Leonard's Story: November 29, 1944

I could not figure out what WAH means.  And U.S. Philippines Invasion Money might be the counterfeit money the U.S. had printed up in Australia to trigger inflation and undermine confidence in the Japanese Invasion money. 
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                                                                 Philippines

                                                                 29th Nov

Dear Arnold,

     Just received your letter of the 14th.  So old Chezzer

got himself almost hooked!  Well, well the wolf gets caught

in a trap.  Tell him that what he gets for sticking his paws

in unknown places.  Tell him to write me all about it, I have'nt

heard from him in some time, but I guess he has been busy with

his wooing.  Things are going along as per usual here, not many

changes.  I just returned form Corps Hdqs, and although it is

only about ten miles away it is an all day trip, because of the

mud and rivers.  Mud, mud, mud what a place for a alot of pigs

to wallow in.  Are we pigs?  Well we are wallowing in it anyway.

I am glad to hear that you will have five more months in the

states after December 1st.  Are you nuts?  What in the hell

do you want to rush out here for anyway.  There is nothing out

here to induce a good clean living american boy to come out here. [in margin:] here, here

                                                                 Same Place

                                                                 30th Nov

     Well I was interrupted last night, I forgot why, but I

was so tired that I did'nt bother to finish your letter.

Lets see, what is new?  Not a damn thing, as far as I can see.

For us back here at Div Hqs, this is something like a field

problem or manuevers, except it ain't, its WAH.  I wish I

could get a chance to get my clothes washed (Filipinos wash

them), I am beginning to smell a bit strong.

     Well by the time this reaches you it will be winter.  I

can remember that delightful morning of the 1st of Jan, when I stepped

off the train into the cold, crisp air of Maryland.  I wish I

could do that again this January.  But here I am in the land of

eternal summer, sun tans?, and fatigues.  At night I dream of

the states.  This reminds me of OCS, when I use to dream I was

somewhere else, but when I woke up in the morning I was still

in OCS, but finally one sweet day came when I woke up out of

OCS, and then I began to dream I was back in OCS, viciouscircle

circle?  Well I have to wire some sockets up in our new G-2

tent, so I will close for now.  Enclosed you will find some

Jap invasion money (taken off some dead Japs) and some US

[page 2, reverse of letter]

Philippines Invasion Money. [handwritten] + a Dutch Guiller from dutch

New Guinea.

                                               love,

                                  [signed] Leonard

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Leonard's Story: November 21, 1944

Looks like a fold in the paper in the second paragraph has hidden some letters. Tuba juice is fermented sap from coconut palms or date palms. Uncle Len's G-2 tent might be a GI 2-person tent. And the Japanese invasion money was officially known as Southern Development Bank Notes, issued by the Japanese Military Authority, but called “Mickey Mouse money” by local Filipinos.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Print the complete address in plain letters in the panel below, and your return address in the space provided
on the right. Use typewriter, dark ink, or dark pencil. Faint or small writing is not suitable for photographing.
          TO Lt A. H. Nevis                   FROM  Lt. L. J. Nevis
                78 Mt Auburn St.                            Hq, 11th A/B Division
                Cambridge, Mass                            APO 468
                                                                        c/o PM, San Francisco, Cal
        LJNevis
[CENSOR'S STAMP]     SEE INSTRUCTION NO. 2         (Sender's complete address above)
                                                                                                                 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
                                                                                                                 NOV 21, 1944

