Pvt. Dorel L. Earley, D Company, 751st Tank Battalion: Letters from the MTO (April 23-May 27,1944)

April 23, 1944

Dear Folks,

I have just received your letter of March 20. The pictures were in it and were swell. How about sending me a few more? Maybe some of those we took before I left. If you could get a small one of Glen, Lois, and me, I would sure appreciate it.

I hope this letter finds you all well and happy, as it leaves me the same.

You have mentioned the dates of letters you have received from me. I know that you are not receiving all of them, because I write two and three times a week. I have not received all that you have written. If I ever get a permanent address, I think the mail situation will be a lot better.

I haven’t received any word from Glen as yet. I hope he is making out alright. I feel pretty sure this war will come to a phocus [?] before he ever has to leave the states.

I’m glad June was able to come down for a visit. It probably did you a lot of good to see her again. I’ll bet Bernice’s husband has it tough. Most fellows in the Air Corp do!

A favor I would like to ask. Would you please send me a good fountain pen. Also two good pipes. I have asked you before, but you never said anything about it.

So neither Darrell or Sylvin could pass the physical. That’s really to [sic] bad. Those are two people I really would have liked to have seen in the Army.

Mom I wish you would take one of the allotment checks, and buy a nice gift for the baby. Spend forty or fifty dollars for something real nice. Joyce is really a brick. I’m proud as hell of her. Will you do that? Thanks.

Your Air Mail letter was swell. I wish you could write letters instead of V-mail. A V-mail just makes a guy mad. There is not enough in them.

So long for now, and keep the letters coming. I will write as often as possible.

Your loving son,

Dorel

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May 2, 1944

Italy

Dear Folks,

A few lines today to let you know I am feeling fine, and hope this letter finds you all the same.

It has been a long time since I received any letters from you, but I guess maybe some day they will catch up with me.

It has turned into summer weather here. Hot as hell. I guess at home it is the same way now.

I’m receiving a few letters from Joyce, and she says she is making out alright. I certainly hope she is, and not just telling me this.

Grant never writes me any letters. I guess he must be a pretty busy boy.

Mom if you can get me some good chocolates please send them. I am getting hungary [sic] for some.

We were issued a bottle of beer yesterday. It was the first I had since I left the States, and boy it was really good.

I’ll close now hoping to hear from you real soon.

Love

Dorel

P.S.

Let’s have a couple of letters from you Dad. How about it.

D.

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Dear Folks,

May 7, 1944

A few lines today to let you know I am fine, and hope this letter finds you all the same.

I received a letter wrote by you pappy. So you finally decided to shake that rusty old arm loose and write. Well I can certainly say I was glad to hear from you. It has been a long time since you wrote, and I hope it isn’t as long to the next one.

Well, well, so Ken bought an Ice Cream parlour. He must be making plenty of money. He better stay at Consolidated, because you can tell him for me that he wouldn’t like the Army.

Well Dad you asked me about the Italians, and their reaction to the Yanks. The people seem to treat us alright. They don’t make much money, and I guess they never did. Anyhow you know a American kid throws his money around. Well they have seen all this so they charge big prices for everything. In other words the Yanks are suckers as far as their [sic] concerned. The girls might be alright except they are all diseased. I can’t tell you any more about them, because I don’t mess with them. It doesn’t pay. There is a lot of fellows here that are sorry they messed around with them. All in all though Italy could be a nice country in peace time.

Mom hows chances of making me a brick of home made fudge? Boy if you would I would really appreciate it. If you do be sure to leave it in a brick, because if you cut it in pieces before you send it, it will probably be all moldy by the time it gets here.

I can’t think of anything more to tell you, so I will sign off. Write soon, and often.

Love

Dorel

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Dearest Folks,

May 9, 44

I received your swell letter today, and was certainly glad to hear from you. I am in the best of health, and getting along fine. I hope the same is with you all at home.

I’m glad to hear you are having such fine weather at home. It is O.K. here, but just a shade hot. Sounds just like me, huh. Never satisfied.

I finally received a few lines from Glen the other day. He doesn’t seem too enthused over Ft. Knox. It might be tough there, and all that, but it isn’t as tough as he thought it was going to be. Ft. Knox is a very fine post, but I guess he won’t realize it till he goes to another. It was too bad he couldn’t get in the Air Corp. All I can say is he is a lot better off on the ground. The Air Force is playing a big role in this war. He must be quite in love with this girl. The sucker.

Donna must be settled by now. By the sound of her letters she is very happy. I guess that is one match that will really stick.

How’s rationing? I hope it doesn’t hit you very hard. How’s the car Dad? I’ll bet you are really getting to be a master at driving, now that I’m not there to drive for you. Ha ha.

Well nothing else to say so will sign off.

Love

Dorel

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Dear Folks,

May 16, 1944

Just a few lines to let you know I am well, and happy. Hope everything is the same with all of you. I received a few letters from you today. A couple of them were to this address, and mailed the 6^th of May. I was really glad to hear from you.

