Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

Oct. 1, 1944
Oct 28 1944 (stamped)
Europe
you know

Dear Mom,

Just to let you know that I am well and happy that all of you at home are the same.

I am enclosing a money order for whatever purpose you want to put it to.

It has been raining and cold here for the last two weeks and it makes one really miserable as it seems you never can get dried out. We are all hoping for the sun to come out and stay.

I would like a medium lite weight sweater (pull over) a kakhi color also wool mittens if possible as I think we are in for a cold winter.

I am writing this in a damp, dark and cold pullbox and it is not like being in the parlor near a radiator.

I haven’t heard from Humpy for a long while. Have his folks heard from him?

Not much else to write that is new so my best regards to all at home and take care of yourself.

As ever

Love Louie

P.S. Mom how about a box? Tuna, anchovies and stuff like that? You asked for it and so I am asking you.

[back]

Part of request sent
Oct 28/44
R. C N

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Cohen & Rotblat
Men’s Clothiers
671 Main Street
Willimantic – Connecticut
c/o W. Kronenberg
Oct. 7, 1944
Germany Oct 19 1944 (postmarked)

Dear Mom,

Received your letters and am very sorry about the frequency of my mail to you. I’ll try to do better but you know that being constantly on the move means time not available for writing. I am well and happy to learn that all of you at home are and also that you had a nice Holiday season. I had no chance of going to Shul so will have to make up for it next year, God willing.

We have just had some terribly cold and rainy weather and today for the first time the sun is out and it has turned nice and mild.

Yesterday I had a real treat. I took a hot shower outdoors. It was the second one since I left England and believe me I really enjoyed it. Don’t get the impression that I didn’t wash myself the reset of the time. I did and always out of a helmet of cold water so you can realize the beauty of a hot shower. I hope I don’t have to wait that long for the next one.

As you can see, where I am at present I am not in a friendly country. Going from one place where the people came out and greeted you in old ways to a place where sullen looks and destroyed villages are the curtains (?) is like going from a hot to a cold shower. It is what we expected and yet when we came upon it it is hard to take because we all know and believe that we are in the right. It will take a lot of hard, cruel fighting and work to convince some people that they are the ones who are in the wrong. We all hope that that will be soon.

Tell the gang I’ll write them again quite soon and also that I am happy to hear from them as often as possible.

Not much else to write so take care of yourself and as I wrote above, I’ll try to write as often as I can. Regards to all Love Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Germany
Oct. 8, 1944
Oct 9 1944 (postmarked)

Dear Mom,

Received your letter of this 26th of Sept and glad to learn that all of you at home are well. I am O.K. and everything is fine here.

I am sorry to hear about Normie Prague (?) and I hope that by the time this letter gets home that his folks have good news about him.

We had quite a cold spell here and I have had on about a ton of clothing and still was cold. Now it has warmed up and also we got heavy underwear, overcoat and articles and so it hasn’t been bad.

I think I asked you for woolen mittens if it isn’t too late see that they are the one finger type as they will be more usefull. Also see that the scarf is a good long one as it needs to be to wrap around my big neck.

I am sorry to learn that Grants(?) are giving us a little competition but I know that Ellie will be able to take care of it without too much trouble. People still want good things and Chain stores will always have to fight the idea of their being only cheap stores.

Tell Ellie to get a boy in the store room as it doesn’t pay to tie yourself down because it isn’t worth it and also if he gets one now he will be a bigger help about Christmas time.

Not much else to write don’t think that I don’t write as often as possible because I do. Regards to Ellie and the up-stairs dept. Take good care of yourself.
As always Love Louie

V-MAIL
Oct 8, 1944 Germany
Dear Helen

Just a few lines to let you know I am well and have been reading your mail regularly and am happy to learn you are all well at home.

I haven’t much to say about this country as yet as I haven’t seen too much of it. The grass is green here as it is anywhere else and there is plenty of it. I’d swap it all for any little spot back home.

Am glad that Henry had a good trip and hope it continues that way for him. I also hope you are rid of your painters and call your home your own. Not much else to write so my regards to all. As ever. Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

Oct. 12, 1944
Oct 14 1944 (post-marked)
Dear Mom,

Have just received your letter of Oct 2 which isn’t too bad for delivery. I am glad to learn that all of you are well and that things are going along so nicely. I am still in the same place and am fine as is everything else.

Am living in a large forest and tho the sun does come out once in a while it is hard to get any warmth out of it so dense is the wood here.

Action is quiet here and for the present we have been having it a bit easier, tho during times like that supply usually is busy getting and fitting men with new clothes, shoes, equipment and ammunition. So you can see that we can’t let down too much.

How is the stoker? Did you have it checked for the winter? Also how about the building.

I am glad to learn that a few boys are getting back and coming into the store. It should be a good sign of what we can expect when they all start to come home. By that time I hope I am able to be there and wait on them myself.

How is the kids shop doing? It is behind last year’s figures? I hope not too much.

I guess you had a nice time with Rose and the kids home for a few days.

Mail from the gang keeps coming along nicely and I in turn have been able to write them a bunch of times.

Not much else to say so give my best regards to all the family and the folks.

Take care of yourself Love Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Germany
Oct. 14, 1944
Oct 16, 1944 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

I just received your package mailed on the 12th of Aug so you can now see why I didn’t write saying that I had received it. Everything in it was swell. All the boys who were lucky had a piece of your fruitcake and they all were unanimous in saying it was delicious. I was lucky to get a piece for myself and they are absolutely right in what they said.

