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| 69 Days |
Northern Ireland
March 31, 1944
Dear Mother,
For once I've got some letter time so will write to you a few lines. For the last four or five days I've had a couple or more letters each day and last night I got my box. I intended to write last night but mail call was about eight at which time I was busy cleaning my rifle. I was all grease and dirty had to shave, change clothes, so after reading mail, opening my box it was close to time for bed as we were up by five. Two or three boys received boxes, one was a Christmas box ha, ha, but all in all, we pitched in and had a treat, almost like Christmas all over.
Gee, one good thing we're not having quite as much rain as we did and have the days grown long. Some of the trees are beginning to bud but still we have some cold nights with heavy frost or freezes.
One letter from you was dated Feb 7 but two others were March six and eight. Gosh, some of my mail sure have been on the road a long time. At that rate, this letter should reach you about this summer. Guess I'll send this by air mail and see how long it takes. Telling about that medicine you took and how it made you feel, well. I hoped you didn't throw any beans, haha. Glad Scott got his belly full, maybe some will find out this is no picnic and there's nothing like being free even if you do have to work. When your day's work is done you're free and can go where you like and don't have to ask someone if you can have a pass to go out or if you've been a good boy so you can get a pass. Here you're on twenty-four hours a day and no time is your own. You do your own things when you find time ---- if you find time and aren't too tired.
One of your letters had a nice poem at the top and I'm going to keep it.
Tell Eugene (his brother) those gloves were swell and I sure can use them but they're too good for working on the gun. I wanted some of those plain cloth brown work gloves but I'll keep these he sent and use the ones I have here. When they wear out I'll turn them in for more. Those I had would get dirty and when you'd put them on your hands would be all grease. The round strings were too dark but someday I'll use them in a place where it won't matter as long as you have a pair of laces.
That clipping and picture you sent seemed a little mixed up at first but after reading it the second time it came to me. She seems to be quite a nice looking girl.
I hope Dad is alright and can find help for his eyes. You sure you're telling me everything. Please try not to worry.
Yes, Mom, Helen did write me a nice letter but still don't see why she hasn't been up to see you. Maybe we don't know how the girl feels. I have a good idea what will happen when she does come up, and maybe she knows it.
Well, Mom, I'll call this a letter and close but please keep up courage as that's one thing which will wear you down if you lose it. Tell Dad everything is okay and I'm feeling fine. Looking for that day when I'll be home.
Lots of Love to All,
Son Charles
I have no idea who Scott was in this letter but he sure got my uncle sharing how he was feeling being a soldier and being miles away from home. As he said, "It's no picnic." I am sure that many if not most soldiers felt this way. Most like my uncle were great soldiers I would believe, but losing your "freedom" when you enter the military must be quite an overwhelming feeling at times. You are an adult that was working, coming home after work, going out in the evening with very little restrictions especially if you were single. Even a married person who has family responsibilities would still feel less restrictions on their freedom then in the service.
You have to ask permission when you want to go some where. "Get a pass. "Childhood deja vu feelings were likely normal experiences. Your "work" schedule is likely more demanding and it wasn't a job you could just quit if you didn't like it. Those above you could be nice or extremely demanding and you don't go running to tell the person above him your complaints.
You must feel a variety of emotions. Proud to be fighting and defending your country. Wanting to make your family proud of you while not being able to tell them what you are really doing in Northern Ireland. A sense of fear must hit at times, you really want to share how you really feel, but you don't want your parents, family, or friends worrying about you. At the same time, you are concerned about those back home. As Uncle Charlie asks his mother, "Are you telling me everything about Dad?"
Before even going into battle there is a battle going on inside you. There are likely other soldiers that really get on your nerves. You are fighting your own insecurities. Questions bombard you and you find yourself struggling to sleep. You want to run but you want to prove to others you can handle whatever is thrown your way. You don't want to disappoint yourself as much as others. Yet you can't wait to get back home.
Then as in anyone's life there are unresolved issues or problems back at home you can't solve even if you could if you were back home. I think of this about Helen he keeps writing about. There is some kind of problem. We definitely don't know and as we well know even if we are privy to the issues that are happening we still may not be seeing the full picture. A soldier thousands of miles away and letters is the only form of communication must get frustrated and more so when letters can be weeks late as we saw in this letter.
Uncle Charlie is already fighting on two "fronts"(himself and life back home) and the battles in the European Theater are still 69 days away. How will these new battles impact the battles he is already dealing with at this time when he wrote this letter? Each soldier will have to deal with these many issues. Each will deal with them differently in some degree while some will not be able to take it.
It would be easy to tell a soldier to get yourself together. How could that soldier desert his buddies? Others seem to be able to handle it. It is so easy to judge or think you know what you would do. But do any of us really know how we would have handled the present issues my uncle is facing and the battles that are yet to come?
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Some information about our American GI's in Northern Ireland you may wish to visit GI Trail NI - discover the path the GI's took in Northern Ireland from the site below.
http://gitrailni.com/about/doing_wp_cron=1512862007.1979300975799560546875 
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