The first one read:

Dearest Mother.

At last I have a new outfit and a darn good one at that. As I guess Dad can tell you this outfit is on the Beachhead at Anzio, which is quite a hot spot now.

Now the rain has turned everything into mud. I don’t care what you touch around here it has mud on it.

But after another month or so the rain will stop and summer will come, then it will be a little better any way.

We are eating mighty nice tho. A couple of days ago the Jerry Arty. knocked a cow over and I got three or four good steaks off it. My boys cooked them up for me and I sure did make good use of them. They were a mighty good change to what we had been eating.

I guess now that I have moved it will be at least another month before any of my mail starts to catch up with me. Still I miss it because none has gotten to me yet. But when it does catch up then I will have a big time, cause I think there will be a lot of it.

Tell everyone hello for me and give every one my love. When you write Marilyn give her my love, although I can & will do it my self.[1]

Later that week Phil wrote:

Dearest Mother;

I can’t remember. I think I have written you from here before, but I’m not sure. Any way I’m with the 30th Inf on the Anzio Beachhead. This is one good fighting outfit and has quite a fighting history in this and the last war. Any time you see a blue and white striped square patch on the side of a helmet that is my outfit now.[2]

Don’t worry about me cause I’m just as safe as anyone can be around here. Boy am I eating good. You see most all my work is done at night so I have to sleep late in the mornings.

Anyway this morning I had cereal, bacon, eggs, coffee, strawberry jam, butter and bread. How’s that for a breakfast? It was all hot to(sic). The rations the army is sending over are swell.

I don’t know if I can tell you much about my job but if you remember the school I went to at Fort Benning Ga last November, well that is the work I am doing now.

It’s like being on a swing shift, cause all night I work and sleep most of the day. You mail hasn’t started coming through yet, but keep writing for when I do get it I want a lot.

Love, Phil

[1] Of interest, this last sentence is not in Ethyl’s typed copy.

[2] 3d INFANTRY DIVISION. “Marne Division.” The three white stripes represent the number of the division and the three major operations in which the division participated during World War I. The clear field of blue stands for loyalty, steadfastness and undying devotion to the principles of right and justice by the American soldier. http://www.unithistories.com/units_index/default.asp?file=../units_index/units.asp

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