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Today we have a letter written by G.I. Harry Lowell stationed in New Guinea to his relatives Bertha and George Schiller in San Francisco. When Harry and Eva arrived in the U.S., Eva lived with the Schillers while completing high school.
New Guinea
November 19, 1944Dear Bertha and George,
I received your last letter and was very glad to learn that you are on the way to recovery, George; when I get back I expect you to be in tip-top shape. As a matter of fact you will be well long before I return because I have a feeling that I’ll be away for quite a while yet.
I very much appreciated the package of lettuce seeds that you enclosed in your letter. I haven’t planted any lettuce yet for I want to wait until I get somewhat settled. I guess you know that I have moved since you last heard from me; the climate is a bit different here from that of the last location. It doesn’t rain as much here. I have already seen a lot of vegetable gardens in this area and judging from the appearance they seemed to be very satisfactory. I ate a New Guinea grown green pepper and found it absolutely tasteless although it looked like an ad in a seed catalogue. Well, pretty soon I’ll be working on my own experiments; I hope they will be successful because I miss my fresh vegetables and salads very much. I’d even give half a month’s beer ration for a big platter of fresh, crisp lettuce and tomato salad, and that’s saying a lot because beer is of great value over here.
I thank you for having reminded Eva to send that picture; she finally sent it; I think your encouragement and mine at last made her send it. (It took more than encouragement, didn’t it?) It is a very nice picture, don’t you think? (After all, she is my sister.)
In regards to news or exciting events there is nothing of interest to report; my morale is yet the same although I get homesick spells once in a while. During these spells I mope around like a lovesick Hereford bull and talk only when absolutely necessary; incidentally, the spells do not occur but once a month So you see, I am not in such bad shape yet. I wonder if I will be just as cheerful two years from now when I am still over here. (Don’t you think I have a rather optimistic outlook on life?)
Well folks, I hope this letter will find you both well and happy and I also hope that I’ll see you soon.
Fondly,
Harry.P.S. Say hello to all for me, please.
P.P.S. You’ll find my new address on the envelope.
In the August 7 post, Harry bemoaned the lack of vegetables and asked Bertha and George to send seeds. He also asked them to nag his sister to send a photo. Harry may have kept carbon copies of his letters – he certainly has a vivid memory of that previous letter. There are references to cattle in each letter as well as wonderful cartoon self-portraits. My mother Eva saved all of Harry’s war letters and also had those he sent to Hilda and Nathan Firestone. However, I found Harry’s letters to Bertha and George Schiller in Harry’s papers.
Harry’s appetite appears to have been influenced by the years he spent in California – I don’t imagine that lettuce and tomato salads were common in Vienna.
Included with this letter was the cartoon below:
