January 7, 1943
January 7, 1942 No. 3 Casablanca, Morocco Dear Folksies, I received Dad’s letter of December 12th a couple of days ago, and it sure feels good to be getting such mail way over her – even if it is a couple of weeks old. So, keep it up, and we’ll get it and be […]
January 2, 1943
January 2, 1943 Casablanca, Morocco Dear Gram, Here we are, set up in our tents, functioning as a hospital for the last few days. Right now it isn’t bad at all despite the mud and slush that we have to slide through to get anywhere around here. However, we are lucky enough to be […]
December 30, 1942
December 30, 1942 Casablanca, Morocco No. 2 Dear Folksies, Here I am, having unfortunately been unable to write for the last 8 or 9 days. My first letter since leaving was on the 21st and I hope that by now you have received it. Unfortunately, the day after we arrived here it was decided […]
December 21, 1942
December 21, 1942 No. 1 Dear Folksies, Here I am sitting on deck, on the wood padded by my life preserver, listening to the usual daily band concert. Lois is beside me and I notice she is also writing to you, so you may get some repetition. But since you haven’t had any mail […]
December 9, 1942
December 9, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, I was sure glad to be able to catch you last night from N.Y. When I called home at first, I was terribly disappointed because, as that was about 10:15 P.M. I knew that we only had about an hour more in which to try […]
December 8, 1942
December 8, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, The nurses that were dropped have just been replaced in the last few days. However, we had a new blow yesterday – this time no doing of His Highness. We all just wish we had gone overseas when we were here at Kilmer before – then […]
December 3, 1942
December 3, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Sunday night we went to bed early in preparation for an early start on Monday. I got up a little before 6 A.M. on Monday and after getting ready I walked over to Lois’ barracks and with Lois, Bam, Fran, and Pat Barry and Gert […]
December 2, 1942
December 2, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, ‘Tis a cold and terrifically windy day today and the wind seems to blow right through the barracks. However, I’m glad to be able to say that my bloomin’ sinuses have cleared up nicely in the last few days and my throat looks as good […]
November 28, 1942
November 28, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, At the moment I’m listening to the Army-Navy game and I kind of imagine you are doing likewise. At least it kind of feels good to believe that you are — that despite actual land distance, we’re not really 3000 miles away. It hasn’t […]
November 26, 1942
November 26, 1942 Thanksgiving afternoon Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Things have changed considerably, but N.J. is still a big mud hole, though walks etc. have been improved. Living quarters this time are comfortable, not just large room barracks, but rooms for two, as we had at Ft. Ord. I’m in with […]
November 24, 1942
November 24, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, As we waited to depart Camp Pickett on Monday, it was pouring and with all the stoves out, we sat around our barracks and headquarters on a couple of tables that were left – all beds, foot lockers, etc. having been taken out in the afternoon. […]
November 20, 1942
November 20, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, My sore throat and snozola are on the mend. I still cough occasionally, but much better after four good night’s rest. Everyone around here seems to have had the same bug or virus, for there have been a lot of them on the ailing list. One […]
November 17, 1942
November 17, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Things have been in sort of a turmoil. To begin with, “His Highness” apparently received some orders around November 4th that were either in some code, or anyway so worded that neither he nor his two stooges were able to interpret. So, thinking they were not […]
November 13, 1942
November 13, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Yesterday morning we were awakened by the clatter in the kitchen area at about 4:45 A.M., as they were going to serve the men early so that they could get them started hiking back early, and also could get the mess equipment packed on the trucks […]
November 11, 1942
November 11, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Sunday afternoon, after having written to you, I went into Pickett and stayed overnite there. Lois and I went to a movie, “Now Traveler” with Bette Davis and Claude Rains. It was very good – rather on the psychological side, about an unwanted child, but very […]
November 6, 1942