DEAR ARNOLD,

     I AM WRITING THIS NOTE TONIGHT BECAUSE: 1/. I AM TIRED OF WORKING ALL
DAY, AND DO NOT WISH TO WORK TONIGHT.  2. I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE I
AM.  3. TO TELL YOU TO SAY AT HOME AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, THIS AIN'T NO
FUN.  I HOPE YOU CAN FIND TIME TO ANSWER ALL THESE LETTERS, I HAVE'NT
RECEIVED ONE FROM YOU IN SOME TIME.  I AM USING V MAIL BECAUSE I DON'T
HAVE ANY MORE STAMPED ENVELOPES, STAMPS, OR EVEN ENVELOPES.  WE ARE IN
A REAR AREA, AND NOT IN ANY DANGER.  THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY I WATCHED
TWO F-38S SHOOT DOWN A JAP PLACE.  IT LOOKED JUST LIKE THE MOVIES, SO YOU
DID'NT MISS ANYTHING.  THE JAP STARTED DOWN IN A STEEP DIVE TOWARDS THE
OCEAN, AND BURST INTO FLAMES.  HE HIT THE WATER WITH A HELL OF A SPLASH.
WE ARE AWAY FROM THE UNLOADING ZONE AND CAN SEE THE FLASHES OF THE BOMBS
AND AA FIRE, AND CAN HEAR DULL EXPLOSIONS.  THE NEAREST GUN FIRE I HAVE
BEEN IN HAPPENED TODAY WHEN ONE OF MY SGTS ACCIDENTALLY SHOT OFF HIS FORTY
FIVE IN THE G-2 TENT.  IT RAINED LIKE HELL ALL DAY YESTERDAY, AND SPRINK -
LED TODAY, SO WE HAVE NOT HAD AN ALERT.

     FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I HAVEBEEN DOWN IN THE SWPA, I HAVE SEEN
SOME HALF WAY CIVILIZED CIVILIANS (AFLATTERING TERM FOR NATIVES).  WE
HAVE QUITE A FEW FILIPINOS AROUND.  HEY ARE PRETTY RAGGED, AND WERE RATHER
HUNGRY WHEN WE ARRIVED.  THEY SOON BGAN TRADING AND SELLING COCONUTS, JAP
INVASION MONEY, AND TUBA JUICE (ALCOOLIC BEVERAGE).  THEY WERE MORE INTER-
ESTED IN TRADING FOR CLOTHES.  FOR ANOMINAL FEE OR TRADE THEY WILL DIG YOU
A FOXHOLE OR FIX YOUR TENT.  BIG BUSNESS!  THE ROUGH PART SO FAR IS GETTING
WET AND STAYING WET, CANNED RATIONS,LOTS OF WORK, TRYING TO KEEP CLEAN AND
THEN FINALLY TRYING NOT TO GET SO DITY, AND FINDING TIME TO HEED THE CALL
OF NATURE, I RESTRICT MYSELF TO EVEROTHER DAY, ITS A TOUGH PROPOSITION IN
INCLEMENT WEATHER WITH A SLIT TRENCH  I CENSORED A LETTER THE OTHER DAY
WHERE A GI SPENT WHOLE PAGE HUMOROSLY DESCRIBING THAT INCONVENIENCE.
IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE SNAFU ON THE HME FRONT, YOU SEE IT OUT HERE, IT IS
REALLY TARFU.  WE STILL DO THINGS TH ARMY WAY, SO FAR?  THE MOST RECENT
CS IS THAT OFFICERS HAVE TO STAND REILLE, OUT HERE.  WE ALSO HAVE TO WEAR
LEGGINS, BUT THEN MAYBE EVENTUALLY W WILL WEAR THEM OUT.  THERE IS LOTS OF
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS DIV AND THE 7TH DIV.  THE AIRBORNE BOYS TRY TO BE
A SPIT AND POLISH OUTFIT, AND SO FAR HAVE ONLY SEEN THE SPIT.  BY THE WAY
IT IS NOW EIGHT FIFTEEN PM HERE AND HE YOU ARE IT IS  ABOUT EIGHT FIFTEEN
AM, ALMOST EXACTLY TWELVE HOURS DIFERENCE.  A FIFTY MILE AN HOUR GALE WAS
EXPECTED LAST NIGHT, BUT THEWIND IS BLOWING IT MAY COME TONIGHT.
                                                                                                         LOVE, Leonard

HAVE YOU FILLED IN COMPLETE              REPLY BY         HAVE YOU FILLED IN COMPLETE
           ADDRESS AT TOP?                                   V-MAIL                     ADDRESS AT TOP?

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