We have to buy our PX rations again.
Thursday, May 27, 1943
Air raid at Bizerte.
Friday, May 28, 1943
We have orders to dig foxholes.
Sunday, May 30, 1943
Some of our boys go to Bone [also known as Annaba] and draw new trucks.
Tuesday, June 1, 1943
A letter home.
Dear Folkes,
Just a few lines this morning to let you know I am alright. I got some mail yesterday, three letters from you and they were all V letters. The latest one was dated May 11th. By the way your letters read, you must have written some letters that I haven't gotten yet. How much defense bonds have you bought for me now? And how much in the bank? I can buy defense bonds over here now and I have already bought an eighteen dollar one. You should get it pretty soon. From now on I would like to have you put all my money in the bank and I will buy the bonds over here.
Who did you get the horses from? And what do they look like? And say, did Bert get alright or how is he?
Guess I will close for now. I am fine.
Love, Howard
We move to Ferryville [also known as Menzel-Bourguiba]. Rumored that we will lose our trucks and become dock workers.
Friday, June 4, 1943
I go to Bizerte to learn how to operate winch on ship. Company moves to Bizerte. Sent $50 home about this time.
We are poised at the very northern tip of Tunisia. Just 1o0 miles to the northeast, across the Mediterranean, is Sicily which is still very much in enemy hands.
Editor's note: During the summer of 1943, the port of Bizerte, Tunisia, was a vitally important staging area for the preparation of the Allied invasion of Sicily, the heavily fortified outpost of Hitler's "Fortress Europe." As a result, Bizerte was subject to air raids almost nightly by the German Luftwaffe in an attempt to destroy these Allied efforts.
Tuesday, June 8, 1943
Start hauling from Bizerte docks
Saturday, June 12, 1943
Turn in our wool clothing. Air raid at 8:15 p.m. No damage.
Monday, June 14, 1943
Go through gas chamber. Working all summer hauling from docks. Trucks run 24 hours per day. Very tiresome work. Weather is awfully hot and dry.
Work on the docks at Bizerte was a backbreaking, twenty-four hour a day job subject to nightly air raids. We were preparing for another invasion. [Allen, 77]
Tuesday, July 6, 1943
Air raid at 4 a.m. Send $50 home.
True Story: During the summer of 1943 we were hauling to and from the docks of Bizerte. One nite there was a bad air raid. An American was guarding a bunch of German prisoners who were on a work detail on the docks. The guard went nuts and was running around like he was crazy. The guard had been in combat and he had a case of war nerves, or whatever they call it when your nerves are shot. He dropped his rifle and the prisoners went chasing after the guard. They didn't want to be separated from their guard. They had no desire to escape.WAR UPDATE: July 10, 1943. Operation Husky begins: the Allied invasion of Sicily.
Tuesday, July 13, 1943
See prisoners brought in from Sicily.
Wednesday, July 14, 1943
As you can tell by this letter, money was a constant concern.
July 14, 1943 Dear Folkes,
I rec'd the V letter tonite, which you wrote on June 23. I was glad to get it as I haven't gotten many letters from you lately. That was the first one for quite a while. I have been getting more letters from Lois than from you for quite a while. I think it's because she sends me more V letters than anything else. I think the V letters are coming through lots faster and safer now. I haven't been sending harldy any V letters either so perhaps you aren't getting mine. I have been writing quite often. I sent you a picture of me a few weeks ago. I also sent you a package. I also sent you a fifty dollar money order not long ago. Now speaking of money, your letter puzzled me a little. You say I have $357 worth of bonds and certificates and ninety in the bank. On second thought tho, that may compare with my figures because you haven't gotten the last money order I sent and the July allotment hadn't got there yet when you wrote, and besides I have bought three eighteeen dollar bonds through the army. Since last August I have sent you one twenty-five dollar order, three fortys and three fiftys. That makes $295. Then by now you should have gotten ten 30 dollar allotments. That makes another three hundred and then my three eighteen dollar bonds from the army. That makes nearly 650 dollars according to my figures. Maybe your figures compare with mine by now. Howard
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