November 6, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, After writing to you yesterday afternoon, I slept for a little while and then the ambulance returned out here with a load of patients we had sent into the clinics at the hospital, and I went back with it into Pickett. I got into the […]
November 5, 1942
November 5, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, After writing on Tuesday, I loafed around the camp most of the afternoon and then when the Capt. and some of the Lts. went in for a meeting with their Col. at around 7 P.M., I went in with them and spent about 3 hours with […]
November 3, 1942
November 3, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Paul and I are still out in our tents and are rather enjoying ourselves. The only bad feature being that we have no showers and the transportation into Pickett is a little complicated. If it weren’t that I don’t get to see Lois more than every […]
November 1, 1942
November 1, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Yesterday P.M. I went in with a couple of the officers only to find that Lois had gone into Petersburg to do some shopping with Fran, as she did not expect that I would be able to get in before evening, if at all. I had […]
October 31, 1942
October 31, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Here I am about 10 miles out from camp, in a four-cot tent, living semi-rugged. Paul Stratte and I were sent out here yesterday to run a dispensary for four outfits that are here on bivouac for supposedly 10 days. So you can see, apparently the 59th […]
October 28, 1942
October 28, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, We are rather definitely going to be here for a week or more I imagine. In fact, damn it, there are rumors circulating now that we might even be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas. What a life! The Colonel, just returned from Washington D.C. where Roy Cohn […]
October 25, 1942
October 25, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, The last couple of days have been rather uneventful. Friday night Lois and I went to a fair picture, “Get Hep to Love,” with Gloria Jean and “The World at War.” The latter was nothing but a series of newsreels but was pretty interesting, though on […]
October 23, 1942
October 23, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Tuesday A.M., Bill and I spent as usual in the dispensary and saw our usual run of patients. In the afternoon we took a hike, that is, all the officers, and we went out to the lake that is situated on the Post, but about 3-1/2 […]
October 20, 1942
October 20, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Last night we went to see “The Major and the Minor” with Ray Milland and Ginger Rogers. It was a marvelous picture and if you haven’t already seen it you definitely should. It was a scream and we howled all the way through. We had gone […]
October 19, 1942
October 19, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, ‘Tis now a beautiful Monday afternoon after a likewise beautiful Sunday. Yep, at last we have had an eclipse of the rain and horrible weather and for the first time in a week, we saw the sun attempt to appear on Saturday afternoon. We had a […]
October 15, 1942
October 15, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Yes, still here, and probably will be for another four or five days anyway, maybe longer, who knows??? We are continuing to get in equipment and we now have our own transportation – that is 8 vehicles that we were supposed to have had long […]
October 14, 1942
October 14, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Yep, we were all kind of bad not writing at least a short chain letter to you while we were all together in Richmond. But, as you can imagine, the time that was not spent attending to Amie was taken up in a gab fest or […]
October 13, 1942
. Next letter… The Two Mrs. Bines – Lois M. Bine (René’s new bride) and Alma K. Bine (René’s mother) * About René & Dear Folksies ⇒
October 10, 1942
October 10, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, I just found out that we are given leave, but only for two days, so will be in Richmond tomorrow, Monday, and have to be back Tuesday. Barbara has made reservations for us at the hotel and Lois and I are going to her place tomorrow […]
October 9, 1942
October 9, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Things around here are all mixed up and no one knows where anything stands. At the present moment I am not at all sure that we are going to be able to go to Richmond to see Mom and Marie-Louise. It may be necessary for them […]
October 7, 1942
October 7, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Yesterday A.M. worked on wards as usual and then in the afternoon we took a hike and went over the obstacle course. The hike was, in all only about 6 miles and though we have not had any such exercise really planned in the last 2 […]
