don't know if I get the chance for not. We took a few snap shots last Sunday. I'm sending you only one Paul Herrman took them and he hasn't got the rest of them developed yet. I don't know if you like this small picture or not I haven't got my uniforms pressed yet and it's wrinkled pretty bad. We start wearing our winter clothes next Sunday and I'm glad to it's getting pretty cold with these suntans it's cloudy most the time and rains every few days. Our training hasn't been so hard the last few days we are training on light machine gun and do most our work here in camp, but we will go about 5 miles out of the camp tomorrow to firer another rifle the B.A.R.   Well seems like that's all the news I can think of. Hope you like the snapshot. Your Son  Felix  

Sept 15, 1944

Dear Folks

      Received you letter yesterday and as glad to hear from you so soon again. I'm still alright and see you are too. We finished our rifle training on Thursday night. I don't know if we will get to use our rifles anymore or not but hope we do it was really a short week we got up at 5:00 in the morning an hour sooner then we do now we were out on the range before the sun was out we had our dinner out in the field, the army Band came out every noon and gave us some music while we had our chow we came back and got in at 7:00.

We had a 5 mile hike last night we went out at 9:00p.m. They marched us out in the hills and trained us in night scouting and patrolling,  we were out in the hills till 12:00 there are a lot of rocks and trees out here and it is hard enough to walk at day but we had to do it in pitch dark, but it was nice and cool and we took all the good out of it we could, the cook had cold pop and cake ready for us when we got back, we always get 4 meals a day when we go out at night.

      This morning we went out about 3 miles from camp we had to set up our pup tents in the trees we have over 100 tents one tent for every two men, Elmer Herrman and I made one, we all slept in them till noon, we took them down, came back for chow and went right out again this afternoon and walked about another 6 miles. It's 7:00p.m. right now, in an hour we fall out again we'll be back at 12:30. I don't think we are going to march much more today I doubt if our Sergeants can take it, I don't mind this walking very much I did enough of it before and I'm used to it, but boy those city slickers they think its impossible.

      Well I found out a little more about us getting moved, we will move this coming Sunday but only to another part of the camp, I don't think our training will change any, I'll let you know as soon as I get to my new place. That's all the news I can think of for now.                       

                                                                           Your Son

                                                                              Felix

                                                                                    

 (no date)

Dear Folks

Received your letter this week. Sometimes we were out in the field all week so  I didn't get to answer your letter, it's Sunday afternoon Alvin Heronima and I came to Mineral Wells this morning and I'm writing this letter in the U.S.O. “a soldiers home” building. Elmer and Paul Herrman and I were put on K.P. this morning it comes around to us about every two weeks and this week it happens to be on Sunday but I got out of that, I cleaned another boys rifle last night and he worked K.P. for me till noon, I paid another one $1.50 and he worked the rest of the day, it was the only way I could get to go to church this morning so I guess it was worth it. I got those pictures today, the enlargement came out pretty good and I'm sure you'll like it, but if not-just remember I'm only a soldier and not a movie star, I'll try to get your pictures on the way tomorrow morning but I don't think I can mail all the small ones as I won't get time, I might even send them all home and let you take care of them. I can't think of any important news so I'll have to close.

                                                                                           Felix

Sept. 17, 1944

Dear Folks

Just to let you know that we were moved to our new place this afternoon, we are still all together, just like we were at our old place the only difference is that we are in a “rifle company” instead of “heavy weapons”, in this company we handle lighter guns mostly our M1 rifle, we get 12 wks. of this training making 17 weeks in all.

     It's a little nicer place then our old one, it's on a hill and we can see a little more. On this card I'm sending you can see where we were and where we are now, take a look on the back of the card and you will get an idea of the side of Camp Walters.

     We couldn't got to mass this morning we had to clean our barrack so it we clean for the next outfit, we had to stay in the barrack till the inspector came around and then get our cloths packed, we had to walk all the way to the new section.

     I'm sending you a copy of the camp news paper if you get it take a good look at the pictures one page four and five and you can get a good pictures of the inside of our barracks and also how we have to clean them every morning. If the inspector finds anything wrong with it he puts it in that “little red book” and it means no weekend pass. Well that's all for tonight, don't forget to use my new address.

                                                                  Your Soldier Boy

                                                                         Felix

 

Sept 20, 1944

Dear Folks

I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you. Your letter sure had a lot of bad news in it, that wind you had much have been awful. I bet dad feels bad that it broke the machine but it can always be fixed. You are lucky it didn't hit the buildings. And that wind charger if it broke to bad and you can't fix it or don't want to use it maybe you could take the generator off and save it but if you can have it fixed then make use of it.

     If you have any trouble with the radio or anything else just ask me and I'll tell you what to do, the battery in the radio must be low by now if you get a new one be sure you get one just like it, let Ben get one for you he knows more about it, always remember it must be a 1 ½  volt “A” and 90 Volts “B” battery and you can't go wrong. And when you do buy a new battery look in back of the radio and you will find a small switch like an a flashlight put this in the “NEW” position or move it back and forth and you will find that in one position the tubes will not burn quite so bright and that's where you want to have it, it keeps the tubes from burning out and save on the battery keep it in this position for 6 months and then put it back to where it is now or where the tubes burn brightest this will again bring up the volume.  How does my car radio still work and the fence charger and how about the car, I keep thinking about these things sometimes so keep me informed on them.

     I'm glad you told me about the tractor it wouldn't work any better then it did when I left maybe Jim and dad are just scared of it,  don't ever be scared of starting a tractor motor, there isn't a team of horses in the world that's as safe as a tractor.  Or maybe they are not starting it right. I'm going to tell you how I always started it, and if they do exactly like I'm telling you here it must start:                                                                             

     First turn on the gas as far as it will go, if you move the two livers on the steering wheel you will find that one works on the magnets and the other on the gas, the one on the magnets must be clear down and the one on the gas must be all the way up. The impulls on the mag must be held down so it clicks when you turn the motor. Pull the choke all the way out and turn the motor till the mag clicks twice then put the choke in and pull back out ¼ its way, with the next twist of the crank it must sound off, as soon as it starts push the choke back in, the impulls must be held down till the motor goes so fast that it wont stay down anymore, if you let go to soon it will not get enough spark and as a result will stops.

(This part of the letter was very confusing and hard to read or for me to understand. I tired to write it just as Felix wrote it. Hope you and G'pa understood it better then I did. Sylvia)

     Well I haven't got very much news tonight, we went out Monday night we stayed out till 2:30 and had all next day off. We are going out again this Friday night and we'll get off  Sat. and Sun. It's nice to be out in the cool at night and its alright as long as we get the next day off.

     I'm sending you a book that I got here in the camp, it is about our training and we all got them to send home to our folks. It covers a lot on what we will do, let the girls take a look at it but don't give it away, you got it from the army and it's your to keep.

                                                             Your Son

                                                             Felix

Sept 24, 1944

Dear Folks

I received your letter this weekend, its Sunday so its time to answer it. I just came back from supper. I don't know what I'm going to do tonight most of the boys are going to the show tonight but I think I'll stay here on my bunk and read my Popular Mechanics magazine tonight. Mike Schaffer and Elmo Unrein were with us again this afternoon, we were together in church this morning and I told them of  our new place and sure enough they found there way up here, and by the way I asked Mike about those 20 lbs of weight he gained, well whoever told you that made it just 10 lbs to much. They are still in “heavy weapons company” and they get the training that we started out with at 53 Battalion.

Now that we are in a rifle company we get a lot more rifle training which is certainly a break for me, we fired our M1 rifles again this week, if your take a look at that rifle on the cover of that book I send you, you can see this rifle the one with the bayonet on it, it is called the M1.30 cal. it has a range of 5 miles, it's the pride of the United States Army, we carry it from morning till night, they want those that are scared of rifles to get used to it, I don't feel right anymore if I don't have my rifle with me. The rifle company has all kinds of rifles and we get to fire every one of them. I don't know if your interested in this or not but if you'd like to know what I am doing then that's it just rifles. This week we are going to work on a new one it's called the B.A.R. Its a big rifle weighs 20 lbs and shoots 600 shots a minute, I'd like to see a Jap going through that hale of bullets without getting hurt.

     You asked about my teeth, I haven't done anything yet since I had those three pulled. I don't know if they are going to put in new ones or not. I won't find out till they call me, my gums feel alright they never did hurt me since I had them pulled. I'll let you know as soon as they start working on them again. That's all the news up to tonight.

                                                                      Your Son

                                                                             Felix

Wed. Sept 27, 1944

Dear Folks

    Received your letter this morning didn't get that package yet, might get it tomorrow. Well we got another nice rain again today it's nice and cool now. It got pretty hot the last few days, and we had to do a lot of marching this last week. We will go out to the rifle range everyday. I fired a few new rifles this week that's about all we have been doing. This weekend we'll get to firer the B.A.R. I told you about it in my last letter.

     So you say that book I sent you is awful to look at, well those pictures don't show half of our training. I have another book laced (This part is hard to read- really don't know what this word is suppose to be) I will send you later on.

     I'm glad you told me all about the car and the radios, if I can get enough money together I might get me a small radio, we got two radios in our barrack but they don't play very good and they are to far from my bed.

     There is no other news and the lights go out any minute so I'll have to sign off.

                                                                Your Son

                                                                      Felix

Oct 1, 1944

Dear Folks

     Just a few lines to let you know I'm still alright. I got that package this weekend and thanks a lot for it. It sure hit the spot. Well there is not much news to write except that I saw Alex Pheifer this afternoon they are here in camp visiting there son Celly, he is in the hospital, I don't know what's wrong with him but his dad said it wasn't much. I saw Bill Legleiter this morning he

started his training two weeks ago and he said his leg was alright. It was the first time I saw him since he went to the hospital.

     Elmer and I went to Mineral Wells last night the first time I was out of the camp in over three weeks. I go me a pair of new dress shoes last night. I couldn't get any here in camp so I had to go to town, I paid $5.00 for them.

     Yesterday should have been payday but because we moved up here we have to wait until the 10^th this month, don't know how much I got coming, please let me know if you got any allotment check yet. I don't know if there is anything I could do about it or not but I can try.

                                                                          Your Son                     

                                                                             Felix

Sun. Oct 8, 1944

Dear Folks

     Received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear that every thing is still alright. I'm still in Oklahoma, and have nothing to complain except that our training is getting a little harder everyday, we have 4 more weeks of this training and on November 5^th we go out on maneuvers for 3 wks. and that concludes our training.

