V-MAIL
July 1, 1944

Dear Helen. I have a few minutes to spare and so I am starting to catch up with some of the replies due to letters I have received. I am well and keeping busy as you can imagine. This certainly is no way to see France. Whatever you read in the papers at home applies to all of us in our way of living and trying to live as long as possible.

I was certainly very happy to get all the back mail and to get myself up to date on the news back home and to learn that all of you are well.

I have lost the art of letter writing so please bear with me until the next one when I may feel more like putting on paper what seems to hard this time. My best regards to all and take good care of yourself. My best, Louie.

V-MAIL
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
7/3/44

Dear Mom: Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope this letter finds all of you at home the same.

Today I received the package you sent on the 22nd of May and the fruit cake was perfect. Everything else was just fine also.

I have been working quite hard but don’t mind it as it helps time go by much faster and as well all believe that it is only a matter of time before the war is over thus each day passed is one closer to getting home.

The snapshot of the two kids also came today and more of the same will be appreciated.

I am glad to learn that you are O.K. physically but especially that you aren’t worrying too much about me. There is no need to as it won’t help anyway. My best regards To all Love Louie That’s about all

V-MAIL
July 3, 1944
Dear Helen:

Received your letter of the 25th and in answer to your questions, yes to all of them. I am with my outfit and am now First Supply Sgt. I am therefore kept quite busy as you can imagine from what you read in the papers.

However there is no sense to worry about things as it won’t help anyway and if the Old Boy wants things that way, that’s what they are.

I am glad to learn that you are all well and that the report on Mom’s status was quite comforting.

I am sorry that it is quite hard to keep up with my mail as well as before but that you appreciate the difficulty I have to contend with.

My best regards to Henry and the Kids and keep yourself well and content. Yours, Louie P.S. A small change in rank.

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

July 4, 1944
July 6 1944 (postmarked)
Dear Mom,

Having a little spare time I am writing you this letter in which space is not limited as on V.Mail. I am fine and feeling swell. My only complaint right now is a case of insect bites. Nothing can be done for them except scratch and I am being kept busy doing just that.

I didn’t join my outfit until about two weeks after D. Day and so missed most of the action so far. We were held up by several things as a matter of fact I made almost two crossings of the Channel. We were about two hours of sailing from France when we were turned back because of high winds and so we returned to England and stayed a few more days until the seas quieted down when we finally crossed the Channel.

The French people we have seen so far seem quite happy to see us tho from the looks of their homes you would think that they would hate us for the cause of all the destruction to be seen. Yet they throw flowers and give drinks very freely.

In some of the German pullboxes all kinds of wines, cognacs and champagne were found and not by the bottle but by the case. It was a big treat to drink cognac and have champagne as a chaser. We also were eating Black bread, butter and other German foods and from the looks of things they certainly had the life of Riley at the expense of the rest of Europe.

What I have seen of France so far is about the same type of country as England and I wouldn’t swap any part of our states for the whole thing. I may be prejudiced but I feel happy in being that way.

I am glad to learn that my store has perked up a little and I hope it keeps up.

I received your letter in which you forgot to put the postage after getting the picture the day before. That’s how cock-eyed mail delivery is.

I seem to have covered quite a bit of ground so will save a little for my next letters (I really have run out of news). Give my best regards to Millie and Sam, kiss the kids for me. Also my best to Ellie and tell him to remember me to Mimi. As for you, the same old, take good care of yourself and keep easy (if you can) Yours till my next letter Love Louie
P.S. (Pencils don’t leak or dry up Louie)

V-MAIL
7/5/44
Dear Helen

Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and have been receiving your mail and packages both of which I used and enjoyed to the full.

The past few days have been a little easier and also I have used them to get used to water after drinking cognac with champagne as a chaser. These were taken from our good but dead enemies. More of them, say we all.

I enjoyed Dinny’s account of his NY trip. I hope he has arrived back in Red Bank by the time you get this.

Right now between the work on hand and a job of scratching a bad case of bites of some sort or other I am limited to writing short letters. So my very best to Henry and the kids and of course take care of yourself. As always, Louie.
P.S. If you get to Willimantic, a big one for Mom.

V-MAIL
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
7/12/44

Dear Mom: Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and that everything is O.K.

