Random Thoughts

It looks like Mom and Ted spent a couple of nights together in San Francisco at the St. Francis Hotel.  

This was folded up at the bottom of the box holding the letters.  It is undated but would be right before he shipped out to Europe.   Hello Jane: Surely by this time you have received my change of address card.  It all too plainly shows why we weren’t able to get together before I left the States.  Tough luck but maybe someday we can make up for it without the Larsons, the Duffys, or the telephones – remember the poem you wrote re the above? Life for the past month has been all hustle and bustle, getting ready for the big trip.  We moved from Butner to a Port of Embarkation which was all secret and hush hush.  All very inteeresting and we did have some relaxation. Fairly soon we will be there- so more anon. Bestest, Ted    

Capt. T.G. Leske 0-387336 

Med. Det. 354th Inf
APO 89 C/O PM
N.Y. N.Y.

Postmark U.S. Army 89 Oct 11 1945

Miss Jane Axtell
538 S. Normandie
Los Angels, Calif
USA

10 Oct 45
Camp Lucky Strike
France

Hyah Jane:

This will be the last letter you will receive from me overseas.  I expect to be homeward bound a the end of the month, Oh, Glory!

First of all, I did receive your gift package and I did let you know it arrived.  Anyway, to settle matters – thanx so much and it really was appreciated.

Life is so dammed monotonous and nerve-wracking in this camp that we could all go wacky with no effort whatsoever.  Fortunately, I was able to get two leaves to England and Scotland.  It was a swell break in the routine and great fun.

As to pictures – I never sent one to you because I just never had any taken.  We were always in field clothes until we came back here and there hasn’t been much change.

You won’t need a picture anyhow, as I think it will be much better deal if the real thing is on the spot.  Of course, it may possible be "civies" so you may have to look for the carnation in my lapel so that you may recognize me.

My plans for the present call for a trip to the Coast to look for a place to practice.  I really like it out there and would like very much to practice in L.A., S.F., or Seattle.  Possible the picture may change when I get home but I am all hit up about it right now. 

You can be a big help by letting me know what you think of the idea and giving some suggestions, will you?

When and if I get to L.A. you and I must hit the Cantina and say hello to the bartender.  This is we will say hello if we can talk.

If you gained the ten pounds in the proper places you should really be something to see.  I’ll see!

Nite, hon

Bestest
Ted

 

Send your letters to just plain Boonton, J.J. it really can’t miss me, don’t you know.

Capt. T.G. Leske 0-387336

 

Med. Det. 354th Inf
APO 89 C/O PM
N.Y. N.Y.

Postmark U.S. Army 89 Aug 16 1945

Miss Jane Axtell
538 S. Normandie
Los Angels, Calif
USA

15 Aug 45
Camp Lucky Strike

Bon Jour Cherie!

Above is just about the total of the French I have learned and I just had to show off.

Your letter arrived Saturday and was quite a supprise since it has been so very seldom that I have heard from you.

It was a shame about your Dad – I know how much fun you had with him.

Yes I received your package, for which you were properly thanked.  To cinch the matter, my thanks again, dumpling.

There isn’t much chance of our getting home very soon as we are processing the troops who were to be redeployed. Now we probably have to get all the other troops out before we sail.

When the time does come for us to hit the States L.A. will definitely be one of my stops – I must see Freddie Fisher.  And, oh yes, it seems that seeing you might have something to do with my coming to that fair city.

You ask of my brother – luck is with us and we are only about fifty miles apart.  He is stationed just outside Le Hauve at Camp Herbert Tareyton [Note: the camps referenced are known as the "cigarette camps"] and we see each other fairly often.  We even were able to hit Paris together.

Tomorrow I get my first leave and am going to England and Scotland.  It is only a weeks leave but it should be worthwhile. 

Thinking of you, I am reminded of your cousin, that he was big enough to look at curves.  So am I!  How about a new pin up?  I’m drooling at the very thought of it.

Let me hear from you soon, won’t you?

Bestest
Ted

 

A fox is a wolf that brings flowers

My thanks to Lucy for putting out the message for me while you were gon.  I wish I could have been there to read it.

Capt. T.G. Leske 0-387336
Med. Det. 354th Inf
APO 89 C/O PM
N.Y. N.Y.

Postmark U.S. Army 89 Jul 19 1945

Miss Jane Axtell
538 S. Normandie
Los Angels, Calif
USA

Air Mail

 

18 July 45
Camp Lucky Strike

Greetings lovely one:

Receiving a letter from me must be quite a shocking event.  I know that I have been lax in writing but in addition to my usual antipathy (what a word) my work here has prevented me frrom writing.