October 1, 1942
October 1, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Things have been slightly popping in the last twenty-four hours and many have been kept busy, though things now have slowed up again. To begin with, yesterday A.M. Phil Westdahl and I worked on the ward for a while and then wandered over to Surgery to see […]
September 30, 1942
No letter from René until tomorrow, but here are excerpts from a letter that Lois sent on September 30, 1942 to Alma, her future mother-in-law… September 30, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dearest Mommie, I’m so happy you and my mother could finally get together, if only for such a short while. The picnic in […]
September 29, 1942
September 29, 1942 Fort Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Sunday nite the Col. came out suddenly and announced rather secretly to a few that officers and nurses were to be allowed leaves up to 10 days with the provision that they be back here by midnight Oct. 9. When I finally found out that officers […]
September 26, 1942
September 26, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, Last night there was a little party at the Hospital Officers’ Club and they had invited the 59th, so naturally, there being little else to do, most of the gang were decent and showed up, taking a majority of the nurses along with them. Unfortunately, the floor […]
September 25, 1942
September 25, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, We are situated behind the Station Hospital, which is rather a nice location. We have some shade and some cool trees in the neighborhood. As things stand now we are all working in the hospital. Many of the men of the Station Hosp. are away on leave, […]
September 22, 1942
September 22, 1942 Camp Pickett, Virginia Dear Folksies, On Sunday evening, being Yom Kippur, I was going to go to Services, but found out that they were only given on the Post at the opposite end of the place from where we were and since it was raining, I decided to go to the […]
September 19, 1942
September 19, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Well, the last two days have been bad ones. This gang is a sorry looking outfit today to say the least. At the present moment there are three of the twenty-three in this barracks who are bundled up in bed – their diarrhea is just […]
September 17, 1942
September 17, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Regarding “announcing,” we had decided that no camouflage was better than a poor camouflage. And since darn near everyone knew, or suspected so darn strongly it was the same thing, we felt rather safe in bringing the ring to lite. I must admit that […]
September 14, 1942
September 14, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Gee, it was good to hear your voices night before last, Mom and Dad. It is funny to think that one can talk across 3000 miles so easily. This is certainly a queer Army — after being restricted to the Post for the last […]
September 12, 1942
September 12, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Yesterday, just as I was showering in preparation for another journey to N.Y., the news came that, though the Post “alert” was to start at 6A.M. the next day, the 59th was “alerted immediately” and no one can leave at all. Apparently, in other words, […]
September 11, 1942
September 11, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, On Wednesday, after writing to you, somewhat to my surprise I found that the alert was being lifted at 5 P.M. that afternoon. When I was able to phone from the Camp, about 5:30 P.M. I was able to reach Alain at work. I asked […]
September 9, 1942
September 9, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Night before last there were 6 of us who went to N.Y. together – Bob and Bam, Ed Cane and one of the other nurses. We had a wonderful dinner and relatively cheap, at a place called “Barney’s”. Had crab cocktail, a wonderful tenderloin steak, […]
September 7, 1942
September 7, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Saturday night we went in to N.Y. and met Horace and Therese downtown and they took us to dinner at the “Claremont” which is an old eating place on about 120th St. on Riverside Drive. It is right by Grant’s Tomb Monument and is an outdoor […]
September 5, 1942
September 5, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Thursday evening we went into N.Y. as usual, but couldn’t get tickets for the Olson and Johnson show, i.e. the half price tickets. May have to get the regular tickets if we want to see it. We had arranged to meet an old friend […]
September 3, 1942