You can see by my title that I have made a small advancement. I am now assistant Supply Sgt and I like the work very much.

The weather here in France is very bad. It seems to rain each day. Millie’s letter with the snapshot of you and her kids came yesterday and it was very good. Send more of them. Not much to say except to take good care of yourself and give my best regards to all the family I’ll write again as soon as possible Love Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
France.
July 17, 1944
Dear Mom,

I have been busy the last few days so am a little behind in answering you. However I am doing the best I can and will do better as time goes on. I am in the best of health and feeling like a young kid. This outdoor life really agrees with me. I have been working quite hard and as a result have lost some weight which I don’t miss at all.

I have heard from Mayo since he has come to France and I am going to answer him just as soon as I finish this letter to you. All the snapshots are perfect. I also received the package with the wrist band but now my watch stopped and so I’ll have to shop around for some kind of a cheap watch. Don’t send me one as I think I can get one from one of the boys.

Your letters talking of business being better certainly make good reading and I hope you can keep sending reports like that. That was quite a nice chunk the government sent you and Ellie. I hope you make good use of the money that is get something you really want.

I don’t have to tell you what I am doing as you can imagine. I am assist. To the supply sergeant and have been made a T/5 or the same as a Corporal. It’s nice to have and tho there is lots of work I really enjoy it.

I haven’t much else to say about this country as what is worth seeing is knocked out but I expect to see plenty that isn’t.

Not much else to write now and my best regards to Ellie + his wife and Millie + Sam. Tell Millie I’ll write her soon. As for yourself take good care and don’t worry as I am all right.

As ever Love Louie

V-MAIL
Mrs. Philip R. Cohen

July 21, 1944
Dear Mom, Europe

Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope that you all at home are the same. We are still pretty busy as you can see from the papers. I hope this thing comes to a head real soon. I don’t quite understand as to whether or not you got the money ($60) I had sent home to you about the 10th of July. Please let me know. If not I’ll start a check quest (?).

The weather here has been quite damp and so it hasn’t been the best break for us but it will take more than that to stop us.

I wrote all of the family today for the first time in quite awhile. I hope to be able to find time from now on to keep up with my mail.

Not much else regards to Ellie and his wife and the rest of the rest of the gang. Take care of yourself Love Louie

Somewhere in France
July 22, 1944
Dear Mom,
I have just received your letter in which you say you have learned that I am in France. I am glad that you are taking it so nicely. After all there are quite a few of us and the job has to be done. The more here the sooner it will be over.

I am in excellent health and tho not getting fat, feel fine. You don’t have to worry about me as far as sugar is concerned as pies and cakes are as scarce as hens teeth. Don’t get the idea tho that we don’t have food. We have plenty and it is all good plain but nourishing and I have yet to see anyone passing up a meal.

Weather here is terrible. It has been raining off and on for about a week and it really makes things miserable but that can be overlooked as it is a known fact that the sun always comes out after it stops raining and so one will enjoy a nicer warm drying out.

What’s new at home that doesn’t get into the paper? How are the stores doing? I hope the men’s place has been keeping up its comeback as it certainly had fallen a way back. How are the shops doing? Have they started to cut down? The way things seem from where we sit over here and from what we can gather it doesn’t look like we will have to long a time before this darn war might end.

Well, I seem to have put nothing but questions down on paper. I know you won’t mind answering them.

I am anxiously awaiting the new snap shots….

Nothing else of importance to put down except to wish you all good health and keep writing as that is the only thing that can be looked forward to.

Regards to Ellie his wife. Tell Millie I’ll write her soon and regard to her and sam and all the rest.

Take good care of yourself Love Louie

V-MAIL
7/22/44
Dear Helen:

Just a few lines to let you know I am well and have enjoyed receiving your letters.
Terrible weather here has slowed down my tour of France and so I have a little time to write. Fair weather or foul this country can be as for me as I am convinced to give back to the Frenchmen.

Eighteen years when in high school I should have taken my French more seriously as it could come in handy now. I manage to stumble through a little with what I know but I am worried that I am going to spit out my teeth with some of the sounds I try to put out.

Not much else to say my best to Henry and the kids. Some day I’ll have more time and write them. Take care. As ever, Louie

Mrs. Philip R. Cohen
France
July 27, 1944
Dear Mom,

Having a little more spare time I am again writing to tell you how things are. I am well and feel fine.