However, any packages from now on don’t bother to put in any toilet articles as we receive plenty of them as a regular ration and there is no need of wasting room with soap and other articles. Just believe I wrote that I haven’t had a bath in two months don’t think it was for the lack of soap.

Everything here is great and there isn’t much new to tell you.

I’ll write again soon my best to Ellie and the rest of the gang. Take care of yourself. Love Louie

V-MAIL
Oct 14, 1944
Dear Helen

Just to inform you that all is well and that I am OK. Glad to learn that all of you at home are also in good health. Weather here is very miserable. Gold and raining. If we had good weather I know that we could make good strides toward bringing this damned war to an end. However the old saw about the weather still holds time and man can do nothing about it.

From the way things look all celebrations will have to be put off for a New Year homecoming. Not much else to say at this time. Best regards to Henry and the children. Yours Louie.

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

Oct. 19, 1944
(same place)
Dear Mom,

Just a few lines to tell you that I am well and that things are O.K.

Today is I think, the 37th day in a row that it has rained all day or during the day and we all look an feel like the chickens must have felt that we used to have when we were kids.

Those stockings you are sending have certainly done a lot of traveling. From home to England back to Kansas City, to home and now back here. That’s a lot of miles isn’t it?

From all reports I will be getting a brunch of tuna fish and I am looking forward to it as I have almost forgotten what it tastes like.

I haven’t much to tell you about this place here as we are in a large forest an because of the weather haven’t been moving too much.

Not much else to tell you know is give my regards to all the gang at home and take good care of yourself. As ever Love Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

Oct. 22, 1944
Oct 23 1944 (post-marked)
Dear Mom,

Have been very glad to get your mail and happy to learn that all of you at home are well. I am O.K. and everything is going along as well as it can under conditions.

It is still raining here and we have given up hope of it stopping. Am looking forward to all your packages and expect to throw a big party with all the things you’re sending. How is business? I hope it is continuing to show good improvement. Also how are the factories going? Have they started to lay off a lot of people yet?

Not much else to write as nothing new has happened that you don’t already know from the papers.

Best to Ellie and the rest of the folks. Take care of yourself Love Louie

V-MAIL
Oct 22, 1944
Dear Helen

Just a few lines to tell that I am OK and that things are going along smoothly. Glad to hear that all of you in Red Bank are fine also.

Weather here has slowed us down greatly and yesterday was the first in a long while that it didn’t rain for which we are quite thankful. However it is now raining and so we have had our share of good weather. With things popping in the Far East who can tell but maybe the damn thing will burst in everyone’s face and get finished. My regards to Henry and the Kids. Yours as ever. Louie

American Armed Forces
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

Oct 25 1944
Oct 26 1944 (postmarked)

Dear Mom,
Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and glad to learn that all of you are well at home.

We are in a pretty quiet spot here compared to some we have been in before.

We have been able to get showers and go to the movies and tho they are old films we still get a kick out of them.

Have Humpy’s folks heard from him lately? I hope they have. Otherwise what’s the news gossip or dirt from home?

I really haven’t much to write about as for over a month we have been stuck in a large forest and thus haven’t seen much other than a lot of trees.

Give my best regards to everyone at home. I’ll write again soon. Take care of yourself. Love Louie

American Armed Forces
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Yes
Oct 28 1944
Oct 29 1944 (postmarked)

Dear Mom,

Just received your V! of the 12th and glad to learn that all of you are well. I was especially happy to learn that Ellie had sold one of the dogs. I hope his good luck continues with the old bastards especially at the price he got for that one.

Things here are great and so I have had a bit more time to myself.

Some of the boys are getting to go back to Paris for a couple of days but I am afraid that my luck won’t hold when it comes to getting a break like that.

From that letter I gathered you were going on a bit of a travel spree. I hope you did and also that you had a nice time.

Weather here has been a bit milder and so that has made it quite a bit easier to take.

Not much else to say at this time. Regards to all the folks. Take care of yourself Love Louie

V-MAIL
Oct 28th 1944
Dear Helen:

Happy to learn that all of you are well and that your house is now open for inspection. I am only sorry that I can’t be there to put in my “my isn’t it beautiful” but imagine you already had Mom down to take care of that.

Things are nice and quiet here but we do get pepped up listening to the Robot bombs going over. They sound like a ten ton tank with a couple of sparkplugs on the bum. As long as we can hear them going over that’s what counts.

Not much else to write that is new. My best to Henry and the Children and yourself. Yours Louie

Oct. 31, 1944
Europe

Dear Mom,

Received your letter of the 16th and happy to learn that all at home are well. I am fine and everything is going along as well as can be expected.

Weather here has been spotty. Cloudy, musty and a bit of rain tho not to cold. I am looking forward to getting the mittens you are making. I know that I will be very glad to have them as I think we are in for a good cold winter.

I wrote Mayo the other day and am expecting a reply from him before long. As yet I haven’t heard from Humpy R in quite some time. I hope he is well.

I haven’t much to write as to what is happeing as you can get more from the newspapers than I can tell you. Right now tho things are quiet for which we are all thankful.

Hope business is still good if not better. Also with the kids store. Regards to Ellie, his wife and the upstairs tenants.

Take care of yourself. Love Louie