     So Alvin Randa is practically in the Army too, well he might be lucky enough not to be trained as a fighting soldier. They are starting a new bunch of boys in the 53^th battalion where I was at first, they are getting a six weeks cycle, they will be used after the war as overseas guards or what is called the “occupational army” chances are that most of these new inductees will get this training. 

      You asked how far it is from home to Camp Wolters, I'm not sure but it's around 600 miles.

      Well if you want to to write to the rest of the girls, I'll have to sign off and see if I can think of enough together to write to Jo (think this is Joann) its so hard to write letters. I don't go to dances and that's about all they are interested in but just to keep up their moral I'll see what I can do.

                                                                       Your Son

                                                                            Felix

Oct 15, 1944

Dear Folks

      Received your letter this week sometime was glad to hear from you, I'm still alright hope this finds you the same. It's Sunday night Elmer Herrman and I just came back from a show, Paul Herrman's girlfriend is here in Mineral Wells, he went to see her tonight, so we took in a movie.

       Well I bet you wouldn't guess who I met this morning, Paul and I were on our way to church just a short ways from our barrack we ran into Fred Foos and that little wife of his, we past them at first, their son Jack was talking to them guess that's how I came to recognize them. We wanted to go to confession before Mass so we couldn't talk to them very long, thought I could see them this afternoon but didn't, they must have left camp.  No news I can think for now so good night.

                                                                 From Your Son

                                                                      Felix

Oct 22, 1944

Dear Folks

      Received your letters this week sometime, was glad to hear from you. See by your letter that you were in Wichita that was a nice trip hope you enjoyed it.

      Well I'm just as ever, it's Sunday morning just came back from church. I saw most of the home town boys again. I and one of my buddies went to Mineral Wells yesterday afternoon wasn't much we could do besides a little window shopping, they have a lot of nice things here that you can't get back home but everything is so high priced.

        For our training, it's still the same we fired the light machine gun last week, we started out at 4:00 Friday morning and come back that night or rather the next morning at 2:00 we had dinner and supper in the field we have about half our meals in the field, we get the same food outside as we do here in camp. We had Saturday and Sunday off, or they call it “command rest” they give the command and we do the rest, all we had to do Saturday was clean the barrack and about 35 machine guns, we clean the barracks about 2 hours for every 3 hours we are in them, and if we use one machine gun we have to clean about 30 of them, but I guess that's just natural in the army.

                                                Sunday Night

     Well I just came back from town, Elmer Herrman told me that George Pfeifer was down here so we went to Mineral Wells and were lucky enough to find them. I was with Leonard all night, he told me everything about back home. 

      So you can't understand why I don't gain any weight, well I gain a little sometimes but it's much harder to gain weight then it is to lose it. I weigh about 133 lbs. right now. We get enough to eat but as for sleep, the army is kind of putting away with it and that's about the hardest thing about it and it's one thing you can't get used to.

                                                                                 You Son

                                                                                       Felix

Sun.

Dear Folks,

    Received your letter this week sometime and was glad to hear from you. I'm still in Oklahoma and expect this to find you the same. It's Sunday night and I'm writing this letter in the Camp Service Club. In the barracks, we had to write our letters on the bed, we have nice desk here in the Service Club and it's just the place to write letters.

     I was in town last night and met Elmer Herrman folks, they came down here yesterday noon his folks, sister and his girl friend, it's hard to believe but there is somebody here from home nearly every weekend. You asked me if I wanted you to come to Texas. I really wouldn't advice you to come now anymore, it's only two more months till I can come home. I can stand it and I'm sure you can too, besides it's very hard to find a place to stay in the nearby towns, and I don't think you'd enjoy your trip very much it's over 500 miles and there is not much to look at, it's very god forsaken country, however I'm leaving it up to you. We heard this week that we are not going on maneuvers till Nov. 14^th instead of Nov. 5^th and we are getting only 2 weeks instead of three. Our training wasn't so hard this last week, we were out only twice at night and came in around 12:00, and haven't had so very much walking. Well seems like that all the news I can think of so I'll be seeing you.

                                                                                         Felix

Wed.

Dear Folks,

     Received your letter this week sometime and I finally got around to answer it. Got that five dollar bill alright too.

      Well our maneuvers are over and we are back in camp again, from the time we went out in the field we were out everyday and night except we came in after the first five days for a few hours to put on clean cloths and we came in on Thanksgiving. We had a swell Thanksgiving dinner, and we sure needed it too we had very poor meals in the field, but we get good hot meals again here in camp, our maneuvers were plenty hard we had lots of cold and rainy weather, Elmer and Paul Herrman and I slept in one tent out in the field and we managed to keep warm, but we didn't get to sleep very much we went to bed late and got out as early as two o'clock in the morning to walk guard the rest of the night.

      I sent you a book of Camp Wolters this week in it you'll find a picture of “hello bottom” that's where we went on Thanksgiving day it's about ten miles  north of camp. all I can say about hello bottom is that it stands up to it's name, that's where we had to crawl what they call the infiltration machine gun fire, you heard of it before, we had to crawl for 75 yards on our belly with bullets clipping the air a few inches over our heads, we went through this on Monday night in the dark, that was the last part of our field training we came back to camp about ten o'clock that night. And I tell you after all this I wouldn't give my good old G.I. Bed for the best hotel room in town. We have a little over a weeks training left and I don't think it will be so hard.

     Well I don't know yet when I'm coming home but it will be sometime before Xmas, maybe I'll know more about it in my next letter, I made my furlough papers last week, I'm coming part of the way on a troop train and I'll have to pay the rest of the way but I don't know yet just how far, I'll let you know how much money I'll need, I haven't got enough to pay my fare, we have payday coming up this week but there are a lot of things I'll have to get out of this check. Will write again next Sunday, till then it's so long from                                                                                     

                                                                              Your Son

                                                                                   Felix     

 Sun-3, 1944

Dear Folks

       Well as I told you in my last letter that I would write again Sunday, I'll see what I can think of, this is Sunday morning I'm writing this letter in the U.S.O. Club, I went to church here in Mineral Wells this morning. It was the first mass I went to in two weeks or rather had the chance to go to so I made it a good one. Well I thought by this time I could tell you when I'm coming home. But I don't know anymore about it then I did last week. We have one more week training left, and talk goes that we might leave camp around Dec 15, (not for sure)

      And I don't know yet just how far I'll have to pay my fare, I haven't got much time left so I guess you had better send me some money to come home on. I got me that cap and also a leather belt, our company took some large pictures of the whole outfit last week. I thought maybe you would like to have some, so I ordered two of them. They cost two dollars but they are really nice, one of them has over 300 men on it. It's a company picture and the other one has all the boys from the 3th platoon or my barracks. It's got some 60 men on it and also our officers, they are nice pictures and I guess you'll like them better than any I have send home so far, I haven't got them yet but should get them pretty soon. My pay check this month was $12.50, but with this stuff I bought and a little spending money it left me practically broke, I haven't got any idea how much money I'll need, but if you can dig up around $25.00 or more I'm sure I can make it. You should have another allotment check by now or at least pretty soon, or you can cash the first two of my bonds. You never told me if you got my bonds or not. I buy a $7.50 bond every month, if they don't come home them I buying them for somebody else.

     How is your radio battery holding out, if you haven't got a new one yet and can't get any in your home town, I can get one for you, I can't get a big one like you had but I can get four small ones. If hooked up right they will run your radio. It will cost around $6.50, if you send the money by air mail maybe I'll have by next weekend. I would sure like to have the radio working when I get home.

      You asked me to stop in Wichita and visit Harry on my way home, well that's just something I can't plan on as I don't know how I'm coming home. I'll probably not find out till the last minute and then it'll be to late, but I wrote him about it and I'll see what I can do. I'd rather see them all come home as those ten days will be ten short ones and I would sure hate to spend them on the road. The worst thing is that I can't say anything for sure ahead of time. In this man's army you don't know what you do from one minute to the next.

      Well I'll have to catch up  on so more letters that I didn't write out on maneuvers, so I'll have to make an end to this one.

                                                                                    You son

                                                                                      Pvt. Felix Herrman

Thursday

Dear Folks

Just a line to let you know that I received your letter and that money alright.  I'm coming home this week, do to I.R.T.C. Regulations I can't state just when I'm leaving camp, but I should be home this week-end.

                                                                       Be Seeing You

                                                                        Felix

Travel Paper

Felix on Leave with Extended Family

  
                                                               

December 27, 1944

Dear Folks

Just thought I'll let you know we came to Fort Worth, Texas this morning. There are still four of us together and we are enjoying our trip. We stopped at Wichita but I didn't call up Harry, If thing work out we'll be in Ft. Ord before midnight Dec.31^st.   Son, Felix

 

“Got his furlough and going home.”

Felix with his sisters

Wed. Jan. 3, 1945

I just got my address this morning so I'll try to write what little I know. We came to Ft. Ord Sunday morning about 8:00, our time was due at 12:00 so we made it 4 hours ahead of time, and we weren't marked  A.W.O.L.

     I came all the way out here with the three boys I left with, Jack Foos, James Howell, and Freidenberger. I'm sure glad I stayed a day longer and went with these boys. It was a long trip but would have been longer if I would have been alone, it's only about 900 miles as the P-38 flies but the route we took it was about 2600 miles.

     We went as  far south as Ft. Worth from there to El Paso which is next to the U.S.-Mexican border, then to Los Angeles, Calif. From there to Ft. Ord.

There wasn't much to see most of the way out here, if you looked out the train just once you saw enough to last for the next 100 miles. Most of this western country isn't worth fighting for, it's about 50 years behind the rest of the world, if there is anybody that would like to dodge the draft New Mexico or Arizona is the place. I don't think there are enough people there to make-up a draft board committee.

     We went thru California at night so I didn't get to see much of it except for Los Angeles and Hollywood, we spend about 12 hours there so we wouldn't  get to camp any sooner then we had to. We were in Los Angeles over night so  I didn't see much of it, we spent the next day in Hollywood.

     As for Fort Ord it's just like any other army camp, it's situated about a half mile from the ocean, I can see the water well from where I am. The weather is not like you would expect to find in Calif. The soldiers always wear winter

uniforms summer and winter. I don't know just how cold it gets here but it's

been nice and cool since I'm here.

     Paul and Elmer reported out here shortly before I did so they are in a different outfit now, but I saw them already, we are about two city blocks apart, the only one from home that's with me right now is James Howell, Jack Foos is in our company but is in the next barrack, there are a lot of boys here that were with me in Camp Walters.

     I want to tell you what a nice welcome we got when we came to Ft. Ord, we went in the reporting station and signed in, it just so happened that the upstairs of that building needed cleaning, some flat-top Sgt. came along and it wasn't five minutes after we reported that the four of us found ourselves with brooms in our hands (God bless these Sergeants, pray for them).