I received your package and everything was perfect the cake went over with a bang and the boys are almost going to ask for the recipe. When they do I am not going to give it to them as I am afraid they would botch it up some way.

I had occasion to go into one of the homes near by and from what I saw have decided that if England is way behind us than France is behind in England in the modern things. They have absolutely nothing that is of recent date. I can’t see anything that would go toward making life any easier. The more I look around here and see what the people have the better American I become. We without a doubt are the Chosen People.

Have Humpy’s folks heard from him lately? Let me know also his newest address. How is the block? Have you had to do any repairing? Also has Ellie decreased the mortgage? That ought to be done for I know we all will feel lots better for not having it. You should, at least, clear the house.

As far as to your going upstairs in the garage that you can do without. There will be plenty of time to clean that up when I get home.

Tell Ellie he ought to be cutting the Men’s inventory down by now and that I would like to come back to a good, clean and much smaller stock.

Nothing else to write now. So my best regards to all. Take care of yourself Love Louie

V-MAIL
7/27/44
To: Morris, Jane & David Hurwitz
My Dear Kids
Somewhere in France.

I know I owe all of you a lot of letters in answer to those you have written but I have been busy and this is the first chance I have had to write you. From now on I hope to do better in replying to mail from all of you.

Where are you all doing to have a nice vacation? Dinny, I hope you are feeling better by the time you get this. I am sorry to learn of your mishap. Jane, I’ll bet your face is one big freckle this summer and as for David he must be a big freckle all over.

Dinny, I hope that the typewriter that makes all the mistakes has been repaired. I’ll tell from your next letter.

Not much else to say except give my best regards to your Mom & Pop and take good care of all yourselves. As always, Your Uncle Louie.

P.S. I meant to say that I am well and hope you all at home are too.

July 31, 1944
August 12, 1944 (stamped)
Dear Mom,

Have just received your letters of the 17th + 19th and am happy to learn that all of you at home are well.

Ellie’s letter also arrived and it was a lot better reading than his last one. I hope the improvement in C+R continues. With a good break he ought to, in the next few months, get back the loss shown in the first half of the year.

The people at home will get tired of seeing my name in the paper so often. It seems as tho I am mentioned in every newsletter. They will think that only the Cohens landed in France.

The way the war over here, in Russia and Italy is going it is very hard to understand how the Germans oversaw in continuing to fight. Yet those that we are up against are the young fanatics who were brought up with Hitler and have his thoughts and beliefs imbroiled in them. They fight to the very end and when captured are arrogant and proud and still believe that Germany is winning the war and that it is only a matter of time before they will get to New York. They have a long wait in front of them haven’t they?

I forgot to wish Rose + Miriam best wishes but then they are getting at that age where it is best not to mention birthdays.

I received a letter from Henry Rothblat and he is fine and all that bothers him si the fact that he hasn’t heard from home in quite a while. It must be because of his new address. I also haven’t heard from Mayo Cohen since I last wrote him which was about three weeks ago.

I guess I have about covered everything that I can think of that I can quote to you. Tell Ellie that I appreciated his letter and hope that he would do the same more often. I suppose he says let Louie write me but I hope he understands that writing you includes him. Incidentally, I can’t kick a bit about getting mail. I got my share and I like it.

Now please send a package and in it include a small or medium size jar of Noxema. Also if you can, a medium size tooth powder in a can as paper breaks and I have powder in all my things.

That’s the story for now. My best regards to all and take good care of yourself. As ever Love Louie.

V-MAIL
7/31/44
Dear Helen:

I hope the frequency of mail from me won’t start you to thinking but as I have a little time of my own I am taking it up by writing this making up for the times I couldn’t write in the past.
France, France beautiful France. In a pigs eye, if you know what I mean. I am getting ready to become a confirmed city dweller as I am starting to get tired of walking in cow dung every other step. I am a little old to gripe so that old crack won’t go in this case.

Seriously, I am fine and feeling the tops. The way things are looking I can’t see this damn war going to much longer. I look it to blow up in everyones faces in a hurry. I hope I am not wrong as we are all pretty tired of it.

Not much else to say, also no much room. So my very best to Henry (How is he?) and the Kids. Yours, Louie