Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
France
Aug. 6, 1944
Aug 8 1944 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and that everything is O.K. I am happy to learn that all of you at home are well and enjoying a nice warm summer.

The last few days here have been quite hot. It is the first time since being in Europe that the weather gets anything like ours back home. At night tho it turns quite cold and makes for good sleeping.

As you read in the papers we are getting to see more of France and yet it all looks the same. Plenty of farms and all kinds of animals. All the towns we have seen so far are all knocked out and yet if they weren’t they still couldn’t be very large.

We are all hoping to see the end of this damn thing before long. The way the Russians on the east and we on the west are going it is hard to figure out why that maniac is still fighting.

Not much else to write now, say best regards to all the gang and to you take good care of yourself. As always Love Louie

V-MAIL
8/7/44
Dear Helen:

Have received your recent letters and am glad to learn that you are all well even tho it does get quite hot.

I am well and it gets quite hot here but in a different sense.

Things are as usual fighting, moving and then fighting again. We are getting to be a nomadic army without violins like the gypsies.

How is Henry? I suppose he is very busy with his next spring line. I’d like to be able to see that line when he opens it up.

Not much else to write so give them all my best and keep up the letters.
Yours, Louie.

V-MAIL
8/9/44
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
France
Dear Mom,

Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and that everything is going along fine here.

By the time you get this you will probably be back home after visiting the girls. I am sure you will have had a good time but I know that you will be glad to get back home to take it easy.

I haven’t much to write as it is now becoming an old story as to what we are doing and as to what is going on.

The next big event is being looked forward to and that is when this thing will be over.

I am glad that Ellie’s wife was in for a few days. It must have been nice for all of you. Give my regards to everyone and as I always say take care of yourself. Love Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
France
Aug. 15, 1944
Aug 16 1944 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

Have just received your letter written in Red Bank and so suppose you have returned home by now. I hope you enjoyed yourself a nice visit at the girls’ but I’ll bet you are happy to be home at last.

I am very well and all is going O.K. here.

It has been quite warm here the last few days but it hasn’t been bad as it was the first taste of summer weather so far this year.

This is a beautiful section of the country and it gets prettier as we go along. The people really are very happy to see us and now we can begin to see the results of the underground. Many young men are coming up to us and ask to be taken as soldiers. We feed clothe and arm them and now we can begin to see that the real spirit of France is far from being beaten tho badly crushed. It’s things like that that make it easier to understand what we are doing way over here.

Not much else to write at this time so here’s best of regards to all at home and as for yourself, have a good rest as long as you have finished your vacation and take good care of yourself. Love Louie

V-MAIL
8/18/44
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

Dear Mom,

Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and that everything is O.K. here. I am happy to learn that all of you at home are well.

I am sending home about sixty dollars which was accumulated from two months pay. Do with it as you please.

We are still touring France and still living in the woods. It might be a good healthy life but I am about ready for a bit of city life and customs. If things keep going as they are I can’t see how it will be too long before we all can get back to living and doing as we see fit.

Not much else to say at this time. My best regards to all and take care of yourself Love Louie.

V-MAIL
8/18/44
Dear Helen:

The only crabs I’ve seen so far in France are not the eating variety and so your last letter did not make me want for any steamed, boiled or otherwise.

Am still in Normandy and before long hope to get to Paris and see a little of the city side of life in the French manner. I have now become an authority in the Gaulic state of affairs in this sad land and the small towns I have gone thru weren’t very much different from living in a metropolis like Eagleville. And, speaking of it, I’d like to be there right now.

Weather here has been beautiful and if it weren’t for the war a person could spend a little time in this section of France and enjoy these old Norman buildings.

That’s all for now in this travelogue series so my best to Henry and the kids and by the way I am fine. Yours Louie.

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
France
Aug 23, 1944
Dear Mom,

I am glad to learn that you had such a nice time with the girls on your trip away from home. I am well and everything is going along very nicely.

I received a letter from both Henry Rothblat and Mayo Cohen and they are both in good health.

We are as you already know making good strides in seeing France and at the rate we are going I am beginning to think of studying a bit of German as it doesn’t seem too long before I will have an opportunity of using some of that language.

Next Sunday being my birthday, I would like to spend it seeing a few of the sights of Paris. From what we hear and read it has been declared an open city and so whatever the Germans haven’t destroyed or taken will be worth seeing.

So far all I have seen of France is the country and farms and tho it is very pretty country a person can get fed up with green grass after a while. I am now open for a bit of paved streets and whatever else goes to making city life. I guess the same holds true for all of the men in the army.

How is business? I am anxiously awaiting Ellie’s letter with all the dope as to what has taken place in the stores. I hope that conditions are still good and that my place has continued to pick up.

I have written all the family within the last few days and so have caught up with my letter writing.

Not much else to tell you at this time I give my regards to everyone and take good care of yourself.
Love Louie

P.S. Thanks in advance for the birthday wishes and I hope that for the next one I can be at home with all of you.
Yours, Louie

8/25/44 ALLIES LIBERATE PARIS, FRANCE

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
Aug. 28, 1944
France
Aug 31 1944 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

Having a little time I am writing you to tell you that I am well and that everything is allright here. I am happy to learn that all of you at home are well also.

We have been on the go and have been in quite a bit of France by now. By reading the papers you can gather how fast we are traveling.

Having now gotten out of the hedgerow country we are seeing a different sort of land. It is much like the farm land of the mid-west. Large grain fields and yet intermining (?) land and the always present fruit orchards which seem to be one of France’s mainstays.

In about two or three weeks we will be eating plenty of apples and pears.

Last week we hit a tomato growing section and the people would come out to the road and hand them to us. Several stood about twenty feet away from the road and as a result of their not having baseball throwing experience some of us got hit. I was fairly lucky. All I had to do was [cut off] clean tomato seed and juice off of my clothing. We are all very happy that the French do not raise coconuts.

I haven’t been writing the gang as often and so am leaving it up to you to keep them up to date as far as news from me is concerned. I hope that in a few days I will be able to take up where l left off with them.

Not much else to say except that travel may be broadening but I am losing a little of the broadness which you are accustomed to seeing on me and I feel fine for it.

My best regards to everyone and the usual take good care of yourself. I’ll write again in a few days. Love Louie