September 3, 1942 Camp Kilmer, NJ Dear Folksies, Tuesday P.M. we went to N.Y. as usual. It was a nice cool evening. We weren’t able to get tickets for the Olson and Johnson show, but succeeded in getting some for “Claudia.” Lois and I were alone so we went to the Brass Rail […]
September 1, 1942
September 1, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, They really pulled a dirty deal yesterday. Actually the “alert” was over at 6 A.M., but Post Headquarters somehow failed to notify the 59th and it wasn’t until we began to see a few civilians on the Post that we got suspicious and finally Carroll Russell […]
August 30, 1942
August 30, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, After writing on Friday I walked around here a bit and then at 4 P.M. the definite news came that at retreat the “alert” would be off. Consequently we got ready and awaited retreat. Took the usual train and arrived in time to pick up […]
August 28, 1942
August 28, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, After writing on Wednesday noon, I loafed around here, took cleaning to the cleaners, etc. Then Lois and I took the usual 5:22PM train and went directly from the Penn Station to 181st Street where Lenny and Babs live. We had a very nice steak dinner; […]
August 26, 1942
August 26, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, You asked about Alain driving into the ditch. It was only at a speed of 1-1/2 miles per hour and consequently we nestled very gently into it – possibly one reason why it was hard to get out. We went straight into it and then […]
August 25, 1942
August 25, 1942Tuesday Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Yesterday we took the 5:22 P.M. train to New York again and went directly to the Commodore Hotel. Got half price tickets to see “Priorities of 1942”. After getting our tickets we went to the “Brass Rail,” otherwise known as the “Continental Café.” There we […]
August 24, 1942
August 24, 1942Monday Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Today is the first really nice day we have had here. The sun is shining brightly but it is relatively cool. Somewhat like a nice day at Tahoe. It rather suddenly became cool around midnight and we all woke up and pulled on blankets for […]
August 22, 1942
August 22, 1942 Saturday, noon Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, I made the train back to Camp just in time – arriving back with a whole trainload of others at 5:30 P.M. It was so darn hot here that I jumped into a cold shower, didn’t bother to dry off, lay down on […]
August 21, 1942
August 21, 1942 New York City Dear Folksies, Yesterday we took the 6 P.M. train from the Camp and got into N.Y. at 7 P.M. Bob and Bam, George Sterba and Fran Trembley and Lois and I stuck together and we went to the Commodore Hotel where the gals got one room and we […]
August 20, 1942
August 20, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, On the night of the 18th, there was a dance given by an outfit next door to us and it would have been lots better if the hall hadn’t been so hot. How the Col. was able to dance every dance when most of us […]
August 18, 1942
August 18, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, I phoned Alain at noon yesterday and he drove here by 6:45 P.M. He is only about 25 miles away. He has a nice, rather new, Ford coupe. He has changed little, except in his viewpoint towards the Germans. He was most jovial, and in […]
August 17, 1942
August 17, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Sorry the connection last night was not as good as it should be. Hope it will be better later in the week and I can at least say “hello” to all of you. We are at Camp Kilmer, a camp that has existed only […]
August 16, 1942
August 16, 1942 Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Dear Folksies, Arrived at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. Out of the train at 6 A.M., now in barracks, as at Ft. Lewis — not rooms as at Ft. Ord. Weather: hot, wet, and sticky. […]
August 15, 1942
August 15, 1942 Dear Folksies, Willard, Ohio at 9:15 A.M. Akron 10:45 A.M. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 1:40 P.M. Went to see the gals at around 3 P.M. and played cards for a while. Around 9 P.M. we had a party in gals’ car. The Colonel came around and we expected to get the devil, […]
August 14, 1942
August 14, 1942 Dear Folksies, Kansas City 9 A.M. pouring rain! At 4 P.M. Bob and I went back and taught the gals some more bridge. Crossed the Mississippi at 6:20 P.M. Had dinner with the gals again. Arrived in petticoats of Chicago at 10:45 P.M. We were shifted on various tracks all […]
August 13, 1942
August 13, 1942 Dear Folksies, First stop was Belen, New Mexico around 10 A.M. Then we found out the Col. had relented and allowed us to visit the nurses. Bob Treadwell and I spent the afternoon there, taught the gals contract bridge and even had dinner in their car. A good part of […]