About a week after VE Day we were pulled back from Planitz, Germany to Arnstadt– stayed there two weeks and then make a 600 mile jaunt in two days back here to the very same camp through which we passed last winter.

Our regiment took over the camp and  I ended up by being the Post Dental Surgeon. This position consisted of an imposing title, a lot of hard work creating somthing out of nothing, a lot of head aches, and no extra compensation.

There has been an interuption of a couple hours – one of our medical officers brought his cousin, another medical officer in to visit. Now time has elapsed and a fifth of my oh so valuable Scotch has gone to hell.

If I had gone on writing while entirely sober I would have had sense enought to write just things.  But now – what with writing to you and a drink or two to help lose my inhibitions I could get very romantic in my writings.  The romance mainly consisting of telling you how much I would like to be with you and be able to spend the night with you.  Tell me, brown eyes, do your thoughts ever turn to the same thing?

I must me to bed – thats all for toniite.

Please write, won’t cha?

Bestest

Tec

Capt. T.G. Leske 0-387336

Med. Det. 354th Inf
APO 89 C/O PM
N.Y. N.Y.

Postmark U.S. Army 89 May 14 1945

Miss Jane Axtell
538 S. Normandie
Los Angels, Calif
USA

Thaddeus G. Leske.

11 May 45
Saxony, Germany

Hello Jane:

In the past three days I have received three letters from you,  20 April, 26 April and a V. Mail cartoon poem.  Life is wonderful and so is the mailman.

You ask when I am going to resume fighting in Los Angeles.  Answer: More of your drawings, such as your legs getting a sun tan and I will be fighting to get back to Los Angels.  Between the legs and the lips (lewd sounding phrase) my mind is immediately filled with ideas, all in the same channel.

Do you think ya are worth chasing?  Now if that isn’t a silly question.  You certainly should know the answer to that one.  Or didn’t I come up to expectations?

I never commented on "there is no moon – the stars are dim – (?) of tune, etc.  – on account I don’t remember receiving it.  Try again and send the results post haste.

Your idea of sleeping in the other bed so that you would have the phone near was marvelous.  After only two and a half years – a very very keen mind.  Your phone probably didn’t ring that night simply because I wasn’t there.

Since your hair is in a bad way and I have very little we will probably make a very stunning couple getting stinken at some bar when I get back.

We have had quite a time here for the past couple of days with the German PWs streaming back. We have had 15000 come through our regimental PW cage alone.  I personaly evacuated 1400 woulded to surrounding hospitals.

Now that VE day has come and gone I imagine that I stand a very good chance of being put on my way to see CBI – Victory day come in [note: CBI probably means China Burma India]  If so, there is a possibility of leaving the West Coast.  If that day comes, be in good shape, little girl.

Thats all for now.

Bestest
Ted

Capt. T.G. Leske 0-387336

Med. Det. 354th Inf
APO 89 C/O PM
N.Y. N.Y.

Postmark U.S. Army 89 Apr 26 1945

Miss Jane Axtell
538 S. Normandie
Los Angels, Calif
USA

Thaddeus G. Leske.

[Note: back of envelope in Mom’s printing is the name "Ann Quinlan Du Barry" and an indecipherable scrawl ]

 

24 April 45
Germany

 

Hello Janey:

Notice the affectionate note in the heading?  Its the non-fraterization business that gets me that way.  Lordy, if I should get back to your part of the States you sure are going to be in for a lot of fraterizing.

Life has been exciting, dull and confusing.  I am sure that it could have been a lot worse that it has.

We have been the "point" of the third Army since we entered combat.  At times we were the nearest of any Allies to bothe Berlin and the Russians.

In your most recent letter you mention a peace offering.  I am sure that it is lovely – but where the hell is it?  The mail, of course, is spasmodic and I did actually receive my first packager from home the other day.  Its mailing date was February something.

You ask how my French stood up when I tried to put it to proper use.  I got along fairly well in daily life but I didn’t have the opportunity to put it to proper use.

We are now having a rest period and so have to clean up and straighten things up.

When you are in the Cantina again say "hello" to Julie for me and have them play "I don’t (know) where I don’t know when" with a Chinese accent. 

Thats all for now.  Don’t dare dream of you

Ted

————————————-

On the back of page 3 of the letter in Mom’s handwriting:

He’s wrong
so wrong-
But whats to tell
whats right
whats might
who rings the bell
who talks
who walks on

 

Signed

Ann
Jane

Capt. T.G. Leske 0-387336

Med. Det. 354th Inf
APO 89 C/O PM
N.Y. N.Y.

