June 5, 1942

Dear Ma,
    
It has been six whole months since the last time I saw you and I don’t know when I’ll see you again. Ever since I’ve been here the enemy’s gunfire seems like it will never stop. We’ve already lost eight good men and we are holdin’ a memorial service on Saturday for them. I’ve seen some planes fly by but they never did nothing’, so I’m guessin’ they were spy planes.

I haven’t seen much action yet but I’ve had to treat many wounded men. Oh yeah! Thanks for showin’ me how to treat gashes after I fell into that ravine when I was a kid, bein’ a medic may be the one thing that saves my life durin’ this war.

Some days I don’t know if we are fightin’ the Germans or Japs. Tomorrow, we will be meetin’ up with a British Special Forces unit. The commander told me that they know this place as well as the Nazis, which has me worried that they are Nazis in disguise. We tried workin’ with the Russians but none of us really trusted them, they seemed awful shady.

If I am to die in this place, please make sure you take good care of my little girl Beatrice. Ever since her mother Erika died of polio two months ago I feel like she doesn’t understand what’s happenin’. I have a great sense of regret for volunteerin’ to come here, but I know in my heart it was what I had to do. I know most of it is that I wasn’t there for Erika when she died and that the last real words I said to her was “Off to win the war!”

How’s Pa doin’? Is he still smokin’ that pipe even after the doc said it’ll kill ’em? Well, send him my best.

Your lovin’ son,
John