In the midst of training for the upcoming D-Day invasion of Southern France, Phil wrote home.

Lt. P. B. Larimore[1]

Hq Co 3^rd BN. 30^th Inf A.P.O. #3

c/o Postmaster New York N.Y.

Dearest Mother.

I hope by now you have my telegram.[2] Everything is O.K. now. They brought me in and gave to me a little talk. Then warned me against doing it again. I mean writing letters with so much military information. So please forget all about it. But from now on please don’t have my letter printed unless I say so in the letter. I want to tell you all about it tho. The 3^rd Division is part of the 5^th Army.

Mom one hunk of Salami, if it hasn’t been cut and is wraped(sic) in oil paper will get here O.K. Plenty of men have gotten it in the mail. And I would love to have some.

I can hardly wait untill(sic) my new camera gets here. I have wanted one so bad. And that one is about the best you can buy. Be sure and send me as much film as you can buy. The only PX we have is they send us a break down on candy and junk like that but we never get any film. All that will have to be sent to the states.

Gee I wish I could see Dot. I sure do want some pictures of her. By the time I get home I guess she will be a Grandmother.

Now I am sweating out the candy and the cans of meat. That stuff sure does mean a lot.

From the size of the food you are getting out of the garden it sounds as if you have quite a large one. But I’m sure if it rains you will be getting quite a bit more. At least I hope so!

Jane has been asking me in ever[y] one of her letters to be sure and have that picture made for her. I got a right sweet letter from her a couple days ago. Say how long does it take my mail to get home. Yours take between 10 & 15 days. I have gotten a couple in 9 days and one in 8 days. Thank gosh no one ever writes me V-Mail any more. I hate them.

As for lighter fluid. We get that in our PX and for a lighter you can’t beat a Zippo. Also the pen has not arived(sic) yet but I’m sure that it will come soon. The Bars haven’t gotten here yet. But packages are so much slower than mail. I’m sure they will be here soon.

I got my second letter from Sue a few days ago and I must answer her. I have been so damn busy these last two weeks that I didn’t write a single letter.

Will sign off now but will try to write at least once more this week.

With all my love

Phil

Please send another package.

[1] Handwritten letter. Post marked “U.S. Army Postal Service. A.P.O. 3, 13 Jul 44.” Stamped “Memphis, Tenn. De Soto Sta. 31 Jul 1944.”

[2] See 19 Jul 44 entry.

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