     We signed the payroll out here and we should get payed next week sometime. I got ten more dollars for meals while home on furlough.

                                                                                Son, Felix

Jan. 8, 1945

Dear Folks

     Just a few lines to let you know I'm still alright and expect this to find you the same.

     Everything is still like it was when I wrote my last letter. I'm still in the same place and so are the rest of the boys. I get to see Jack Foos and the other two boys I came here  with everyday, we all had a weekend pass last Sat. we went to a small city called Monterey, Calif. about four miles from camp. That the only time I have been out of camp, we can spend our time better right here in camp. Last Sunday night we went down to the beach to watch the tide come in (when the ocean rises). The waves came in up to 30ft. high and makes so much noise you can feel the earth vibrate, we saw some good sized whales (fish) too, they came in pretty close to the shore.

      We have quite a bit of free time here, sometimes they call us out only for a few hours a day. I got all new clothes this week. I checked in most of my winter cloths and got some sun-tans back, also got my steel helmet and combat boots, I'm sending home my oxfords and a few other things, we have a limited amount of clothes we can keep, I'm also sending some pictures that I got in Hollywood, please save these for me, also my rifle medal, you can pin it on my cowboy hat so it doesn't get lost, I can't take care of these things so all I'm asking of you is to save what little I have.

(The rest of the letter is missing)

Dear Folks

Well it's a long time since I wrote last and I know your worried, right now I can't tell you just why I couldn't write as my letters are being censured , however, it wasn't much, simply a military matter and we couldn't correspond with anyone out of camp, but we can write again now and also leave camp. I'm still in the same camp somewhere along the west coast. I got your two letters Jan 19^th. Also got one from Isabel and one from the Kuhn's today. I haven't wrote to all the girls yet but I'll try to catch up now that I can write again. I can't tell what I'm doing because I'm not doing a thing but lay around. I do K.P. sometimes but that's only last for a day, and if I happen to

get an easy job there, it's more fun then work. 

     About those pictures: you took so many of them I can't remember then all, you don't have to send them all, just the ones you think are best and you asked why I didn't call up Harry, well I don't know myself, after I left home I didn't care for anything anymore. If I could have gone to his home I would have called him but just to talk to him on the phone wouldn't have amounted to anything, as I wanted to see the whole family, the stations were guarded very much and the M.P.'s saw to it that we got a seat we had to stay within there calling distance nearly all morning, if  it hadn't been for them we would never have got a seat on the train.

                                                                                      Your Son

                                                                                      Felix Herrman

No Date

Dear Folks

    I haven't had any letter from you yet so I don't know much to write. Just want to send you my new address, I was moved to another camp last week. I am still somewhere along the west coast and is a nice place.

      I haven't done any training here yet and hardly any work except for a little K.P., we lay around in the barracks nearly all day and are free every night after five o'clock. I am still with the boys I was in all the other camps so

there isn't much to get used to, like in other camps, we have movie theaters, here and a lot of other recreations and we always find a place to spend the evenings.                                               Your Son

                                                              Felix Herrman 37748401

                                                              Casual Co. 15 A.P.O. 15703

                                                               % P.M. San Francisco, Calif.

                                                      Leyte Island

                                         Mar. 13, 1945---Apr. 9. 1945

Mar. 13, 1945

Dear Folks

     Well I imagine you have been looking for a letter from me for a long time, and maybe thought something was wrong, but everything is alright and I'm as fine as you can expect for a soldier.

     By now it shouldn't be a surprise to you, to hear that I'm on the other side of the globe, or somewhere on the Philippines.

This second part was attached to the March 13 letter, but it doesn't seem to fit. I have gone ahead and kept it together.

I wonder if you saw that movie 'Hollywood Canteen” you were talking about. I haven't seen that picture yet but when I was in Hollywood, I was in a building called Hollywood Canteen and if I'm right this picture is based on this particular place.

    Well since I'm writing two letters in one you can scrap up what you find interesting in the folks letter.

                                                                            So be good and lets hope for the best

                                                                              Felix Herrman

Mar. 13, 1945

Dear Folks

     I just received one of your letters you mailed Jan. 18^th. I wrote you a letter two days ago, you should have it by now. I haven't got that package yet that you send me. I had to many address's lately. I guess that's why mail goes so slow. I had a letter from all the girls, I'll try to answer them as soon as I can, I catch hell in every letter because I don't write enough, it's not that I don't care. I'm just not a letter writer, I wouldn't blame them if they lose patience and quite writing.

    By the way don't worry if I don't get that rosary, I got one from the chaplain before I left the states.

I am with quite a few Catholic's and from the time we went on the boat most of us started wearing rosary's like we do our dog tags, that's the only way we don't lose them. I went to church every Sunday on the boat, anyhow I don't believe anybody can forget his religion in a place like this.

    Well since this is the second week of  March the weather should be a lot better back home, you sure must have had a lot of snow the way your letters sound, the weather over here is a lot hotter then back home, we are also having a dry spell right now it's hasn't rained for the last two hours.

    I received part of my Feb. pay today $15.00, I get $10.00 a month more now (overseas pay).

Well, I guess that's about all I can write for now. I might have to mail some of your letters by free mail, I can't get air mail stamps anytime I want them and they are to hard to keep in this hot and wet weather

                                                                                                               So Long

                                                                                                               Your Son

                                                                                                                Pvt. Felix Herrman

Mar. 20, 1945

Dear Folks

   I received one of your letters (dated Feb. 23) this morning, I got nothing to do tonight so I'll write a few lines.

    It's Monday night, I just got through washing some of my cloths, that is I made them wet and put them on the line, gon'a let the rain wash'em tonight, we do all our own washing around this place, things aren't like they were back in the states. I sure miss those barracks and electric lights, we live in tents here and I'm writing this letter by the light of a candle. Most of the boys went to the show tonight. I didn't go it looks like it's going to rain and we have to sit out in the open. (no more theaters) they have the movie screen tied across two coconut trees like you see in the funny papers.

    Well I don't work very hard around here but mostly at night. I always get to sleep around the clock in the daytime, there are some things I like better here then I did back in the states.

    I had a letter from Harry since they have there new girl, they also said you send them those cigarettes

I send home, Ben did not pay for them but I wish you have given them to him, I couldn't get enough for all the boys, I really send them home for Dad.   

    I had a letter from Louise and she told me that Elmer and Paul Herrman are overseas and from what. Jack Foos told me they are in a pretty good place.

    Well, it took me all night to write these few lines so I guess I'll turn in, we have some natives living here in camp and they keep some roosters, they wake us up at 4:00 in the morning. I was surprised to see they didn't have a bulge here now it's those dam roosters.

                                                                                                    Your Son

                                                                                                     Pvt. Felix Herrman

No Date

Dear Folks

    Just received your letter a few minutes ago so I'll answer it right away while I have plenty of time.

    Everything is still the same I'm Ok and not doing a thing, so there isn't much to write. I had a 6 hour pass last week I went to a small town not far from the camp that was the only time I have been out of camp. 

    You said you were looking for my watch in that package, well most of the boys have watches and they are all hanging on to them so I guess I will too. I'm so used to it now I don't want to be without it.

                                                                                                          Felix

No Date

Dear Folks

    It's Sunday afternoon I'm sitting here on my bunk nothing to do so I'll write you a few lines. I went to a Native Church this morning, went to confession and communion, this being Palm Sunday we also got some palms, the priest said next Sunday is Easter Sunday I almost forgot about that I imagine it'll be a big day back home.

     Well things aren't so very bad over here it's not like in the states but I can think of a worse place then this. I haven't been around very much yet. I was in a few Native towns here but there isn't much to see the Philippines live very poor, most of them live in grass houses, if they had just one of those nice Kansas winds that you are having about now, it would sure leave a lot of these people homeless. I found out this morning that a lot of these people are Catholic's and are very devoted to their church. Most of them can talk a little English and are easy to get along with, the native's kids come around to our tents quite often and sell us coconuts, they sell anything from a young monkey for $25.00 down to a Japanese dollar bill for 10 cents. These kids have more money then carter's got little liver pills.

     About the only entertainment we have here is what the army presents, we have a new movie every other night, they also had a stage show last week Irving Berlin in person in “This is the Army” good show but had to walk six miles to see it.

    I meet Edward (can't read the last name) and Marvin Webber last week. Frances should know these boys at least they know her.

    And how are thing on the farm, how does the car work and the radios, and have you got any baby chicks yet if you have I wouldn't advise you to use that light plant unless it's in good condition, it might go out on you overnight. How does the electric fence work, I saw the battery was down when I l

Did Unreins ever find out where Celly is. He must be somewhere on this side of the world, if I keep running into boys from home like I have been I might run into him.  And as for me folks, I'm fine as can be expected.                    Your Son     Pvt. Felix Herrman

                                            

No Date

Dear Folks

Well this is Easter Sunday, it might be a month before you get this letter but here is wishing you all a Happy Easter. I went to Mass this morning, the weather was nice so we had Mass out in the open.

I worked about eight hours last night-unloading trucks so I got the day off.

    The weather has been rather nice the last few days and it makes things a little better around here. I still get to see a movie about every other night and that helps pass the time a little faster. I am with a nice bunch of boys and we make the best of this Army we can.  I have been with one kid for quite sometime and only last week I found out he speaks German, it wasn't long and we had six different languages in our tent. English, German, Spanish, French, Mexican, and Latin we had quite an international conference that night.

    Well folks, I hope your not worried about me as I'm better off then I have ever been since I'm in the army. I know it will get tiresome being over here for a long time but I think in the army a few thousand miles isn't any further from home then a few hundred miles from home.

    Well I haven't had any letters for the last two weeks so I can't think of anything more to write, mail seems to go rather slow but I know your alright and I want you to think the same about me if you do not hear from me regular.                                                                       You Son

                                                                                                                Pvt. Felix Herrman

                                                                                                               37748401 

                                                                                                               A.P.O.  703,277 Repl. E. C/O PM

                                                                                                                San Francisco, Calif.

Somewhere on the PHILIPPINES

April 9, 1945

Dear Folks

   Well how is everything at home, hope fine, I'm just fine as ever except haven't had any letters yet but I guess they will catch up with me sooner or later. I wonder if you have been getting mine, what few I mailed. They gave us a speech again this morning on what not to write and that leaves just about nothing. We can send home quite a bit of stuff which I will if I ever get something worth sending. I'm sending you a ten peso bill which isn't worth the paper it's printed on so don't try to use it. The natives sold it at first but it doesn't sell so good any more, they are giving it away by the fist full.

