Transcription of Document FFDoc-0040.pdf

146 - 92 Street
        Brooklyn, NY
        Feb. 21, '45

Dear Frank,

This will be a surprise to you, Frank, hearing from an old gal like myself.

But your letter to John came about ten days ago, after John had left here for his "post" abroad. His mail is piling up here and I haven't any address yet that I can forward it to.

I received one picture postcard which didn't tell me much as it was censored. But he left here Jan 28th, and as to-day is Feb. 21st I feel I ought to be getting something from him soon.

He went all the way by air plane, from here to Ireland, then to Casablanca, then on to the end of his journey, you know where?

He told me not to forward any of his mail until I hear from him. So I got thinking that if it will take all this time for his mail to reach him after I get a definite address to send it to, Lord knows when you would get an answer to your letter, so I am passing this information on so you will understand.

Now, Frank, I must confess that I opened your letter and read it, not that I'm nosey. Frank, never think that! I just wanted to know what was in it, that's all, ha!

But to tell the truth, John told me to open all of his overseas mail, and when I write to send him any change in A.P.O., or any important news in my first letter, so he wouldn't have to wait until I send them all on, and he peruse through them.

So I will send your A.P.O. address on in case it is different than the one he has, just as soon as I get word from him, then he can write you.

There are two letters here from Eugene, in which he tells John of some exploring he did on the Isle he is on. He doesn't seem to be very busy[?] about anything, but then, you can't tell much from Eugene whether he is or not. There are two snapshots of him here that his mother sent John, quite primitive, in the nude, all but shorts. It sure must be warmer there than it is here. Boy! have we had winter here!

There are a car load of letters here from John Duffy, he writes about every day I guess.

John is in England and had his first mission over Germany last week, by now I suppose he has had more. Don O'Connor is in England too. He, like John Duffy, doesn't like the cold, wet, weather there, lonesome too, that's another letter I read. I'm having lots of fun!

There are several here from Frank Meyer, he is in France, do you know him? I'm not sure. And one from Norman Krone, you remember him from St. Anselms, don't you? He is in the Navy and stationed some where near Holland and France, (land based).

That's all about the boys that I can tell you, Frank. About us, John's father has been sick since Thanksgiving time, nervous breakdown. I believe he is improving, but it is slow. John was quite worried about it when he went away.

"I" am disgustingly healthy. Frank Brennan was home sick for four or five weeks, be is alright now I guess.

Brooklyn looks terrible, you never saw such dirty streets in all your life. We have had so much snow and ice and it has hardened so that they cannot clean up the streets. But I'll bet, Frank, you would love walking along those dirty old streets, wouldn't you? Meat is getting scarcer and scarcer. I haven't seen any beef or lamb for months and last Friday I went down to 86th Street to see if I could get any pork at "Merkles", and I had to line up outside on the sidewalk for twenty minutes before I could get inside the door, after more than an hour. I went home without anything, because all they had left was pigs knuckles, pigs tails, and pigs liver, besides blood sausage, so we had bacon and eggs for Sunday, I had the bacon in (lucky me).

I go to Mass every morning at the visitation now because it is Lent. I like to play a game, Frank, when I'm there, and imagine, my John, and you, are in the same seat (back seat, left hand side) with me. You know I just look straight ahead and never look sideways even out of the corner of my eye, in that way I can imagine you are both there. Gee! I wish you were. But you are there in spirit I know, and I pray for you both.

I sure enjoyed your letter, you write a very interesting one. But don't bother to answer this one, Frank, I was just batting for John.

Best wishes from us.

Kathryn C. Collon