1942 Nov.

 

                                                                                     Nov. 8, 1942

Dear Mrs. Sanford,

Your card arrived late yesterday afternoon, I’m afraid just a little too  late as we had already made plans for today.  I wish we had heard a little sooner as there is nothing I would like more that to come out to visit you again.  All this happened through no fault of yours as the card would have been delivered in plenty of time had things been a little more settled.  We have just been moved to another squadron here at the base, the 808th, and as a result everything, including mail, has become quite mixed up.   

I was very pleased to hear that my mother had written you a letter so soon.  I have meant to write you ever since we were out but this is the first real opportunity to call a minute my own.

We all had a really wonderful   time at your home.  It is just the kind of a day that most of us dreamed about spending.  I wish that I was able to express just the way I feel about it but I’m afraid that is just a little beyond me.

After I had read your card I talked with the other fellows.  They would all like very much to come out again sometime.  We still have Sunday off.  However we all feel that it i asking an awful lot of you to have an invasion of four soldiers at one time and we  felt that  perhaps it might be much better for you if only two of us came at one time.  I would very much like to come out next Sunday and bring one of the others with me.  I don’t know how this would work out with you but I’d like very much to be able to take you to dinner here in town.  Perhaps you could come in town Saturday night with all your family, go to dinner with us and then we could drive out to your home with you.  We would be more than glad to sleep on the floor or anywhere.  If this were not possible, if you could tell us how to get to your place we would hitch-hike out Sunday morning.  However I hope it works out so that you can come in to town Saturday to have dinner with us as we would like very much to try in this very small way to repay you for your kindness.

I shall be hoping to hear from you soon. 

Sincerely

Bill Andrews

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                                Penns Grove, N.J.

                                Nov. 6, —42

My dear Mrs. Sanford,

How very nice of you to write to me, that you had entertained my son.  I do appreciate to so much.  Buddy wrote to me and told me what a lovely day he had spent with a family he was sorry to say he couldn’t remember your name, but he would never 

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forget the people and how grand you were to him.  So I assume it was you.

When Buddy went into the service, it was the first time away from home except on vacation.  So it makes me very happy to know that there are people who do appreciate the boys lack of homes.  When they enter a home again they think it is a little piece of heaven.  He was so high in his praise of you, and for all the people out west. he said, “if all the people in the world were like the people he met in Sioux Falls, there just never could be any wars.” 

I really think that is quite a compliment.

We miss him so much.  I didn’t dream it could be so lonesome with one gone out of the family.  You see, I have a daughter 21, and 2 boys 12 & 15 but I guess if I had a dozen I still would miss him.  But it is something to know that he is happy in his surroundings.  I think that is half the battle.

Some day  I hope to have the pleasure of seeing the west.  We are from Michigan and Wisconsin originally.  Though we have spent 6 yrs. in the East and have seen most of it, in our travels.  I’ll always look forward to the place Buddy calls God’s Country and God’s people.

Thank you again for both Buddy and myself.

Most Sincerely

Mildred M. Allen

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                                        Wednesday, Nov.11, 1942.

Dear Mrs. Sanford:

I received your kind letter and I want to thank you for your kindness to my son Henry.  He has written to me and told me about the wonderful time he had at your home two weeks ago.  I am sure your kindness to him and the other boys is  greatly  appreciated by them, because as you realize they are a long way from 

home.  It certainly must seem good to the boys to get away from camp life once in a while.

My family and I mess Henry more than we can say and we are all looking forward to his home coming.  It seems so long since he has been away.  It is pleasing to know that he likes it out there in Sioux Falls and also that he is doing so well in his schooling.

Yes, we all hope and pray that this terrible was will be over very soon.

My family and myself want to thank you again for your kindness to Henry.

From your dear friend,

Mrs. Annie M. MacKnight

27 Liberty St.

Westerby R.I.