DIY History | Transcribe | World War II Diaries and Letters | John William Graham letters, May-July 1944 | 1944-06-27 M/Sgt. John W. Graham to Mr. & Mrs. W.J. Graham Page 1

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John William Graham letters, May-July 1944

1944-06-27 M/Sgt. John W. Graham to Mr. & Mrs. W.J. Graham Page 1

June 27, 1944
Dear Dad & Mom:
Boy its been beastly hot here today, at least tho there was a little breeze stirring or it would have been nearly unbearable. Im having an awful time with my writing stand the ground is just a little uneven and it keep teetering around. Got two letters from you & a three page V-mail from Irma all of which I enjoyed.
Just got my dirty clothes sacked up for the laundry, have to monkey with duplicate slips etc. but it sure beats doing it yourself in a helmet and having to carry water. Cleaned out our tent today too carried out and aired all the blankets & shook the dust out of my clothes.
This paper is getting a mess the sweat is dripping of the end of my nose & where my hand rests on it theres a smudged spot. Guess you can read it tho.
The people are harvesting their wheat now and such primitive methods they use. A few wealthy ones have little six foot horse drawn binders but the majority cut it with sickles & bind it by hand and pile it up in funny little piles. One of the boys set up about a half dozen nice shocks in one field but that didnt suit them, we noticed the next day they were torn down & they were piled, about forty bundles to a pile with the heads in the center and in a rectangular shape. They dont cap them in any way and soon start hauling them off in their funny little two wheeled carts. I'd often heard and seen the picture of the Gleaners but over here I saw it, old women & kids come out with sacks

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June 27, 1944 Dear Dad & Mom: Boy its been beastly hot here today, at least tho there was a little breeze stirring or it would have been nearly unbearable. Im having an awful time with my writing stand the ground is just a little uneven and it keep teetering around. Got two letters from you & a three page V-mail from Irma all of which I enjoyed. Just got my dirty clothes sacked up for the laundry, have to monkey with duplicate slips etc. but it sure beats doing it yourself in a helmet and having to carry water. Cleaned out our tent today too carried out and aired all the blankets & shook the dust out of my clothes. This paper is getting a mess the sweat is dripping of the end of my nose & where my hand rests on it theres a smudged spot. Guess you can read it tho. The people are harvesting their wheat now and such primitive methods they use. A few wealthy ones have little six foot horse drawn binders but the majority cut it with sickles & bind it by hand and pile it up in funny little piles. One of the boys set up about a half dozen nice shocks in one field but that didnt suit them, we noticed the next day they were torn down & they were piled, about forty bundles to a pile with the heads in the center and in a rectangular shape. They dont cap them in any way and soon start hauling them off in their funny little two wheeled carts. I'd often heard and seen the picture of the Gleaners but over here I saw it, old women & kids come out with sacks