8/4/44: The Allies liberate the Italian city of Florence. See: https://maitaly.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/italy-and-wwii-part-3-florence-and-pisa/
8/4/44
Honey:
I don’t know how long I’ll be over here but I’m determined to do some studying while here. Will you get the following for me in the order of precedence indicated:
- Burrington’s Mathematical Tables (a little blue book).
- Higher Mathematics for Engineers & Physicists—Sokolnikoff—McGraww Hill.
- Table of Integrals—B.O. Pierce—Ginn & Co.
You can find #1 in my old books, but #2 & #3 are ones I do not now own.
I spent all of yesterday working on the first chapter of Everitt, & it is obvious my math needs improvement.
In addition I swam for an hour. It was grand. We had a beer ration before supper and a mess meeting. I was elected American Representative on the mess council. It’s about equivalent to being made the honorary member of a whist club.* After supper we charged off to paint the town red. In an hour’s time we had covered all of the night spots and went out along the shore to a little joint. After tasting the wine, I decided salt water** would be an improvement so I swam ¼ mile offshore and floating around in the light of the bright full moon. The only consolation was that I knew would see the same moon 6 hours later and think the same thoughts I did. After ½ hour of floating I came ashore and we all went home.
Toots, this is one place I don’t expect to take you after the war. It is a hell of a hole, and the people are horrible. The only nice people here are from someplace else. The only thing of beauty is the water. I have never seen any so clear. It is nice bathing on rock beaches too, as you don’t get sand all over everything.
That’s all for now. I shall save this until mail comes in.
*“It was late in the nineteenth century when a group of Wilmington business and professional men with an interest in the card game known as “whist” founded the Wilmington Whist Club. … Shortly after its formation, the Wilmington Whist Club joined the American Whist League and members entered area tournaments.” From: https://www.universityandwhistclub.com/About_1
**Various sources indicate that the 12th Air Force HQ was based inland at Bolsena, however the theater command post and staging area for the invasion of Southern France (Operation Dragoon), was located on the island of Corsica. Since Cy mentions swimming in salt water, and since his letter does not indicate a location, I suspect he is on Corsica at this time.