Dad the 2 letters you wrote were swell. About the eggs that were sent to Italy. Yes we had some, and they were really a treat after eating powdered eggs for so long. Say what’s the matter with Frank, can’t he make up his mind about where he wants to work? I was surprised to hear that Gene is at Consair. Is that the station was going to be a good deal? That inventory at the plant sounded like a lot of work, but at least when you are doing it that is something, or have things changed since I worked there? Glad to hear you are feeling better, your letters really indicate that you are yourself. [unreadable] you to be sure to get F.D.R. reelected. Ha ha. Really though the old boy has really done a fine job since he has been in. About the knife. If anytime you can’t get what I ask for, don’t worry about it. You guys have been swell about getting me what I ask for. A small or big pocket knife it don’t matter, so long as I can get it in my pocket. Dad, I’m afraid I won’t be able to take any photos for awhile, if I ever get a pass I will try my darndest to get one taken. I really feel ashamed of myself for not having one taken while I was still in the States. I guess I will never get over that habit of putting things off. I think I told you in another letter that I received your pictures you sent, but maybe you didn’t get that one. I was sure surprised when you said you had never been to Mt. Helix before. As you say I haven’t received all your letters, so the news that you tell me is really news.

That was a swell Easter card, and the poem was really O.K. Who typed it?

I’m sure glad Joyce is making out alright. Your suggestion of me helping her out is O.K. with me. I have already mentioned it to her, so if she doesn’t ask about it your remind her about it. I am perfectly glad and happy to let her have all that I have got. I feel like she is a little my responsibility now. Treat her good folks she really deserves it. Tell Joyce to keep the camera. I didn’t know they had it or I never would have asked for it. I would probably only get in trouble with the censors if I had it anyway.

Your letters are really a help to me so keep them coming. I’ll write as often as possible.

Love

Dorel

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Dear folks,

May 21, 1944

I received a couple of letters from you yesterday so I will drop a few lines today to answer them.

I am feeling fine and getting along O.K. Hope everything is the same with you at home.

Your package arrived with the pen + lighter in it. The cookies + candies was swell, but pretty well squashed. This is the pen I am writing this letter with. I had hoped you could get me a [unreadable], or something as good, but if they are not available, this will have to do. You better try to hook me up another one and send it as I’m afraid this one won’t last very long. These are good little cigarette lighters, but they don’t stand up. Maybe you could get me an “Evans” or a “Ronson” lighter, you could send it with the pen. As you probably have guessed money doesn’t mean a damn thing over here. So if you have to spend quite a bit to get these things, go ahead. I don’t expect you to spend your money on these things. Cash one of my checks and use it. Anything you try to buy over here costs you about ten times what it would it the States, so you see it is really a lot cheaper for to send for it. Don’t get me wrong and think I don’t appreciate the pen + lighter. For the past couple of months I have had to borrow a pen even to write home.

I’m glad you finally got that old arm loosened up Pappy. Your letters sound like the real goods now. How do you get along with Joyce’s folks? By the sound you are taking them to church and all. What kind of people are they, regular old ‘Swedes?” Yes I still here [sic] from Grant once in awhile. He tells me they are putting him on a wholesale route. That ought to be pretty good for him. He never mentions his leg to me. I hope that his work don’t ruin it. So Frank went back to Consair. He is just about as bad as me for jumping around. How about it Dad. I’ll bet Velma is getting pretty disgusted. Say by the way when Aunt Leone comes down have her write me a letter. I would really like to hear from her. That new equipment you mentioned really sounds like great stuff. Hope they keep up the good work.

I can just see you Mom rushing around trying to keep busy. I guess you will never change. When I get back I’m going to set you down in a chair and not let you get up for anything except to cook me a good meal. I’m not even going to let you paint any windows or make and [sic] rugs. You might as well start practicing up, because you will have to get used to it.

I’m glad Ken decided to build airplanes for the duration, cause if he didn’t we would go round and round when I got back. Thank Ray for the offer of candy + gum, but I don’t want any. If you know what I mean. I’m sorry Mom, but that’s the way I still feel.

I always knew Lois would be a good looking little gal. Glad to hear she is so popular. I haven’t heard from her in quite awhile so tell her to write.

I can think of no more to say so I will close for now hoping to hear from you now + often.

Lots of love

Dorel

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* Note: this heartbreaking letter was Dorel Earley's last; he was killed in action the next day, May 28, 1944, in the Italian town of Valletri, just south of Rome. 

Dear folks,   

May 27, 1944

Just a few lines today to let you know I am feeling fine. Hope you are all feeling the same.

I am now starting to receive all of your mail. Really glad to hear from you. As to your idea of writing a few V-mail I do not like it. I would just about as soon not receive any mail as get them. You will probably think I am a hell of a grouch, but it is just that I don’t like them.

So you are still listening to “The Lone Ranger.” When are you going to grow up? Why don’t you start listening to ‘Little Orphan Annie” or something like that. No kidding though, you mentioning those programs really brought back fond memories. Every so often we get to hear some good music, but not very often. What is some of the popular numbers? I’ll bet they have some humdingers now.

Here is a request I would like you to consider. Who are all these friends Lois has? Do you know them? If you don’t I would suggest that you look into their character. A lot of those kids away from home don’t know what the score is, and don’t care.

You ask me to fill up my sheets more. Well I can’t tell you what I do, because everything I do is censored. As to those evenings off, I don’t get any evenings off. We are here for a different purpose than that. This life is no fun, but there is no use bitching about it.

I’ll write as often as possible, so if you don’t here [sic], don’t worry. Keep writing.

Love,

Dorel

P.S. The news ought to sound pretty good now.