9/15/44 V-Mail, Corsica
Hi Toots:
HERE I AM BACK AT THE OLD HEADQUARTERS [NAPLES] ON A TRIP. I HAVE HAD A LOT OF TRAVELING TO DO RECENTLY AND MY LITTLE AIR MATTRESS SURE LOOKS BETTER THAN THE SORT OF ACCOMMODATIONS PROVIDED FOR TRANSIENT OFFICERS—A COT AND ONE BLANKET.
I HAD DINNER WITH THE VULCANOS A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO. I HADN’T SEEN POP FOR SIX MONTHS, AS EVERY TIME HE GOT TO TOWN, I COULDN’T. WHEN HE CAME IN, PUPA’S FIANCE WAS ALSO THERE, BUT POP DIDN’T EVEN SEE HIM. HE CAME OVER AND WE HAD A LONG BULL SESSION. MOMMA EVENTUALLY TAPPED HIM ON THE SHOULDER AND WHISPERED TO HIM THAT IT WAS ABOUT TIME HE SPOKE WITH THE YOUNG HOPEFUL, SO HE DID—SAID “HELLO,” AND STARTED IN WHERE HE HAD LEFT OFF. THE GIRLS, WHO DIDN’T CARE FOR THE ONE AND ONLY, WERE QUITE AMUSED.
JOHNNY HULL, ONE OF THE MAJORS I’VE WORKED WITH ONCE IN A WHILE, IS ON HIS WAY HOME. HE IS GOING TO TRY TO CALL YOU, BUT SINCE HE WON’T GET MUCH CLOSER THAN TO CHICAGO THAN NEW YORK, HE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH.
MY POSITION SEEMS TO BE VERY SOLID ALL AROUND. DUE PROBABLY TO MY OWN BIG MOUTH, AS I HAVEN’T DONE ENOUGH WORK TO DEMONSTRATE IT, I HAVE RE-ACQUIRED A REPUTATION FOR ENGINEERING SAGACITY. PEOPLE SURE DO GET FOOLED BY A LIBRARY. I’LL BET I COULD BUY A BUNCH OF BOOKS ON OBSTETRICS AND BE KNOWN AS A FORMER VERY GOOD BABY SPECIALIST BEFORE A MONTH HAD ELAPSED, EVEN I DIDN’T EVER OPEN A BOOK.
EVERITT IS COMING ALONG SLOWLY, BUT I AM MUCH MORE IN THE SWING THAN I WAS. MY LACK OF A MATH HANDBOOK SEEMS TO BE THE BIG PROBLEM, AS THERE IS A LOT OF MATH THEORY I HAVEN’T QUITE FORGOTTEN, BUT MUST SPEND HOURS DIGGING OUT.
PERRY AND I WENT TO THE SHOW LAST NIGHT AND SAW “HAIL, THE CONQUERING HERO.” IT WAS SORT OF STUPID IN A WAY, BUT OTHERWISE NOT TOO BAD. THERE WAS QUITE A STRONG REACTION WHEN THE MARINE SGT. SUGGESTED TO THE LAD GIVEN A MEDICAL DISCHARGE FROM THE MARINES THAT HE TRY THE ARMY AIR FORCE, AS THEY TOOK ANYTHING. TONIGHT WE ARE GOING TO SEE KATHARINE CORNELL IN A STAGE PRODUCTION OF “THE BARETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET.”
AS YOU CAN PLAINLY SEE, I’M GETTING FARTHER AND FARTHER FROM THE WAR. UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THERE ARE ANY PEOPLE AROUND WHO HAVEN’T SEEN AS MUCH OF IT, LITTLE AS THAT WAS, AS I, I DON’T BELIEVE I SHALL VOLUNTEER FOR ANYTHING. OF COURSE, THAT OLD PISS AND VINEGAR REALLY BOILS WHEN I SEE SOME OF THESE NEW SHIPS GOING OUT, AND I MAY FORGET ALL OF MY “SENSIBLE” RESOLUTIONS SOMEDAY. BUT IT LOOKS NOW LIKE I AM DEVELOPING AN INTERESTING JOB, WHICH WILL KEEP ME BUSY FOR A WHILE.
ALTHOUGH MANY CHANGES WILL BE MADE IN UNITS HERE, IT LOOKS LIKE I, AS AN INDIVIDUAL, WILL PROBABLY FOLLOW IN TOM’S FOOTSTEPS. DON’T LET IT THROW YOU IF I DO, FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS ARE THE HARDEST.
KEEP ME POSTED HONEY—YOU’RE VERY SWEET AND
I LOVE YOU, CY
9/15/44 Corisca [#2]
Hi Toots:
So you’re lonesome. Well, keep busy—it helps. When I go to see Katharine Cornell in person, I’m really a far piece from the war. She, Brian Aherne, and McKay Morris turned in the three best performances I’ve ever seen. The play was far better, and different, than the movie.
The enclosure is a rather poor picture of Lilliana, second oldest of the Vulcanos. She insists I send it, and I shall try to get pictures of the whole family eventually. I have a swell picture of Gozlands.
There’s a big discussion going on, so I shall close. Too many people are asking questions. Love & Kisses, Cy.
[P.S.] Kitchen table sounds good.
Hey! I have these math tables. Burrington’s is the one I want. If you have not sent it please do. And it is a blue book.
Ed Bland is ok I shouldn’t worry. I think Jane may be down to earth now. Glad you heard from Bob Fleet. Mom is quite a fine character—I shall write her again.
Heard this one. It is a quick listing of Shakespeare’s plays—Wet, Dry, 3 inch, 6 inch, and 9 inch. There’s a story goes with it but translation is (in same order) Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Much ado about nothing, As you like it, and Taming of the Shrew.