Tag: Christmas

1943 November 29 “How about a date for next Christmas?”

11/29/43 Mission:

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force):
   B-25's bomb Sarajevo, Yugoslavia and road and rail bridges at Giulianova, Italy. US, South African Air Force (SAAF), and RAF light bombers hit enemy strongpoints at San Vito Chietino and the Castelfrentano-Lanciano-Fossacesia areas; Allied fighter-bombers bomb enemy forward positions around Fossacesia and Lanciano of Italy.

11/29/43 V-Mail, Italy
Marfy:
What a dull life without you.
We made BBC on one of our recent picnics. Rather easy as Jerry didn’t argue—much. The first two Squadrons (mine was number 1) had a bit of luck and knocked out all of the ack-ack, and the others just plastered hell out of the little cocks.
Hey, Baby, the package from Manoir Nat House* came yesterday. We are eating half of everything that we got and saving the rest for Christmas. Boy, were they good! I also got about a week’s worth of newspapers. I hope your pictures get here soon. My morale needs a nice feminine boost to balance it out.
It’s funny, kitten, I’m not homesick a damn bit. I want you more than anything in the world, but I don’t care where I am when I have you. I guess it is because I have never lived in one place long enough to acquire a sentimental attachment. This trip over here has complicated my planning to no end. Now, in addition to all of the other things we have to do, we have to visit five continents. The only way I can see to do the job right is to get a job which will require it.
Honey, after you get rested from your trip, why don’t you take a couple of courses in school? Don’t load down, but pick out some sociology, elementary psych, and French. I’m very anxious for you to acquire a working knowledge of conversational French.
Merry Christmas, little girl. Sorry I can’t be there to help you trim our tree! How about a date for next Christmas? All my love.
Your brat, Cy.

*I couldn’t find information on this company, but I assume it is a packaged food/mail order operation, perhaps like “Harry & David”.

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1943 December 26 “I’m still in the hospital”

12/20/43:

MEDITERRANEAN ALLIED AIR FORCE (MAAF):
   The MAAF is established, retroactive to 10 Dec 43. Commanded by Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder (RAF), MAAF is comprised of all Allied air elements (RAF, USAAF, French, and other) which are operating in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). These elements previously were part of the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) and Northwest African Air Force (NAAF), which are disbanded. US Army Air Forces, North African Theater of Operations (USAAFNATO) is established with General Carl Spaatz as commander, to facilitate administration of AAF units of the Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces.

12/21/43:

TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force):
   Lieutenant General John K Cannon takes command. In Italy, B-25's bomb
Terracina; P-40's hit the same target and also bomb positions and munitions factory S of Sant' Elia Fiumerapido; A-36's bomb positions, a fuel dump, and munitions factory in the Cervaro area, and hit trains, a seaplane base, a radar station, trucks, and other targets in the Rome-Civitavecchia area.

12/26/43:  Pacific—US launches full assault on New Britain in the Solomon Islands.  For the complete story see: http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_dexterity_new_britain.html

 12/26/43, Italy

Hi Toots:

Where in hell are you now?  I’m still in the hospital.

I had quite a time yesterday.  I got out at 3 PM and went out to the field.  The lads are actually living in barracks—concrete ones at that.

As a surprise, Ed had Porky Tarrant, Arlie Henry, Chuck Cassidy, Jay Stout, and Chocolate there!  God, it was good to be with all of them again.  It made it a real Christmas.

Chuck hasn’t changed a bit, still talks about his father and brothers.  He says his father drafted the two remaining boys and then resigned as president of the draft board!

Arlie got a rough deal from friend Chaiers [?] and considers himself lucky to be out of the 27th.

They are still kidding Jay about being smaller than Dusty Rawick.  Contrary to earlier reports, Porky is still swell, even if a Lt-Col, and recently awarded DFC by no less than #1 CG of the Army Air Force.

Ed got the same deal I did, having been taken out of Grp Ops to straighten out a squadron which went astray.

Honey, there are no friends like old ones.  I have no idea what we had for dinner, but was the best meal I’ve had in the theater.

I’ll be damned!  Dave Thomas just walked in the door to see me.  Well, be good, snooky.  I love hell out of you,  Cy.

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