May 25, 1944: A letter from Anna to her brothers. I would normally include this with other letters to get a bunch covered at once, but reading ahead there is number of letters from Dad in quick succession, and some of his comments would read out of sequence without this letter, so onward.
Little Terry is “nineteen months old and quite a big girl. She talks, walks and fights with us just like all the women.” In other news, Cousin Eddie Morawski is finally home after his hospital stay in California, Anna’s husband Eddie buys a band saw from the upstairs neighbor and Anna expresses her hopes that her brothers will come home sooner rather than later.
Eddie Morawski came home on May 23rd and has a sixty day leave. After that “…he will be stationed a Brooklyn…and lucky for him if that is right.” Anna called the house and spoke to his sister and was told that they are “…all excited about Eddie and…he is well and healthy and was so glad to come home…” The only problem they are reporting is “…his [injured] hand which at present is not of much use to him. However they are glad that he is home alive.” Anna wonders “…whether Eddie will marry his girl now that he is home and stationed so close by. He is 27 now…and she seems to be a very decent and nice sort of girl.”
Anna reports that mama sold the boys’ bicycle to the neighbors upstairs for thirty dollars since “…it has just been laying around so long and no one has used it…” As if to even the balance of trade, Anna’s husband bought a band saw from the upstairs neighbor for fifty-five dollars. Although“…Eddie is tickled about it,” Anna begs to differ, stating “What the heck he’ll do with it I don’t know. There I was saving the money dollar by dollar and he just goes and practically shoots it away for just a saw. I told Eddie that it is a good thing that the bank account is in my name.”
A picture of Dad well before the war when he used the bicycle more often.
Anna writes that she bought the shampoo that Dad asked for and that she will be sending it. “I went to Sardou and got the two small bottles of shampoo for you… Sardou says to send his regards.”
Finally, Anna expresses her wish that “…this war would hurry up and end…” She writes, “Over here they have been talking for some time that those soldiers who have been overseas a year or more will be sent back to their families and I hope that goes for you too. Gee Stanley, after your year is up I hope they send you back to the states. It is six months to November and it seems like such a long time. Anthony has been gone just a little over two months and it seems longer than that. On the news today they said that in Italy the allies have been gaining… Someday, and I hope soon, this mess will be over.”