Dear Mom + Dad,
Here I am again writing you in the wee hours of the morning. It helps me tremendously to keep awake by writing so all my letter writing has been taking place here in the hospital. Things are a little more livelier tonight than they have been. We have five new cases in fresh from operations and are they a bother. Of course, they are in pain but they sure keep us busy. I gave two of them shots of morphine to make them sleep and ease the pain.
I’m getting accustomed to this hospital work now and it doesn’t bother me quite so much. I still don’t relish it to any great degree but as least it seems a little better than when I first started. I just have no sympathy for the sick and I can’t appreciate how they feel. Perhaps it is in my background for as you know I’ve never been really sick myself. That makes it very hard to understand the psychology of the sick.
I have just finished reading “Long Remember” a story of the Civil War. It was primarily about the town of Gettysburg and the battle that ensured there. It is definitely anti-war propaganda. It shows the vileness and rankness of war even back in Civil War times. It is not the type of book one should read at these times. However, I found it very enlightening and enjoyed it very much. War is sure a strange thing. It seems to bring out everything that is destructive and rotten in the human race. Yet despite all this, and the common knowledge of the fact, very generation seems to be scourged by some war. You can trace history back for years and years and you will find that every generation has faced a war somewhere on the earth. All facts seem to put it as a human instinct. Yet I can’t see how great groups of people can forgo the finer things of life and let the shrouds of war take them unto its fold. I guess my opening sentence on this subject is the only explanation. It is just a strange phenomenon.
I didn’t write the above paragraph in a discouraging tone. It is just something that is hard to explain. I know that I’m in this present war and that later I may see actual conflict. I have no burning desire to go out and kill people. Yet the whole world and the entire of civilization is so involved that there is nothing I can do as an individual to stop it. I sincerely believe that the cause we fight for is right yet it is the method of propagation right? I don’t think so yet it is such a large sociological set up that there is no other way. Well, perhaps some day the world will live in peace. The idea of a lasting world peace has been an idle dream for centuries. Will it ever materialize? Time alone can answer that question. At present I and millions of others have a duty to perform for our country, regardless of whether it’s right or wrong.
While philosophizing on the subject of war, let me delve a little into the present war. The news that is coming in now is more and more encouraging to me. I’m beginning to feel now the end is a lot closer than I dared think a few months ago. The German drive in Russia seems pretty well spent. If the Russians can keep Germany out of Stalingrad the Germans will have suffered a crushing defeat. The Nazis must have those Caucasian oil fields and in order to get them they must get them before winter sets in. The Nazis drive appears to be stopped now and the long hard struggle of supplying their army, so far from home, seems to be tolling on them. I personally think this campaign in Russia is the turning point of the war. From the tremendous toll it has taken on German supplies and men and still they have not conquered their main objective in Russia. It looks to me as we have added up this balance sheet on the credit side.
In the Southern Pacific things are beginning to look a lot better also. The fact that our fleet has gained control of the sea is probably the most vital factor to our eventual success. It seems that the fleet has it pretty well under control as evidenced by a Japanese statement that our fleet is numerically superior now. The answer to the defeat of Japan is the control of the sea so that our supply line can continue uninterrupted. If we can keep the control that we seem to have gained the eventual defeat of Japan is only a question of time.
The question of a second front to me is the most important question of the whole situation. It needs to be opened now and I doubt the Allies will ever get a better opportunity than is offered them now. With a good part of the German army tied up in Russia our landing will be much easier now than after the finish of the Russian campaign when the Nazis will have reshuffled their men to counteract this possible invasion. True it will cost a lot of men and supplies. But if we can get a foothold in France or some coastal district (I have a hunch it might open up in Norway) the victory is more than half won. All in all I’m very well pleased with the way the war has been shaping up lately. I just hope it continues that way.
Now back again to the personal touch. I haven’t received any mail in three days now. This is rather discouraging to me for in the past three weeks I hadn’t missed a day without receiving at least one letter. I guess nobody loves me anymore. It means only one thing though that it will all pile up on me at once and then I’ll have a job of answering them.
Today was supposedly payday but as I told you we didn’t get paid. I’m fairly certain that the “coconuts” will caress my palms about Wednesday. Then a few bucks should make my bank account go up to a new high.
Maneuvers started today but I’ve heard of no developments on them yet. They take place in this area but as they cover so much territory I don’t get to see very much of them. So far we haven’t had any commotion here in the hospital. I hope we don’t both for our sakes and the boys taking part.
I heard today that they are thinking of making this camp into a basic training camp. However, I don’t think that will effect us or any outfit on maneuvers now. This is just the type of place they would make into a basic training camp. A God forsaken place that is not fit for anything but soldiers.
This has been quite a letter. It has given me something to do and I trust you will enjoy a few of my opinions expressed here in. I enjoy writing when I have the time as there is a dearth of activities in my daily life my letters have to be of this type. Be that as it may. I’ll write again tomorrow night.
Love
Bob
Bob
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