August 12, 1942
August 12, 1942 Dear Folksies, Stopped at Barstow for an hour between 10-11 A.M. Got out there with the whole outfit — plenty hot in the sun but not too bad in the shade. Walked around and had some orange juice and ice cream. Saw the gals. We’ve been allowed to visit with them […]
August 11, 1942
August 11, 1942 Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, Awakened at 4 A.M. by the Mess Sergeant. Rolled up blankets and sleeping bags and finished last minute packing. Breakfast at 5 A.M. so mess equipment could be packed up and be ready. If we’d known that was the only reason for getting up early, we […]
August 10, 1942
August 10, 1942 Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, Around 11 A.M. Stratte, Newsom, Bryner, Joseph and I took our laundry into Monterey to get one-day service. Then at 12:20 P.M., just as we finished lunch, the Col. announced that we should finish packing, get last minute things done, etc. by 5 P.M. Stratte […]
August 9, 1942
August 9, 1942 Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, Though somewhat sleepy, all but Bob managed to get up and be horseback riding at 10 A.M. Capt. Lynn had arranged for the horses and we had Dottie Collins (another nurse – from Montana), Jack Ellis and Lloyd Van Tassel join us. The latter two were […]
August 8, 1942
August 8, 1942 Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, Lois and I walked on the beach quite a way to get some much needed exercise. Since we’ve known we were moving, the principal exercise has been packing — then finding something else that was needed, therefore requiring a short walk to the Post Exchange. […]
August 7, 1942
August 7, 1942 Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, We got our second Typhus shot. Cohn, Halter and I gave them all to the whole outfit. Then had some more jiu-jitsu instruction. Loads of love, . Next letter… Roy Cohn, MD Bert Halter, MD * About René & Dear Folksies ⇒
August 5, 1942
August 5, 1942 Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, First of all, thanks, Mom, for coming down here. It was swell to have you here, though in a way it is often just better to be able to leave without having to say good-bye. It is all very confusing, however, since rations for the […]
July 14, 1942
July 14, 1942 Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, Just a short line to thank all for the good birthday wishes, check, and all. It was swell to have Bobsy here with Sal and Dave at Del Monte. Yesterday was kept busy as platoon leader again and trying to help Frank Gerbode for a […]
July 9, 1942
July 9, 1942Thursday Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, Thanks for the swell weekend last Sat. and Sun. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I know I did. Monday I had a couple of lectures to give and was kept moderately occupied during the day making preparations for the next two […]
July 8, 1942
Next letter… Nurses serving in the Army Nurse Corps at this time were not allowed to be married. Ultimately that rule was changed in October 1942, but a nurse was still not allowed to serve in the same unit as her husband — she would be required to transfer out to another unit. Lois & […]
June 28, 1942
June 28, 1942 Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, This week has been a rather busy one, particularly for the four of us who were platoon leaders. I may as well go back to the beginning of the week and proceed in chronological order. First, thanks loads for the swell week-end. Our excursion to […]
June 18, 1942
Next letter… Five days after they met at the Officers’ Club dance, René and Lois went on their first date — a double with Roy Cohn and his date. * About René & Dear Folksies ⇒
June 16, 1942
June 16, 1942Tuesday night Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, I think, perhaps, that one of the reasons for not having written sooner was that in the last week I have done so much typing for lectures, etc. that typing for letter writing appeared to be too much of a self-inflicted drudgery for the time […]
June 13, 1942
Next letter… Lois McFarland – a nurse in René’s unit * About René & Dear Folksies ⇒
June 9, 1942
June 9, 1942Tuesday night Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, Thanks for coming down last weekend. Sunday was really a swell day and I hope that the lengthiness of the trip was worth it to you. This morning was routine, but this afternoon we had a demonstration of various gases, getting whiffs of all […]
May 31, 1942
May 31, 1942Sunday night Ft. Ord, California Dear Folksies, Yesterday I was Officer of the Day and spent most of my time catching up on my correspondence, as there were only a few duties attached to the O.D. However, since I had to stay over in the office and even sleep over in Headquarters, […]