   My Buddy and I walked down the road a ways last night to talk with the Filip. We get quite a kick out of  them and they like to talk  with us. They sell a lot of fruit alone the road like watermelons for dollar a pound, most of them are green. If we tell them it's to mush, they reply “Yes but Filipinos poor people American soldier rich man”', I guess we look rich in our sun tans and steel helmet combination.

    We don't have to do our own laundry right now, we can send it to the Filipinos. I don't know where they wash it, may be in the sea but they say it comes back nice and clean, so I guess till I get me a new Maytag, I'll take advantage of it.

     Are you still getting your allotment checks and my war bonds regular. I'll get paid again in a few days, I'll send it home or I might get another bond, we get most things we use for free, so I guess the best thing to do is invest it in bonds. This way it will get more and not less.

    And I believe the best way to close my letter is just,                         So long Folks

                                                                                                                Pvt. Felix Herrman

                                                                                                               37748401 

                                                                                                               A.P.O.  703,277 Repl. E. C/O PM

                                                                                                                San Francisco, Calif.

    

April 25, 1945

Dear Folks

     I know your waiting to hear from me, and since I'm not doing anything tonight I'll write you a few lines to pass the time and  let you know I'm still alright, or as fine as can be expected.

     Boy It's sure hard to write letters from this place, everything is so quite, nothing ever happens around here. I haven't been to town once since I came back from New Orleans, so it's always the same thing day in and day out. We are so short on men right now that I had to do Guard duty yesterday to fill in our quote, it's not too hard work, but gets tiresome like everything else, they gave me three prisoners to cut grass around the theater and I stood Guard over them, they were good boys and I didn't have to shoot any of them, Yesterday afternoon I Guarded another Criminal at the Hospital, he was a good boy at the point of a gun, although he is charged with three Criminal Offenses besides Murder.

     I got a letter and package from Hilda last week. I did manage to write her a few lines. Tell the girls if they want any letters from me to write first and ask some questions. I don't care how many or what about, just to make it easier to write about something they are interested in.

     Well that’s all I can think of for tonight, so I'll have to close.

                               

                                                                                YOU SON

                                                                                         Felix

Luzon Island

                                               April 21,1945-June 24, 1945

Somewhere on the Philippines

April 21, 1945

Hello Folks

     Well I was moved again. I didn't have any address so I couldn't write for sometime, but I'm

assigned to an outfit now so this should be my address from now on. I'm still as fine as can be and

getting along alright, outside of moving from one place to another. I haven't done very much since I'm over here. I have been on the of the Philippine Island now.  I was in Manila twice now and quite a few other cities, I didn't think a city could be blown up like Manila is, but I guess seeing is believing, You can't picture it. I am in a nice camp right now not very far from a river and I go swimming every night

it's very dry and dusty here right now and there is nothing like a swim and good movie to spend a nice tropical moonlight night. It's just to bad you have to go 9,000 miles to enjoy a tropical moonlight night.

     I was pad $24.00 last week for March and part of February pay,  I was going to send it home but I'll keep it till I get April's pay.

     I broke the glass on my watch last week. I took it to a native watchmaker and he made a new crystal our of  an airplane windshield, it's a better watch now then it was. I paid him $2.50 for it.

    Well in order to save the censors a little time I guess I'll sigh off, and hoping your getting along alright on the farm.                                                

                                                                                                Pvt. Felix Herrman #37748401                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                Co. A,128 Inf. A.P.O.32 %PM

                                                                                                         San Francisco, Calif.

Somewhere on the Philippines

April 26, 1945

Dear Folks

     Since I'm not doing anything right now I'll write you a letter. We do a little training in the mornings but don't do anything for the rest of the day. Things are just as ever or maybe a little better now that I'm in a line outfit. I'm not with any of the boys that I knew on the boat, most of these boys have been over here for a long time. They are nice to work with and know what the score is.

    I haven't had any mail yet but there is some coming in now I should get some in a few days. I went to a new church last Sunday. The natives made one for us out of grass, it's not very modern but it's nice and cool.

     Maybe you have wondered what outfit I'm in, I can't tell you in my letters but they took some information and send it to the hometown newspapers, if you watch the county news you might find out what division I'm in and where I am, if you get the “Yank” magazine it has a lot of stories in it about the Philippine war and the people.

    I picked up another Japaneses Bill, I'm sending it home but don't do with it what we do, we use it for toilet  paper.

     Well that's about all I can think of to write about except I had my haircut yesterday by a native barber. I told him to cut them short and boy did he.

                                                                                                   So Long

                                                                                                   Your son

                                                                                                    Felix

Philippine Island

May 3, 1945

Dear Folks,

    I received 5 of your letters this week and was glad to hear from you, it was the first letters I had in 2 months, I also had one from Hilda and Paul and a Easter Greeting, I got yours too.

    I'm OK and I hope this will find you the same. Everything is still the same don't work very  much and have the nights off. You asked me if there was anything I want you to send from home, I don't believe so, we get good food, we get candy and things like that from the Red Cross, we also had a small ration of beer last week. I send off a package this afternoon, let me know when you get it. Well I see Alvin Heronimia got married. Here is wishing him lots of good luck. I wonder if he thinks it's any better then the army.

    I still got my watch and works good, I'm sure glad I took it along, comes in very handy. So Jim got him a new dog. What kind is it? Tell me what he is like, if it's not a German Police, he's no good for the farm. Well take care of yourself and I'll do the same.

                                                                                            Your Son,

                                                                                             Felix Herrman

Philippine Island

June 12, 1945

Dear Folks

    Just had my supper, I've not done anything so I'll write you a few lines to let you know I'm OK and

hope this finds you the very same. I received one of your letters today 'dated  April 9'. It had an air mail stamp in it. It would have come in handy at that time but I can get them now.

    Things are still the same around here, spending a few weeks on the line and them come back here and learn how to crawl and fire a rifle but it gives us something to do, it's only a few hours a day and not very hard. We have the rest of the day off. I go down to the ocean for a while. It's only a short way out. We have shows here every night now, but I saw most of them so often already they're getting old.

     The way your letters sound the wheat back home isn't doing so good. Well it hasn't got very much time to make up it's mind, if I'm right you'll be in harvest in another month. You should have some of the rain we have here, it rains every night about the time we fall out for (retread) not sure what that is.) It's raining right now, and it's getting dark too so guess I'll close, we haven't got the lights in our tent yet but if we stay here long enough we will have them.                   So long, Your son

                                                                                                     Felix

Philippines

June 13, 1945

Dear Folks

     Since I'm not doing anything this rainy Wednesday evening, I'll write you a few lines. I have a letter from Frances tonight and she said I couldn't imagine how worried you are if you don't hear from me for some time.  Well I have enough to write now, so I'll write more often.

     This letter I had from Frances tonight took just eight days to reach me, it was mailed J une 5, with her new address. I couldn't figure out where that letter was from when I found it on my bed.

                                             Mr. and Mrs Edward Basgall

I bet she feels like I did when I first wrote my name, with a P.V.T. Well anyway mom it gives you one less to worry about. I should write to my sisters more often but the way it sounds they read all the letters I send home, which is just as good as writing. The same thing over and over. Maybe I'll write them sometime and tell them how much I like it over here-I wouldn't have much to write-we had six bottles of beer last night that helped a little.

    I see you still haven't got the package I sent home, well just keep waiting like I do you'll get it someday, but in case you don't get it, it was just a big wall hanging and a grass skirt, which you hear so much about back home and see so little over here. The package only cost $12.50,  inflation you know. I had it wrapped good in water proof paper, it should float even if the boat got sunk.

    Well that's all I have to write, so I'll close and go down and see how often I have seen that movie that's playing tonight.                                                So Long, your Son

                                                                                   Felix

  

Philippines

June 16, 1945

Dear Folks

    I received two of your letters today so I'll answer them tonight. One of them was dated Mar 1 and the other Jan. 14, I also got that package you mailed to Fort Ord, it was beat up pretty bad but that rosary was still in it and the pictures were alright too. I also had a letter from Lorene. I'm wearing that rosary around my neck and I'm glad I got it. I have been wearing one one the line as well as back here, I have still got that prayer book you gave me a few years ago. I'm glad you and the people of our church are doing what you are for us. I have my confidence in it, sometimes I think that faith and faith alone brought me back to where I am, with men getting killed all around me, and me never getting a scratch, the Lord must have had me by the hand.

    Well today is Saturday and we didn't do much, we had rifle inspection this morning, this afternoon I helped get bamboo. Another day is almost gone and it's getting dark again, so I'll close wishing you the best of luck.                                                                        Your Son

                                                                                            Felix

Philippines

June 19, 1945

    I received your letter this week dated  June 5, and was glad to hear from you. I'm OK and hope this finds you the very same. Things are still the same around here, we do a little of everything and not much of anything, I helped haul gravel today. We drove around in a jeep most of the time.

    So you finally got that war bond for April. Well you should get the other two before long. I don't know what caused the delay but there bonds are recorded and can't hardly get lost.

    Well so Harry and all the girls were at home for the big wedding, I sure hope you had a good time, and didn't miss me to much, if you took any pictures be sure to send me some if you have any to spare.

    Well I really haven't got any news to write about. I can write now what outfit I'm in and that I'm still on the island of Luzon, you saw all this in the papers so if you look on the map you can see exactly where I am.                                                                                         Well So Long,

                                                                                                  Felix

Luzon

Sun. June 24, 1945

Dear Folks

     I received another one of your letters this week and was glad to hear from you, it's Sunday again another day, another dollar. I was in church this morning, I also went to communion.

     I got a nice letter from Paul Herrman. He's not in the M.P. Anymore. He's got an office job, but the way it sounds he doesn't like it any to much. I wonder if he'd trade with me. I still do the same work just around the camp.

    We had a nice stage show here last night. They had an orchestra from Manila and three girls singing native songs. They were really good I could listen to them every night.

    It looks like you still haven't got that package, it was mailed on May 3^rd, in that time it could almost make it on a row boat. I don't get it. I would like to send home some more souvenirs but if they don't get home there is no use sending any.

     Well I guess there is nothing more to write about so I'll close wishing you all the best of luck.

                                                                                              Your Son

                                                                                                 Felix

   

                                                         Luzon Island

                                                      July 2, 1945 to Aug.  

Philippines

July 2, 1945

Dear Folks

    Well I finally got around to writing you a letter, we moved again last week so I couldn't write for sometime, we are not in a very nice place this time, Just one big mud puddle, it rains everyday.

