"Dear Folks"

This letter is from Florida State’s Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, as part of the Sidney Rochelson Collection. Rochelson is writing to his parents about his unusually luxurious stay in Luxembourg at the time. He was some sort medic and was in charge of an entire ward of wounded men. Oddly he notes that they will probably be there for a while, not knowing that the war will end later that year. The letter is written in blue ink on white US Army stationary.

Sidney Rochelson

The Institute on World War II and the Human Experience

http://digital-collections.ww2.fsu.edu/scripto/items/show/842

Omeka

Peter Strobis

The Institute on World War II and the Human Experience

English

1925-1949

war letter

pen ink, paper

Person to Person (Analogue)

Luxembourg. March 6, 1945.

Dear Folks,
If I could tell you all the details of our present circumstances over here, you wouldn’t believe it. You would say “This Ain’t the Army.” I’ve already told you we live in a large modern house. I share a big room with one other officer. The electricity and the plumbing is the most modern: wall-switches, wall-plugs, hot and cold running water, steam heat. There are all the conveniences you would expect to find in a new, 3-story, <crossedout> [ ] <crossedout> house with a 2-car garage. The furniture is the same which was in the house, and is luxurious.

I sleep between sheets which are changed weekly. A civilian tends to the furnace and cleans the house. I’m supposed to be at work at 800 A.M. so I walk down to a swanky hotel, past the landscaped grounds, up to the large piazza, into the spacious lobby, and walk up, (elevators aren’t running as yet), to my “ward.” The “ward” consists of about 20 hotel rooms with about 3 beds in each room. My office was formerly the lobby on that <crossedout>particularly<crossedout> particular floor, and is set up for minor surgery, in addition to the desks, etc.

Then the officers’ “mess-hall.” It was one of the hotels’ restaurants, and the little tables are draped with table-cloths, and waited on by Luxembourg girls. And today, for the first time, we had dinner - music by a 5-piece orchestra! – Luxembourg musicians but they played American dance tunes. It’s truly amazing, don’t you think?
My outfit has charge of this hotel and another hotel nearly. There are several more hotels included in this convalescent hospital. From the looks of things, we will be in this location for a long time, perhaps for the duration of the war.

Feeling fine, Sidney.

The letter is written on Army stationary, so, at the top of each page, there is a gold, embossed Army insignia with the words "U.S. Army" written in gold underneath.

Dear Folks