Postmark U.S. Army 89 Apr 5 1945

Miss Jane Axtell
538 S. Normandie
Los Angels, Calif
USA

 Thaddeus G. Leske.

2 April 45
Somewhere in Germany

[Historical note:  http://www.89infdivww2.org/memories/354_19.htm ]

 

Hello Jane:

Here is some beautiful German stationary which was donated by the people at whose home I am staying. Their donation cannot be construed as being voluntary.
Received a short note from you today and as I have the time to write for the first time in days I will try to do right by you.

My latest letter to you must have been written some time ago but I really did have to discard their (?) shorts. In fact, our first sergeant was one of them. My big moment was when a shell came through the roof of the building our aid station was in, about a hundred feet from the Rhine.

Everything has been interesting and exciting. We have been on the move constantly and lack of sleep is much too common.

My live has been a busy one as my major the surgeon has made me his right hand man. Among my duties are administrative work, running the detachment, advance party officer, PX officer, Exchange (money) officer, pay officer, dental officer, and other little jobs that come along.

[There appears to be missing pages here…]

…have no idea as to when it was.

Writing by electric light was something I was going to brag about and the damn things had to go out. Now its candle light. Our headquarters picked up a German Army gasoline operated generator a day or so ago and we have been having the comfort of electricity here, except when the generator goes on the blink.
We left France some time ago, went to Luxemburg, and then came into Germany. We have two river crossings to our credit, the Moselle and the Rhine.
Crossing the Rhine was rough and I really needed a change of under clothing. Many of the men freely admit that they [There appears to be more missing pages here…]

… Love life has been non-existent, on the Continent. France, or at least the part we were in, had all its young prettier girls sent into German or they were married to German soldiers and would have nothing to do with the Americans.

Non-fraternization in Germany has its shortcomings as there are a great many pretty girls here.

Every once in a while I sneak a look at your pin-up picture and, definitely, my thoughts do not dwell on your hair do.

Time is short, the candle is low, and I would like to be with you tonight.

Bestest
Ted
 

 

Capt. T.G. Leske 0-387336
Med. Det. 354th Inf
APO 89 C/O PM
N.Y. N.Y.

Postmarked U.S. Army 89 Feb 19 1945, and Los Angeles Calif.
(Wilshire La Brea Parcel Post) Mar 30 1945

Miss Jane Axtell
538 S. Normandie
Los Angels, Calif
USA

 

Thaddeus G. Leske.

18 Feb. 45
France

Greetings Jane!

Time has passed, I have sailed, and the damn war is still going on.

A few days ago I received your letter dated Jan. 12.  It was addressed to Camp Butner.  You should have had a change of address card from me that was sent while I was still at Butner in December.

We have been here in France for a month now and still haven’t gotten near the front lines. That is nobody has been throwing "stuff" at us.  We have had a lot of stuff thrown at us but it is of a different category.

When we first came here life was quite miserable – no food, no heat, no tents, no nothing except snow, ice , and freezing cold.  These conditions prevailed for some time and there was quite a bit of  suffering in many respects.

Everything is practically like garrison.  We have food, tents and some little comforts.  The snow and ice are gone.  The ankle deep mud is now only a couple of inches deep and we see the sun occassionally.

On pass I have visited Rouen, Deippe, and La Hauve as well as many villages and towns.  La Hauve took the worst beating from bombardment.  If those at home could see the damage in these once beautiful towns and the ways things are rationed I think that they would behave differently and put more into their efforts.

My meager knowledge of French has been used but as yet I haven’t had the opportunity to see if the "mademoiselles" would understand.

A couple of opportunities have come up for me to taste the liquors of France and I did all right.

My brother managed to find my location and traveled about 200 miles to get here.  It was a big thrill as I hadn’t heard from him for three months.  He brought along some Cointreau, Bordeaux, Scotch, and a few otehr brands.  We had quite a time together.

Despite the fact that right now life isn’t too hard Los Angeles would be much better deal.  I’m in favor of you and I getting a bottle of Scotch tonight, going  to your place, have a few drinks, and then "couchez avec". Non?

A touch – I know you would love to send me some goodies in order to  (make) life more pleasant???   So I am ending in a request.  You’re sweet for thinking so much of me!

Thats all for now – goota get some water in my helment and take a bath.

Try to dream of me and see what happens!

Bestest
Ted

[This page of the letter had a Mar 30 L.A. Post Mark on it for some reason ]

 

Please send non-perishable foods of any type.  Can use 35 mm film, all you can get.  Thanx

T G Leske