Phil Wood's Letters
Letter #63
Going Out In The Field
To Margretta & Gretchen
13 April 1944
13 April
Dear Girls,
Your sketch of the Botanical Gardens was wonderful, Gretch. More! More! Do you want me to send my souvenirs, etc. home now or shall I bring them home with me. Might be safer to send them as a matter of fact – my trunk could get lost in my wanderings. We’re going out in the field for ten days and may not be able to get any letters off. Got a wonderful one from Bud which I’m forwarding.[1] Got some pictures, but they’re still on the film. For reading aloud be sure to get So Little Time (Marquand) and The Last Time I Saw Paris (Paul). You’d like the last one especially, Mother. And for a long lonely evening, anything of Dashiell Hammett’s – Red Harvest, Glass Key. Not mysteries, but blood curdling. I’ve been doing pretty well in poker, you’ll hear of it soon. Would still like to get Pete Karlow’s address if you can locate it.[2] A lot of my boys are at last getting their NCO promotions – corporals & sgts – which is a relief. A lot of them have been doing an NCO job for a long time now.[3]
Love
Phil
Footnotes
[1] “Bud” is a Swarthmore classmate, real name unknown, serving as a staff officer in England. The letter referenced here was included in Phil’s next airmail envelope.
[2] Serge Peter “Pete” Karlow was a Swarthmore classmate and Naval officer who joined the Office of Strategic Services; at the time of this letter, he was recovering from the loss of his leg in a mission off the coast of Italy. In 1962, as a CIA operative, he found himself falsely accused of being a mole, and was forced to resign in disgrace. Karlow won a long campaign to clear his name in 1989 and received a full apology.
[3] Mass promotions went into effect on April 27, 1944.
Coming soon.