Letters from the Brown Jug

Belgium December 3, 1944   Dear Dad:   Haven’t had any mail from you for a while but I guess it will catch up some of these days. I haven’t got any of the cigarettes you sent yet. Sure wish they would come as cigarettes are quite a problem over here. A lot of fellows are receiving Christmas presents and packages now but so far none of mine have arrived as yet. Don’t get much mail anymore since I’ve got behind in my correspondence. Porter will be home for Christmas, in fact he is probably back in the states as I write this. Well that’s about all I know at present. I am in the best of health at present and hope you are the same. Tell them all howdy and take it easy.   So long, Mel

Dec. 12, 1944 Belgium   Howdy Dude:   Received your Thanksgiving card yesterday and was sure glad to hear from you. I am in the best of health at present and hope this letter finds you and the tribe the same. Belgium is a very nice country and a lot like the states. They sure have a lot of American cars over here. They sure got good beer over here, tastes just like ours, but it’s only one percent and you don’t get no buzz out of it. I been smoking Dukes myself for about six weeks as we haven’t been able to get any smokes. They really have good work horses, mostly all sorrels and roans. These big Belgian horses can really do the work. In France they had mostly Percheron’s and nearly all of the good ones were grays. Well Dude will close for this time. Hope you and the tribe have a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. So long.   Your old buddy The Jug

Belgium Dec. 16, 1944   Dear Grandmother:   Received both your Thanksgiving and Christmas cards yesterday and was very glad to hear from you and to know that you and the tribe are ok. I am in the best of health at present. I wouldn’t make a statement as to how long I’ll stay that way though. Thanks for sending the box. I haven’t received any Xmas boxes to date, but from my letters I have quite a few on the way. They work oxen on the farms here, nearly as much as horses. Have seen quite a number of dry milk cows pulling carts and wagons. The work them in teams just like horses. Well I’ll close for this time. Hope you and the tribe have a Merry Xmas and a Happy New year. So long.   Love, Mel

Belgium December 16, 1944   Dear Dad:   Received several letters from you in the past two or three days. They were old letters but I was still glad to get them. Glad to hear the whole gang is ok. I am in the best of health at present. Got my first Christmas present the other day. Russ sent me ten pictures of the ranch in a small leather case that folds up like a wallet. The weather has been pretty good up here so far. It don’t rain near as much as it does in France. Have had just a few cold nights. They have quite a few billiard tables over here but none with pockets. Billiards is a pretty good game after you play a while. Well so long for now. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.   Your pardner, The Jug Hal, Dixie, Milton, Ruth & Perry Bryan Hal, Mel, Perry

Belgium December 24, 1944   Dear Dad:   Just a line to let you know that I am in the best of health at present and hope all the folks at home are the same. I received six packages the other day but haven’t gotten yours yet. It’s clear and cold here today and the pine trees sure look pretty with the frost on them. I had my picture taken the other day and am enclosing two.   Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. So long.   Your pardner, Brown Jug

Belgium December 24, 1944   Howdy Dude:   Received your package on the twentieth and sure appreciate it. Remind me to buy you a sack of Dukes when I get home. Also received a package from Grandma and Marie the same day, in fact I got six packages that day.   I am in the best of health at present and you all are the same. A fellow came around taking pictures so I had a few taken and am enclosing two. The guy in the picture is my best friend. He played First Base on our ball team. He’s a lefty and plays first class ball. We haven’t played any since we left England.   In closing I would like to again wish the tribe a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for the boxes.   Your old buddy, Brown Jug  

Belgium January 1, 1945   Dear Dad:   Received a few v-mails from you in the past week so I guess I owe you a letter. Glad to hear you are all doing ok. I am in the best of health at present. Winter seems to be here to stay. The ground has been froze solid for quite a while. We have had some snow, but it don’t seem to stick.   Porter is at Galeburg, Illinois in the hospital. If I’m not mistaken he is home on a furlough as I write this letter.   I received two packages from the Noxons and a pocket picture album with about twenty pictures of the ranch. So far I have received eleven packages and from the letters I have gotten I have about six more on the way. I have never got the Kool’s that you sent me. I guess they have been side tracked somewhere. I have changed A.P.O.s since you sent them. The cigarette shortage over here seems to be gradually working out, and soon we hope to be back on our regular ration quota.   I got a package from Kenny’s mom, and she said ...