    I had a three day pass to Manila last week. I was with four of my buddies and we had a nice time, at least it gave us a chance to get somethings off our minds. Everything is so high priced you almost have to pay just to look at it, even if you don't want it, I never did find anything under fifty cents. We paid fifty cents for one dip of ice cream or a bottle of coke and a dollar for a piece of pie. But I didn't go there to spend money mostly for sight seeing.

     I was paid $47.00 this week, if I can get a money order I'll send some of this home. I had two letters from Isabel and one from Lorene last week, also got one from Alvin, it was two months old. What's the latest news from the boys overseas, are any of them coming home yet or coming this way maybe. Did Gilbert Legleiter even leave the states or did he come home after he got hurt.

    Well I'm closing now, I'll write again soon so take care of yourself.  And So Long

                                                                                          Felix Herrman                       

                                                                                         

Philippines

July 8, 1945

Dear Folks

    I received your letter this week “dated June 22” and was glad to hear from you. I also got one from Lloyd Hileman, he is on the same island I'm on, but I can't figure out just where his outfit is at this time.

     Well I have been rather busy the last few days we moved our camp on HIGHER GROUND again, and we work from morning till night, it's a much nicer place, it's sandy soil and doesn't get near as muddy here. Besides working in camp we go out on patrols every few days looking for Japs. It's not a very nice job but not near as bad as combat.

     I was glad to see those paper clippings. I was wondering where Jack Foos was, those badges he was awarded, I forgot to tell you but that same badge and ribbons are on my records.

I'm glad you liked that gum I send you. I didn't know if it got home or not, we haven't got a P.A. here right now, so I'm short on gum but I'll send you one from my K-rations. I'm also sending you a Japanese postage stamp that I took off an envelope from a  (censers cut a piece out) I have over a thousand Japanese Pasos. If anybody wants any I'll swap it for American money.

                                                                                         You Son

                                                                                          Felix

 

    ( Missing the first part of letter)

    Well I'm tired and sleepy so I'm guess I'll close for tonight. Hope your getting along alright at home. I'll  number my letters on top of the first page from now on and you can do the same so we can keep track of our letters.                                                                        Your Son

                                                                                              Felix

Philippines

July 11, 1945

      Received your letter last night and was glad to hear from you. I'm still in the best of health and hope this finds you the very same. Well I see by your letter that you are in harvest, I sure hope you had good luck and more wheat them you can take care of, which I doubt. I also noticed the bad news about Elmer Herrman, it looks like that little slaughter house was a hard nut to crack, but old (can't read the word) will have to pay for it one of these nice bloody days.

    So Martin is going to quit farming, what's he going to live on, on that million he hasn't got yet. You asked me what I think about you quitting. I really don't think much of it, you know dad isn't in proper health to hold a job, on the farm he can at least work to some extend, and if Jim wants to farm, size up your farm to where he can take care of it. I guess you know how the people in town cry about high living costs, if you could depend on my allotment it would be a different story. I'd be glad to support you. I know your tired of it but I believe it's something you'll always be sorry for, if you quite at a time like this. I know how it is I was tired of it myself to be farming and never getting anywhere but the way things stand you at least have a home you can call your own, and if you think what so many other folks think at this moment that the war is going to be over shortly and I'll be home in a few months, you better stop and think again. If those guys that are fighting with paper and pencil don't accept the terms

Japan is offering right now, then there is still a long and bitter fight ahead,  but you're older then I am and you can see the picture better then I can. I'd just like to give you my point of view.

      That change you noticed in my address really doesn't mean much. When I first got this address I forgot to put that (1^st. B.N.) In there you see there's three BN's (battalions) in the 128^th regiment,  and this way my mail doesn't have to go through Regiment it comes more direct, however I didn't have any trouble getting my mail. Well it's getting dark again so I guess I'll close wishing you the best of luck.

                                                                                         Your Son

                                                                                          Felix

Philippines

July 18, 1945

Dear Folks

     Since I'm not doing anything just now, I'll drop you a few lines to let you know I'm still OK and hope this finds you the same.

I'm a few miles from camp right now guarding a bridge. I don't know just how long I'll be here maybe three or four days. I'm in charge of five Philippine Gorillas and I have plenty of company, we live in small tents and fix our own meals but we manage to get along pretty good.

     I haven't had any letters this  week, but I should have some back in camp. I couldn't go to church last Sunday, I was on good old K.P. It was the first time my name came up for sometime and it had to be a Sunday.

     Well I see Walt bought a store in Dodge, it must be nice to have a store of his own instead of working for someone else.

    I'm glad to see that you ordered the county newspapers for me, I'll be waiting for it and also that package.                                                                                              Your Son

                                                                                                             Felix

Philippines

July 21

Dear Folks

    I received your letter this week and was glad to hear from you. I'm still out here at the bridge, don't now how long I'll be here, we are still alright, except that it get a little lonesome at times.

    I was sure glad to see those pictures you sent. I think they're good. You said you mailed some pictures sometime ago, I haven't got them yet all I got is those you mailed in January and now Frances wedding pictures. You asked if I couldn't have any pictures taken. I don't know how, there are a few cameras in the company, but they get there films from home and don't like to sell them.   

    I see you bought a truck you didn't say what make or model it is. I think it was a good thing to do, that trailer was to much for the car, you shouldn't have to use it much now.

     You reminded me about me being in the army one year last July. I haven't forgot-how could I, the last six months went a little faster then the first six, more exciting I guess, the next year will be even more exciting when we, march down TOKYO'S main st.

Sunday Morning

    Well I managed to go to church this morning but I'm going back to the kitchen now so I'll close my letter.                                                                               So Long

                                                                                         Felix

Philippines

July 30,

Dear Folks

     I received some more of your letters last week, one of them was a v-mail mailed July 11, but it wasn't Photographed, you didn't have my name and address on the top, I got it just the way you mailed it. I also had letters from JoAnn, Frances and Hilda. I don't know when I'll ever get to write to them. I been to busy lately even to write home.

I came in off the bridge guard last week and went right back out on a three day combat patrol, we did a lot of walking in those three days, but we only ran into one small fight. We shot three nips in a small grass shack. We set the small shack afire and burned the whole dam works. I also got me a nice bad cold from sleeping out there on the wet ground, guess I'll go to the aid station in the morning for treatment. I weight myself when I was in Manila sometime ago and I weighed 128 lbs. I lost about 15lbs in those 21 days I spend on the line in May and I haven't regained it yet.

                                   Miss the rest of the Letter

Luzon

Philippines

Dear Folks

     I haven't got much to write tonight just thought I'd let you know I'm still getting along alright, I'm not quite over my cold yet but its getting better. I didn't take part in the training today . I had to go to the aid station every two hours for treatment.

     I haven't had any letters yet since I wrote my last one, that newspaper hasn't come yet it might be sometime before I get it. In another envelope I'm sending you a paper . I got today showing pictures of the Villa Verde trail that we fought on last May. These pictures should give you a slight idea of the kind of country we fought in and the weapons we used to knock them out. I hope you don't mind me sending you this paper, please save for me. I have another one that I'll send to Harry.

      I'm also enclosing a $60.00 money order, let me know when you get it.  So long for tonight.

                                                                                                   Your Son

                                                                                                     Felix

Luzon Island

August 4th 1945 to November 16, 1945

Luzon

Aug. 4

Dear Folks

     I received two of your letters today July 12 and July 25. I got your pictures in one of them was glad to see them.

    I'm practically over my cold now and I feel alright. I didn't miss out on any training or other work but was plenty sick the last few days.

    Things are still the same around here we train in the morning and a little work in the afternoon, today I cut grass, tomorrow is Sunday and it's K.P. for me. I haven't been to church for the last three Sundays, I was on patrol last Sunday, on K.P. the week before and guard the week before that. I was paid this week $38.50, I got about $60.00 I'll send home next week. I can't get a money order right now.

    I haven't got the county newspaper yet, that you ordered for me but I'm sure waiting for it. I see you still haven't got that package I send home in May. I have a nice little Jap wrist watch, I bought from a Gorilla that I'd like to send home but it might now get there, I paid $25.00 for it, it doesn't run good but it can be fixed. I could have sold it for more then I paid, if I can get what I want I might sell it again.

                        (Rest of letter missing)

Luzon

Aug12

Dear Folks

    I received your letter today, got it in ten days, I'm glad to hear your still alright. I still got my cold, I feel alright in the daytime but I cough a lot at night. I haven't been out with the company for the last three days, I'm taking treatments for it and expect to be over it in a few days,

    Things are still the same around here right now, everybody is busy making up new stories about the war. Sometimes, I think I'll be home before this letter will.

    We got a beer ration last night, we also have a good P.X. Now where we get our candy, gums and other things like that, it makes this a little better place to live for now. 

    I see in your letters that there are some more boys from home coming this way. I might get to see some of them yet. Well I really can't think of anything else to write, so I'll close wishing you the best of  luck.                                                                                You Son

                                                                                         Felix

Luzon

Philippines

Aug 14, 1945

Dear Folks

     Just thought I'd drop you a few lines to let you know how I'm getting along. I'm still not over my cold. They couldn't give me treatments and go out training at the same time so they send me to a Hospital for a few days. I don't know just how long I'll be here and I really don't care very much. I like it here, it gets me out of a lot of work. I fell OK right now except for my coughing at night and its was better last night.

    I don't know if I'll be here long enough for my mail to get here, but I'll write to you regular. I still haven't got that package you sent, I can't see what the hold up is, and I don't suppose you'll ever get the one I mailed last May.

     Well I sure hope you'll have good luck with your thrashing this year, you might have a hard time getting enough men but you made it last year and you'll manage again. These natives over here are planting rice right now, they plant it in eight inches of mud and water, and do everything by hand. The rice plants really look nice a few days after it's planted

      Well, there's really nothing more to write so I'll have to close.                   Your Son

                                                                                                                            Felix

Felix Medals In News Paper

Grandma's Letters to Felix

August 8, 1945

Dear Son

    Received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear you are OK. We are the same too we had a nice rain last Sunday night was high time for the feed now everything looks green, we were ready to thrash our wheat now, that rain stopped like it always does when we are ready to trash and it is cloudy today and looks for more rain it's so nice and fresh and cool yesterday. We were at Lacrosse at another wedding dance Johnny Schaffer and Lorene Depperschmidt married. He came home from Germany, he had a 30 day furlough lots of those boys are at home now on 30 day. Johnny Kreutzer was home, Frances met him she said he looks old and gray. Lawrence Herrman was over here today he took your address he wants to write a letter to you we got that package today and thanks a lot it's real nice and it was in good shape I hanged that wall hanging over in Jim room on the south side wall and that skirt in our bedroom but that dress is to small for me Frances was here today and it fit her nice do they wear these kind of dresses over there you wrote that you still haven't got the county paper yet my you should have got them by now I ordered it July 3^rd and also a package to you the same day did you get those last picture with the 2big ones and also that five me, you  pictures it looks like there are a lot of letters missing yes Frances she some some of her wedding pictures. I have no extra news I am always busy all the time Good bye God bless and spare you 

                                                                                       home

Aug 22, 1945

Dear Son

Received your letter #2 today and was glad to hear again and that you are well again and that you are well again I was sure worried about it now I am more pleased that you are alright So you still didn't get the county news my it sure takes long if you ever do get them you should get a bunch of them I called them on July 3 you should have'em long ago and you bought a Jap watch it must be sure nice if you paid that much we bought 2 new tires for our V8 car paid $28.00 we may go out to Dodge soon I feel going some place today we were at Martin's sale he sure got paid for his cattle a lot of 'em Went over $100 quite a few in $90 now they move to town and the Big Head Eugene comes here no visiting place for us no more.

So you still figure on going into Tokyo don't you think the was is over that's what we think I am looking for  you coming home all those boys who had their furloughs are going over.Bill Randa's is on his way already he is in Calif on the coast  his folks haven't heard from him in 2 weeks I met Jack Foos mother last Monday and she told me that their son Jack is in the hospital he has the Junkels I don't know what it is but she asked Dr. Baker about  it you know that Dr. Baker is back and opened his hospital here at Lacrosse sure makes it easy for the people around here to have a close hospital you know that little old man Joe Kreutzer died tomorrow will be the funeral.

It's cloudy all day and chilly but it don't rain it's awful dry the feed is dying down we should have rain well that's about all the news I know

                                                         Good bye my dear Son Good luck to you

Aunt Mary Basgall was over here at Martin's sale she told me they got a letter from their son  Atchinia he is still in Germany and is at the hospital too he is nervous he misses out on 1 point he has 84 points and it must be 85 and that 1 point keeps him over there that made him nervous that's what his folks think.

August 25, 1945

Dear Son

Received your #3 letter and also the money order I am going to town this afternoon them I'll deposit it for you. I am alone this morning and busy cleaning Saturday work. You know Dad us at Lacrosse working for Edwards folks plastering a basement and remodeling their house and Jim is in Liebenthal working for Leonard Schaffer hauling rocks from a place that he is moving a house on it. He will be at noon them we to town I am sure glad when you get over your cold I am thinking so much of it that you may get very sick hope not you asked if we mind about sending that paper no just send it anything you send is alright with me I am sure glad that you will send one to Harry I send a bunch of your letters down last week got'em back yesterday they say they just enjoyed to read even Betty read them Dora said wonder how they would feel if they would get a nice long letter from you Harry will be laid off work he wants to look for another job for winter Dora said it looks like you never got letters from them because you never mention it in my letters she wrote quite a few her brother Ted is home now from Germany he has a discharge I bet he is glad

Letters from Felix

Philippines

Luzon

Aug. 19, 1945

Dear Folks

   I haven't received any letters yet but I'll drop you a few lines to let you know I'm still in the hospital. I was moved to another hospital this morning, it's a little closer to our camp. That cold I had was Pneumonia, I was over the worst of it by the time I got here, and I have been feeling alright all the time I been here. I got a pillow and a mattress to sleep on tonight. I don't know if I'll do much sleeping, I might have to put a few rocks under the sheet so I don't wake up with a stiff  back in the morning. 

    I'm in a nice place right now, it's right next to the ocean in the eastern part of Luzon, where the first landing was made. It rains here everyday but I'm under a roof and on a dry bed now, so it don't bother me much.

    They put up a movie screen right outside our ward and we can watch the show from our beds now, it's about the only thing we have to look forward to is the movie every other night. It's fun to watch those Hollywood movie stars dig our a nips machine gun nest with a one man commando raid.

     So long for now, I can let you know in a few days whether I'm coming back to the states or going back to my outfit.                                                                              You son

                                                                                                           Felix

Philippines

Luzon

Aug. 25, 1945

Dear Folks

    Well how are thing back home by now hope fine. I'm still the same, still in the hospital. I moved again this week. I'm about 180 miles from my outfit now, another boy from my company came down here with me and we are not far apart. I was sent here mostly for a few weeks rest and I don't know how long I'll be here, it get plenty hot here in these tents in the afternoon, right now it's cloudy and it's not so bad. I really got a nice bed here, just like the ones we had back in Camp Wolters, clean sheets and everything, this is almost to good for an Infantryman. I don't think it'll last long.

                                                                                            Your Son

                                                                                             Felix

Philippines

Luzon

Sept. 2, 1945

Dear Folks

    Well it's Sunday night and just another nite here in the hospital. They haven't got any show here tonight so I'll have to pass the time here at the Red Cross, we have a writing room here and that's where I am right now.

I'm getting along alright, I still get some medical treatments, they take an x-ray of my chest every few days and the doctor said there is very little sign of my cold left, but they don't send anybody back out till they're sure they won't be back in a few days. That other kid from my company is still here too and we manage to pass the time alright. I went to church here this morning. I didn't get there in time to go to confession, so I'll try it tomorrow afternoon when we have Mass here everyday.

    I haven't had any letters for three weeks now so it's a little hard to write letters and besides nothing ever happens around here, boy this is sure some life, I won't be worth a dine when I get back to the company. I haven't heard from my outfit since I left them, I hope they didn't go to Japan and leave me behind, that's one boat I don't want to miss. I have been waiting for this to long, right now I'm not thinking much about home, there are to many others ahead of me. I just want to go up where it's a little cooler and just a little bit more civilized. I'm ready to give this place back to the natives and let them make anything out of it they want to. I want to go back to modern life and I don't care what part of the world, “small as it is”.

Well I guess that's all for tonight , we have a typewriter here in this room so don't be surprised if you get a typewritten letter from me one of these days. I play with it quite a bit. I can get my name right every fifth time I try it.                                                                                  So Long

                                                                                                                       Felix

Luzon

Philippines

Sept. 9, 1945

Dear Folks

    Just a few lines to let you know how I'm getting along. They moved me to another hospital again. I'm in the 35th General hospital now. I feel alright now, I don't get anymore treatments. I'm just here to gain some weight. I weight about the same I did when I came to the army 100 lbs. I guess it's from those field rations and dehydrated foods we been eating, and that filthy water we drank out of rivers with dead nips in it. They have a little better food here and I might gain some weight. This ward is full of cases like mine and they're sending a lot of them back to the states. I could go home right now if I wanted to go with a medical discharge.

    Well I really don't have much to write. I don't get to go any place so it's always the same thing. Our company is giving passes to Manila again. I might go if I get a chance when I get back to the company.

     The way it sounds the war is over, it would be all right if we could all go home now, after all that's what we were fighting for, but I still got quite some time to put in over here. I don't know how long I'll have to stay, but at least for a year to 18 months. Anyway, you don't have to expect me back for the next x-mas dinner. If I have to stay over here another year, I hope I can go to Japan. I'm getting tired of this place.                                                                                    Well So Long

                                                                                                     Felix

Luzon

Philippines

Sept. 15, 1945  

Dear Folks

     Well the doctor finally made up his mind that I'm going back to the states and that's that. I would like to tell you more about it but that's all I know. I don't think I'll be discharged from the army, the way I understand I'm going to another hospital or rest camp back in the states.

     I asked the doctor what's wrong with me, he told me, but I couldn't follow him, whatever it is in connection with that pneumonia I had. I can't say yet when I'll be leaving this place, very soon I'm sure. You don't have to write anymore letter, I haven't had any since I left the company.

                                                                                                         You Son

                                                                                                          Felix

Luzon

Philippines

Sept. 19, 1945

Dear Folks

     I don't know what to write about but I'll have to drop you a line to let you know how I'm getting along. I'm still here in the hospital but I'll be leaving here in the next ten days, that's what two other boys told me, they are going with me. We might to to Leyte first where we'll be put in a temporary ship company.

     In the meantime, I have not complaints as I gained five pounds since I have been in the hospital. I weigh 125 lbs. now, and I feel all right.

    If you don't hear from me in the next ten days, you know I'm on the water.    

                                                                                                          Felix

Luzon

Philippines

Sept. 30, 1945

     Well I thought I'd be on my way back to the states by this time but I'm still here in Luzon, I left the 35^th General Hospital a week ago. I'm in Manila now waiting for transportation. There are a lot of boys here right now, on their way home and things go a little slow, one good thing I don't have to go to Leyte, they are sending them out of Manila now.

    I was issued new clothes at the 35^th., I came to the hospital in my combat uniform and left all my other cloths back in the company I had a lot of other small things that I was going to take home including that small Nips watch I bought, I thought I would be in the hospital only a few days so I left everything where I thought it wouldn't get lost.

    I don't know where I'm going when I get to the states, the medical officers there will tell me that. I guess that's all I can tell you at this time, they are sending some out tomorrow, but I don't know if I'm in it or not.                                                                                            Your Son

                                                                                                           Felix

Japanese Money Sent Home

Luzon

Philippines

Oct. 10, 1945

Dear Folks

    Well I was hoping I wouldn't have to write anymore letters with an A.P.O.  No. but it looks like I'm not any further now then I was a month ago. I'm still here in Manila waiting for I don't know what. They tell me everyday that I'm going tomorrow, but tomorrow hasn't come yet. They are sending patients out everyday mostly bed patients first, for some reason there don't seem to be enough ships.

I wonder what happened to our big Navy that did magic a few months ago, The big Navy took the men over here faster then the Nips could knock them off, all you seem to hear around here now is “not enough transportation.”

    I really don't mind being here this is just as good a place as any I can think of. This hospital is a nice big building used to be a Catholic collage.

    So Long for now, I still feel about the same almost to good to be in a hospital.

                                                                                   Your Son

                                                                                   Felix

Nov. 6, 1945

Dear Folks

If you received the telegram I send last week you should know by now that I'm back in the U.S. I left Manila Oct 27 in an army air transport and landed in California Oct. 31^st. We stopped on four different islands for gas, we stayed on Quam for 24 hours and again at Hikem (not sure if this is right)field for about a day. I left California Sunday afternoon and landed here at Camp Carson Monday morning. We stayed at Salt Lake City overnight.

    The doctor examined me this morning and took another x-ray. I don't know yet how it came out,  I have no idea how long I'll be here in the hospital, I feel normal and eat good, the doctor that send me  home said that pneumonia I had, left my chest in bad shape and I had to change climate, (not sure, can't read his writing), so I'll just have to do what they say.

    There is not much about this camp it's just another army hangout, army is army and it don't make a dam where your at. If there is anything in particular you want to know just ask me and I'll try to tell you, and don't worry the shooting's over.                                      Your Son

                                                                                                        Felix

Nov. 12, 1945

Dear Folks

    I received your letters yesterday and was sure glad to hear from you so soon, it was my first for over 3 months. I'm glad to hear that everything is still all right at home, I'm about the same getting along all right.

    I went out looking for Achatuies yesterday but I couldn't find him. I found his name on the records at the information office, he is in the convalescent hospital (rest camp) across the street from the General Hospital. I went through some of the barracks but most of the boys were out on pass and I guess that 's where he was. I met James Howell from Lacrosse the other day, he's been here over a month we went to Colorado Springs together last Friday night, he is all right now and he's going back to duty soon.  I haven't heard from that x-ray yet that I took last week.

   You asked me what wrong with me, that is something harder to explain then it is to cure it, because I don't know myself, the doctor has a name for it, I don't know how he spells it, but here how I spell it, (bronkites) it's an infection in the throat. I was paid here last week, $96.00 for the last three months.

    I don't know when I'm coming home, most boys go home for a few days about a months after they land here.

    Well that's all I have to write for now so Good Bye and tell me what you mean by “you might find some changes around here.”

                                                                                 You Son

                                                                                  Felix

Nov. 16, 1945

Dear Folks

    I just thought I would let you know that I'm coming home next Monday, Nov. 19. I'll be at home for 30 days, come back to Camp Carson and report back to duty.

    I don't know how much longer I'll have to serve, I haven't got near enough points to get out of the army and that x-ray I took came out negative. Since I'm coming home a few days, I'll just make this short. I got to go to the supply room now and get some more cloths.            Your Son

                                                                                                                          Felix

January 5, 1946

Dear Folks

    Well I'm in Colorado again, I came here to the hospital about 5:00 this afternoon, it took just 12 hours coming out here compared to six going home. That train didn't get to Lacrosse till 4:00 Saturday morning. I was in the station at 11:30 already, there was another kid from Timken came out here, so I had a pardne all the way and what's more, I had a big seat all of my own. I could have slept a little if that train hadn't stopped in every little jerk water town and then took off like a tin canned pup (couldn't read his writing), I bet he stretched that train two feet every time he took off. We were late for the train at Pueblo so we had to catch a bus from there to Colo. Springs. We went through Colorado in the day time so we had a chance to look at the country. It started to snow about the last ten miles but it didn't amount to much.

    You told me to write to Harry and the other girls but I forgot to ask for there addresses maybe you can send them in your next letter.                                                      So Long

                                                                                                            Felix

January 13, 1946

Dear Folks

Just a few lines to let you know I'm still here in the hospital, the doctor hasn't said yet when I'll get out of the hospital, but I an on the “back to duty” list. I caught a slight cold on the train coming out here. I haven't been feeling to well this week, I had a headache this morning but feel all right tonight, I guess I'll be OK by tomorrow.

   It's been rather cool out here all week, we had a little snow last Friday but it's gone now. We had a few good movies and stage show here in the hospital this week it helps to pass the time a little.

   I got my Dec. pay last week $28.00. I'll send this check home, I still have $25.00 besides this. Well I guess that's all for tonight.                                              So Long

                                                                                        Your Son

                                                                                         Felix   

  

January 16, 1946

Dear Folks

I received your letter this week and was glad to hear from You. I feel alright tonight but I wasn't getting along so good the last few days. They had me all fixed up to leave the hospital then I went back to bed Monday with a Malaria attack. I had 104 fever all day I was awful sick for two days, haven't been eating good all week. I'm not so sure if I'm staying in the army much longer now, I'm not much use to the  army with Malaria. I'll no doubt get these attacks every few months for the rest of my life and there is no cure for it. But I feel OK now and that's all that matters.

                                                                                                Your Son

                                                                                                 Felix

January 19, 1946

Dear Folks

    Just a few lines to let you know I'm getting along alright, and hope this finds you the same.  I asked the doctor this morning what he's going to do with me, and I wish I hadn't ask him, he just said I'm sending you back to duty with 90 days supply of atibrine (can make out the word), that's not so good.

     He said he's sending me back as limited duty and it better be limited duty. I made up my mind I'll shoot the next devil that is fool enough to hand me a rifle. SO HELP ME GOD.   

Not much ever happens here, had a few good shows here this week that's about the only place I go to.

Missing the rest of the letter.

January 22, 1946

Dear Folks

   Just a few lines to let you know I'm still OK and hope this finds you even better. I received your letter this week, also had one from Ben. I wrote one to Harry. I'm going to stop in Wichita next time I go home. The doctor said this morning that I can leave the hospital in a few days. I guess I can come home first, don't know where I'm going next, I have about six more months to do.

    I started taking music lessons yesterday. I can't finish it, but I have nothing to loss, it's free. You know I had the whole hospital in an uproar all week over this perpetual motion car, we were going till after midnight last night.  Nurses, doctors and everybody was talking at once, figuring a way to stop the Dam thing after I get it started. Randolph, from Ohio wants to be my lead salesman. I  had more fun this week then this whole thing is worth. I had to press Randolph's overcoat to get him on my side.                                                                                   

                                                                                            So Long

                                                                                            Felix

I think he is referring to part of this letter. I couldn't find the beginning of the letter and don't have a date

 Page 3 of parcel letter

   That bright eyed kid that sleeps next to me, him and I designed a new kind of car today, it runs by perpetual motion, it generates it's own power, uses no gas. The boys here said we were nuts, said we were looking for a section 8(nut discharge) so we named the car the famous Section 8. This car is so well balanced it turns up side down and it always lands right top side up. It's going to have a motor in every wheel and four wheel steering, you can turn it around on a dime and it'll give back nine cents in change. Other fantastic features are 1. plastic tip, change body paint with a snap of a switch, colors, red, green, yellow. Hydraulic bummers, bump into somebody and she bounces right back. It's build like a (??turtel??) instead of driving around each other, you drive right over it, thus eliminating many traffic accidents.

    Our only set back is the electric motors in the wheels are 40 horsepower, this size motor is about the

size of a gas barrel, I'm going to write to Harry to see if he can't help us ?boil? Can't read the word) it down a little.    

                                                                                         Your Son

                                                                                          Felix

Felix does have a drawing of this car.

January 28, 1946

Dear Folks

    I received you letter dated Jan. 23 and was glad to hear from you. I'm still getting along all right and hope this finds you the same.

   Well they turned my hospital records in and said I would be out of here by the end of this week. But I wouldn't put any money on that, this hospital is closing up next month sometime. They closed up B-5

today and moved us to B-7

    My ward doctor put me in for my overseas furlough but the manger turned it down, I don't know why, I'm going back to Leavenworth for reassignment maybe I can get it them.

    You stated in your letter you don't understand what I mean by them sending me back to duty with a 40 day sully of Adibrine, well it means just this, I have to take one of those dam yellow Adibrine pill a day for the next 90 days to build up my resistance against MALARIA, and I don't like it.

I'm glad to hear you got that money in the bank straighten out, you told me again about that change in name on my bonds, Don't give it a thought it's alright.                                Your Son

                                                                                                                       Felix

January 31, 1946

Dear Folks

    Received your letter today and was glad to hear from you. I'm still here in the hospital and getting along alright. I got a letter from some of the girls and answered most of them.

    I send home a bag of cloths this week. I hope you'll get it. I was issued this stuff in Manila, when we left California we couldn’t take any baggage on that small plane, so when I went home last Nov. 1st, I was given a re-issue, in the mean time this bag came to this hospital by train, I'm not charged for it so I sent it home. I had to send it by express collect. I hope you don't mind.

     I'm sending home my Jan. pay check. I got today, $31.00 goes to you. It's ration money for the 47 days I spend at home.                                                                          Your Son

                                                                                                              Felix

Found no other letters until

April 9, 1946

Dear Folks

     Well we just back from New Orleans this afternoon about 3:00, so I'll write you a few lines about our trip tonight, Sargent just went out so I'm using his typewriter and here is hoping you can read what I write.

    I told you in my last letter that New Orleans is a little over 100 miles from here, well it's more than twice that far, we rode 235 miles in the back of a ¾ ton truck, it was a ride to remember, 470 miles round trip, one good thing we had very nice road all the way. The show was good too, I never saw so many people in one place in all my life, the police had to keep them of the streets so we could get through. We had over 2500 troops in town, some on foot and some on trucks, I was on a truck myself, the poor infantry had to walk over six miles in a most ungodly heat I ever saw, maybe I'm lucky I'm not in it anymore. I took a two hour ride up and down the Miss. River that afternoon on a fairy ship, we got a birds eye view of the town from the ship but there wasn't so much to look at, it's just another city from where I looked at it.

    Well I haven't got any more to say about the south for tonight so I'll close and go to bed. I don't know yet what I'll be doing around here in the days to come, they haven't been doing much so far they say, I hope it stays that way.                                                             So Long Your Son

                                                                                                Felix

April 11, 1946

Dear Folks

    I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you, I'm still OK and here is hoping this finds you the very same.

    Well I got a new and different job in the army now, our mail clerk is getting out of the army in a few

days so I'm taking over his job as battery mail clerk. I started out this morning and I believe I'm going to like it, there is not very much to it, in all I only work about two hours a day. I take the mail over to the Bn. Mail clerk from there he takes care of it, brings back the boys mail and call it out, I have to keep some records and file the daily bulletins and new Army regulations but that doesn't amount to much. Our battery started training this morning but I guess I got out of that, and I'm sure glad of that. I had enough training and besides it's hot down here to be out in the field. I don't like Camp Polk very much I don't know why, but for some reason I just can't like it. Our battery is on high ground with nothing but sand and rock to look at, the nearest grass and trees is so far away, you need field glasses to get a look at it. The nearest town is about ten miles and it's so small if you don't watch to close you don't even notice it when you get there, so the best way I can spend my OFF DUTY time here is go to a movie here on the post,( and that reminds me) slip about five or ten bucks in your next letter, financially I am very bad off, I didn't get paid yet and it's still sometime till next payday.  Only $2.00 stand between me and starvation. Not exaggerating, of course. I forgot to say one thing about his place, which I must not overlook, I have a very nice Commanding Officer (1^st. Lieut. Kimble) and first Sgt. To work with, both are about as nice as they come.

   No did not forget those little yellow pills. I can always get them in the Army for nothing, anytime I need them.

    And now about getting out of the Army, a very interesting thing to talk about, all the men in this outfit with two years of service or over are getting out this month, a personal Officer down here told me I should get out in July or the first of Aug. I wouldn't put any money on that and you better don't either.

                                                                                                                      You Son

                                                                                                                       Felix

April 18, 1946

Dear Folks

    I received your letter today and was glad to hear from you, I also got that Easter greeting and thanks a lot for the ten dollars, I spent my last nickel for a coke last night. These coke machines and theaters are to handy around here, it runs in the money, but what else can a guy do around here to pass a lonesome evening.

    I'm still OK and getting alright with my job as unit mail clerk now that I know how to go about it. Most of our boys are out walking guard right now but I got out of that , since I'm here on temporary duty. I don't have to walk guard or work K.P. They did give me a rifle but I don't have to carry it in fact I don't even have to clean it myself.

    We had a beer party here the other night for the boys of our company that are getting out of the army this week, I could have had a good time if I could drink that stuff like some guys, there was enough beer to float a little ship, as it was I only had one bottle and let it go at that.

    I got an invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Basgall to Victor's wedding April 24, but I don't take thing like that serious enough to go that far just to watch other people have a good time, so here's hoping you'll enjoy it more then I would.                                                                   Your Son

                                                                                                               Felix

April 28

Dear Folks

    I received your letter Saturday morning and was glad to hear from you.

    Well it's Sunday night and I'm feeling fine right now. I had another Malaria fever attack last Friday, it  started about 9:00 in the morning. I had to quite work and go to bed, I was sick all day Friday and Saturday. I still had a slight fever this morning, but I'm over it now and I guess I can go back to work in the morning. This attack wasn't quite as bad as the one I had last Jan. but I was surprised it came back so soon. I took a blood test yesterday and depending on how it comes out now, I might have to start taking those pills again.

     So you still haven't had any rain, we sure had enough down here last week, but it doesn't do much good in this sand, it was windy today and the sand drifted like a snow storm.

     Well I guess I'll make this short and go to bed I'll need a lot of rest for the next few days.

                                                                                             Your Son

                                                                                              Felix

May 5, 1946

Dear Folks

     I received your letter last week and glad to hear from you, I'm still alright and here is hoping this finds you the very same.

    Well it's Sunday evening again, time sure seems to go fast around here, I went to church this morning, also made my Easter confession, another kid and I went to town this afternoon. I was going to get something to send to you on Mother's Day but the stores were all closed, so we came back to camp and went to bed, that's the best place to spend your time off in an Army camp.

    I see in your last letter you where you misunderstood something about me being a prisoner guard, I still got my same job as Mail clerk and expect to keep it, in fact I was promoted to Cpl. Last week as this job calls for a Cpl. rating, it pays $12.00 a month more than Pfc.

    I could get another furlough now, but I don't know If I should take it or not, I guess I'll wait till June or July sometime and see how things look by then. I might even be out of the army by harvest, can't never tell.                                                                            Your Son

                                                                                             Felix

   

May 7, 1946

    I received your letter last week and was glad to hear from you. I'm getting along alright and hope this finds you the same.

    Everything is practically the same down here, most of the boys are out walking guard tonight. I came close to catching it again but we got some new men in last night so I got out of it.

    Our first Sgt. was transferred this morning so we got a new one, I don't know yet what he will be like to work with but I guess he'll be alright. Our company commander went home on a 14 day furlough and some air corp Lt. is taking his place, he's a swell Joe but doesn't know much about running a company, so I guess the Supply Sgt. and I are going to have a lot of work on our hands the next few days getting our two new to kids zeroed in.

     So Pete still wants to buy that motor. I sure don't know what to do, it's an old model and can't expect much for it, yet if you were to buy a new one of it's size it would cost a lot of  money, ask him what it's worth to him, if  he really wants it he'll price it, then maybe we can get together.

    About that money you want to borrow, go right ahead, there's more where it came from, so use as much as you need.                                                                         Your Son

                                                                                                       Felix

May 10, 1946

Dear Folks

    I don't have much to write tonight but I will drop you a few lines to let you know I' still OK. I received your letter this morning and was glad to hear from you.

    I'm in Charge of Quarters tonight and I'm the only one around, the rest of the company is out driving trucks, BLACK OUT DRIVING some know of training I guess. The 1^st. Sgt. didn't go along, he dropped his teeth last night and broke them so he went to the dentist tonight to get them repaired. We don't like our new Sgt. very much, he's alright in some things but he does everything to much the Army way, it's just like being back in training.

    I got three letters from the girls this week from Hays, Timken and Bison. I answered Isabelle’s letter last night, I'll get around to answering the others this week sometime.

    You said in your letter that Harry and Dora are disappointed because I didn't visit them last time. I was at home. Why should they be mad at YOU because I didn't visit them? Just don't give it a thought I DON'T.

                                                                                             Your Son

                                                                                             Felix

May 16, 1946

    I received your letter today and was glad to hear from you, I'm still OK and hope this finds you the very same.

     This week was sure a hard one, nothing but inspections, we had an inspection every morning this week, they got us out of bed at 5:30 to layout our equipment. This morning was the last one a “General Inspection”, there were more officers floating around here then I every saw in my life, and they found something wrong with everything they looked at. I worked like a fool all last week getting our company files and records in shape and it's still not the way they want it, and this new First Sgt. we got here is about the hardest man to work with I ever saw, he gives me something to type out and before I even get it done he wants it changed, he just can't make up his mind what he wants. He has 18 years

in the army and doesn't know anymore about it then I do.

    I sure wish you had some of this rain back home that we had down here the last few days, it rains every morning, that's where this sand comes in handy, it doesn't get muddy.

    About the furlough, I'll have to wait till next month, and then I not so sure if I can get one, We got a lot of new men in the company last week and most of them put in for a furlough go first. I should have put in for one when I first got here, we have 62 men in the company right now, out of these 62 men only 8 can be on furlough at one time, so there isn't much I can do till our last bunch of men come back.

   Well that's about all I can think of tonight so I'll close,  if Pete still wants that motor for $15.00 you can let him have it.                                                                       Your Son

                                                                                                       Felix

May 19, 1946

Dear Folks

    Well it's Sunday night again, since I'm not doing anything I'll drop you a few lines to let you know I'm still alright and hope this finds you the very same.

     I received your package yesterday and THANK YOU ever so  much for it, there is nothing like watching somebody eat sunflower seeds for the first time.

    We had some more rain this morning and an awful wind storm this afternoon, it didn't take long for it to dry off and blow the sand all over the place, it's nice outside right now.

  The 1^st Sgt. Put out a new furlough list week and it's got my name on top, I could take it this month but I still don't know if I should or not, if I don't hear anything about getting out of the army soon, I'll take it right after payday depending on how many day I can get.                     Your Son

                                                                                                                     Felix

May 28, 1946

Dear Folks

    I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you, I'm still alright and here is hoping this finds you the very same.

    Well I see in your letter where you got a little rain, I sure hope it didn't come to late, you might still get a little harvest, let me know in your next letter when you are going to start harvesting, maybe I can be there to help you. I had everything fixed to take my furlough the first part of June but they send an order down last week that all furloughs are restricted till after June 14, we are sending out Telegrams right now to our boys on furlough telling them to be in camp by that time, the army is having a recount of  it's men all over the country, I guess they lost count of just how many men they have in uniform.

    Well I'm still Mail Clerk but I don't have to be in this God-blasted office anymore, I'm in charge of the company's Recreation Hall now, all I have to do is keep the rooms clean and everything else in order. I fixed up one of the rooms today that I'm going to use for a Mail room, that's where I keep the mail and other things concerning the mail.

    Well I guess I'll close for tonight, I didn't write all last week so I'll try to write another letter before next Sunday.                                                                                      Your Son

                                                                                                            Felix

June 2, 1946

Dear Folks

     Just a few lines to let you know I'm still alright and hope this finds you the very same.

    It's Sunday afternoon and it's plenty hot down here today, it's rained all last week and I imagine it will be the same next week.

    Last Friday was payday, I got $34.00 this month and $21.00 travel pay, but I still haven't got furlough rations money. I doubt very much if I ever will get it.

   The 1^st Sgt. put my name on the list now for June 16, that's still two weeks off and there is no telling how many times he'll change it by then.                                  Your Son

                                                                                                Felix

June 9, 1946

Dear Folks

     I received your letter last week sometime and was glad to hear from you.

    Well it's Sunday afternoon again and everything is just like it was a week ago, expect that I got a slight cold right now. I don't know how I got it, I take good care of myself, I guess it's the climate down here, it's almost as bad as it was overseas.  It rains one day, foggy the next and then it's dry and windy.  care of myself, I guess it's the climate down here, it's

    This company had 45 men in it when I came here, we got in some men this week which puts us up to 166 men. I don't like the outfit anymore, I never did like a big outfit.

     Well, there is nothing more to write so I'll close hoping to see you soon.

                                                                                        Your Son

                                                                                         Felix

June 17, 1946

Dear Folks

    I received your letter last week sometime and was glad to hear from you.

    I told you in my last letter that I had a cold again. I thought it was getting better but instead it got me in the hospital, that's where I am now. I went to the hospital to get some medicine but the doctor thought it best for me to stay in here for awhile, he said this morning I can get out about Wednesday.  I feel alright except for my cough, it's just like the one I had last time I was home. If it hadn't been for this I could have been home on furlough by the time you get this letter, I did want to be home for harvest but I guess it's to late now,  even if I did go home I wouldn't be much help.

    The only news I can think of is that it hasn't rained all day, it's cloudy right now and it's misting, a dam good chance if it doesn't rain before midnight.                         Your Son

                                                                                                            Felix

June 21, 1946

Dear Folks

    I just thought I would drop you a few lines to let you know that I got out of the hospital yesterday, I'm back with my outfit and getting along just fine.

    The way things look now I'll be out of the army very shortly, orders came down this week that all men with 21 months service will be out by July 30^th. There are quite a few of us in this outfit, our shipping orders haven't come in yet but we are expecting them in the next few days. I have to go to Leavenworth first. I don't know just how long I'll have to hang around there.

                                                                                    Felix                                                                                                        

Felix's Personal Items Including his Bronze Star

Tag from 35th General Hospital

Magazine Felix Felt Important Enough To Keep

Felix Learned to Draw After the Ware

More of Felix's Drawings

Felix Learned Spanish

Felix Learned Typing (for the manuscript)

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Stamps from Letters

VA Doc Disallowing PTSD Condition

Post War Training Doc

VA Disallowing Benefits

Felix's Little Workshop

The Door to Felix's Shop