Johnnie wrote Lucile on August 30, 1944 letting her know her cousin Irvin had visited him. He also let Lucile know that he had shared some of her letters with him.
My Dearest Darling,
Just to let you know I am OK now and that I am back with my outfit. I got back yesterday evening. Guess who was here hunting me—your cousin Irvin. He looks good and he is alright. He stayed with me last nite and left today to go back to his outfit. It sure was good to see him. We talked of old times and of you. He hasn’t changed much, but he thinks I have a lot. O’yeah, when I got back, I had about twelve letters from you. One from your Mother, also. I let Irvin see some of them and he said you know that girl is crazy about you. I told him I hope you was. I also told him that you were what kept me going over here. I hope you don’t mind me but its the truth. Irvin says he is coming back Sunday. We are at a rest area now. He said he was going to write you and let you know he found me. Tell Virgil and Edna he’s OK, will you? I can’t understand why you haven’t received the forty dollars I sent you. I sent it before I sent you the twenty-five. It really burns me up. Well Darling, it is getting late and I can hardly see to write so I will close. Please write steady. I miss you a lot and I love you a million.
Always Johnnie.
P.S. I received a letter from Happy!!
Love, Johnnie
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Lucile's cousin, Irvin Stacks |
Happy was Johnnie’s nephew, Clarence Harold Wilson, son of his aunt Louise Marston.
The first and last pages of a letter written in late August 1944 are missing so we only know a piece of what was on Johnnie’s mind that day. It has a postmark stamp with the date August 30, 1944 on it.
… right. So please don’t be mad about it. I will write Dad and tell him the reason I wanted him to get it instead of you. I wouldn’t want them to get the wrong impression of you. You have done wonders for me, in case I have never told you, and you are above everything else, regardless of what it is. And as long as I know you are for me, that’s all that matters. Honey, you can send me four packs of Prince Albert pipe tobacco and some of the cheese crackers and homemade fudge candy. The …
By August 30, the Regiment was camped in an area north of Certaldo. That afternoon, they held an assembly and presented awards to 25 officers and enlisted men. During the period August 27–31, the 92nd American Division stayed with the Regiment to gain combat experience. The Brazilian Expeditionary Force spent several days with them to prepare for going into the line. During the month of August, 3 Distinguished Service Cross Medals (1 missing in action), 13 Silver Stars, 2 Oak Leaf Clusters to Bronze Star Medals, 30 Bronze Stars (1 posthumously), 41 Purple Hearts, and 97 Combat Infantryman Badges were awarded. One officer and 16 enlisted men were killed in action, 4 officers and 72 enlisted men were wounded in action, and 1 officer and 25 enlisted men were missing in action. The Regiment now consisted of 179 officers, 5 warrant officers, and 3400 enlisted men.
Click here to read the Operations Report by the 337th Infantry Regiment for September 1944.
September began with the Regiment in a temporary camp near Certaldo, Italy with the soldiers “enaged in a program of training which stressed firing of weapons, mountain combat, physical conditioning, scouting and patrolling.” Preparations were complete on all accounts for “engaging in the new Fifth Army offensive against the vaunted Gothic Line.”
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Certaldo is in the vicinity circled in red. Source: https://mapcruzin.com/free-italy-maps.htm. |
Irvin did in fact send a V-mail to Lucile from Italy on September 1, 1944 and told her about his visit with Johnnie.
Wednesday, Italy.
Dear Luke,
How do I find my cousin feeling now. Well Luke I have got some good news for you. I finally found Johnie. Boy we sure did have a good time. He didn't know what to do when he saw me. We both was tickled to death to see one another. I stayed two days and a night with him. We talked about home and things. You know he got a lot of Atlanta papers, and we was looking at them and found our pictures in them, mine and his. I hope to go back over their Sunday to see him again. Tell Dorothy to write. She has never answered my letter.
With love, Irvin
Johnnie wrote Lucile a V-mail on September 2, 1944 about receiving letters from her and her sisters, all of which made him happy. He was also concerned about why she had not received some money he had sent her.
My Dear Darling Wife,
I received three letters yesterday, one from you, Dot, and Nell. I was glad to hear from you especially and to know you are alright. Also, Dot and Nell. Both of them told me about you girls having a big dance. Dot said she showed all of you how to really get down to it, Ha Ha. Honey, about the forty dollars I sent you, I can’t understand why you have never received it. I don’t believe I can do anything about it because I lost the receipt. I am sending you forty more. I hope this makes it. Will close. I miss you a lot and I love you a million.
Johnnie
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Lucile’s sisters, Dot and Nell Stacks |
Johnnie will always worry about Lucile. He made that clear in his September 3, 1944 V-mail to her.
My Dear Darling,
Just a few lines to let you know I am OK and hope that this finds you the same. Received a letter from you that just took eight days to get to me, not bad. You asked me in this letter to quit worrying about you. Well, it’s no use to ask me that because as long as I am not there to look after you, I will always worry. I received a letter from Louise yesterday also. She was really burnt up on what I wrote her, but she said she had it coming to her. O yes, she said Evelyn and Bill was married now. I will write more on other V-mail.
Love, Johnnie
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Johnnie's sister, Louise |
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