WWII Diary of Chick Bruns – 70 Years Ago

Chick Bruns, Taken in Naples, Italy

Dear Mother & Dad;

Well it has been some time since I have wrote to you, but I will try to do better from now one.  We have the day off today being as it is thanksgiving.  We had a show last night.  It seems pretty good to go to a show for a change.  It’s a wonder they even held a show.  It rains all of the time here, or I should say off and on all of the time.  I’ve never seen such bad weather in all my life.  I used to think Washington was bad, but not anymore.  I wrote home and ask you to send me my hunting boots, but now we have been issued rubber hip boots so you won’t have to send them.

Thanks a million for the package, but I guess you folks just don’t know what to send a soldier over seas.  I have no use for a money belt, as I have no money.  In either goes home or in the soldiers deposit.  Boy those candy bars were just like being bought here at the PX.  This cold weather must have done the track.  The last box that you sent me, the heat had cause them to crumble.  I also got a few other packages with gum and lifesavers in them.  Never send down, because it’s hard to get at home, in its issued to us over here.  We get all the gum and lifesavers we want, in combat.  Also never send any soap as we are issued that too.  I don’t believe any of you for not knowing what to send as you always ask what to sand and I never tell you.

I have a few of your letters to answer they are dated between October 28 to 31, and November 1 to the 8th.  There are a few questions in the one letters but I will answer what is in there.  Glad that you have heard from me.  You ask whether I was in Italy when I wrote the September 12 letter.  No, I was still at Trapani in Sicily.  We landed here September 20 and I think the first letter I wrote was to you and dad dated October 5.  So don’t feel slighted in getting the second letter, ha ha.  You’re griping about these Fellows being back in the states and going to school.  Well I think the same way as by the time they get through with training the war will be over, but I don’t think it’s any different for those Fellows they go to school, then the other nine million men fighting to get in the U.S.O’s rather that fighting over here.  Many and of them say that they want to get over sea’s, but they will soon change their mind when they get here.  I would just love to write to the paperback all men tell them what a fellow really goes through over here.  I’m just glad that I’m in the engineers and not in the infantry.  How they stand it is beyond me.  There is one outfit that I will take my hat off to.  I did I take out a of Bud it always saying that he is coming over seas, but he has been saying that for a year now, ha, ha.  But he will be so far behind the front lines that he will never hear the gunfire.  This war has taken a lot out of me, but these Fellows, or I should say the USO soldiers had never say anything to me about how tough they had it in the army.  That’s one thing I don’t want anyone to mention to me when I get home and that’s anything about the army.  Guess mother I still have my sleeping bag and it is worth a million dollars.  I am also using a Fellows cot well if he is gone to the hospital, so I am pretty lucky to be up off the ground.  You had better have those comic books stopped as I never get them, and send them to me yourself.  I will write home in my letters for them.

I have seen Naples and Pompeii, and I had a swell time.  I was on the go all of the time, and covered the city as much as I could.  I doubt if I ever get another chance to see it, so I made the best of it.  Pompeii was really something to see.  It’s hard to believe how a city could stand so long.  There’s nothing there but ruins, but still it was very interesting.  I took a few pictures so I will be sending them home one of these days.  When you get them send them away and have them enlarged.  I have over 100 pictures to be added to my collection.  I went in the Naples cathedral, was it ever beautiful.  They have guides to take you around and explain everything two U.  One altar was made in the 14th century, and it took the artist 20 years to carve it out of solid piece of bronze.  Many of the altars were all sand bagged down so that the falling bombs would not damage it any.  They still have the all regional church also in the cathedral.  Some of the paintings and pillars date back before the coming of Christ.  It was all very beautiful and it has been the prettiest church than I have seen since I have been over seas.

How did you like your Christmas present?  I also told Gee in her letter to have you and that take 25 dollars apiece out of my money and buy your cells what every you want to.  It’s a shame that I can’t find anything that dad would like over here, but someday I will.  Say by the way when is he going to write me.  I look for a letter from him all of the time but none seems to come.  I know my old man, and he just doesn’t like to write.

I also had my picture taken while I was in Naples.  It’s not very good, but at least it’s a picture.  Well mom and then I’d better bring this to a close.  Tell everyone a low for me and if I don’t write to them not to gripe too much as I will get around to them one of these dates.  I know Mrs. Fleshner calls you so im way behind in writing to her.  We are going to have Turkey for thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.  Pretty good Huh?  Well goodbye again and I will try to do better in my letter writing to you both.  I will be thinking and loving you both all of the time.

Your loving son,
“Chick”