Postmark: 10/17/1943

Return Address:

Pvt. V. Misitano
Co. A. 350 Inf.
APO 88
Fort Sam Houston, Texas
U.S. Army

Oct. 15, 1943
Fri. nite 7:45

Dearest Mother,

    I received your letter yesterday and enjoyed reading it very much.

   I got back from the patrol last night and during the problem we captured every enemy supply post and had plenty to eat. The rations were mostly vegetable stew and meat and beans and it was really good.

   I'm still out on bivouac but we are going to go in to camp tomorrow morn.

   Mother, you said in your letter that you hope I get as much enjoyment out of reading your letters as you do mine. Mother, you'll never know how anxious I am to read your letter the moment I get them. I do enjoy reading them mother an awful lot.

   I guess Tony is leaving today, huh mother. Well mother dear, don't worry or feel sad because it won't be long till all of us will be home again and happy.

   Have you heard from Joe yet mother? As soon as you do let me know will you mother?

   Mother, you told me to tell you whether this is a port of embarkation or not.

   Mother, this is NOT a port of embarkation so please don't worry about anything.

   If it were you could tell right away by the way my letters would read. So mother don't worry because there is nothing to worry over. I'll be home before you know it and Tony Phil and Joe will be right with me, too.

   Mother, you asked me if I wanted my bag back. No mother I don't need it but when I do I'll send for it. O.K. mother? And mother there isn't anything that I want from home, I have everything that I need.

   Mother there is only one thing that you could do for me and that is buy Rosie a small birthday present for me. I don't care what you buy for her or how much you spend, that is if you want to. Will you want to mother? ans.

   Well mother, it's pretty hard writing with light from a candle so until I get another chance to write I'll close with lots of love to you mother dear, daddy and the kids.

   Your loving Son,

"Jimmy"

P.S.

   Mother I'm O.K. so please don't worry about me. God bless you mother, and keep you safe for me.

   I love you mother dear.

Ports of Embarkation (Notes from Wikipedia):

When war broke out in Europe in 1939 only New York was operating as a port of embarkation on the Atlantic seaboard. As the nation prepared for conflict a supply center in New Orleans was elevated to a POE with another facility at Charleston becoming a sub-port of New York POE with the War Department developing the concept for the fully developed Port of Embarkation concept operating after entry into the war.

An Army "Port of Embarkation" (POE) is not simply some Army shipping terminal. An Army POE was a command structure and interconnected land transportation, supply and troop housing complex devoted to efficiently loading overseas transports.

Any primary POE could have sub-ports and cargo ports even in other cities or temporarily assigned for movements between the United States to one of the overseas commands it normally served. In World War I port facilities in Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and even in Canada served as sub-ports to the NYPOE. An important special cargo function involved mail in which the POE was required to ensure all mail sacks were properly labeled, met the earliest sailing date and were distributed in such a way that loss of one ship would not destroy all mail destined for a unit.

For troop movements the most critical timing factor was availability of the transports and sailing dates so that the most effective means of minimizing delays at the port was for the POE to control the movement of troops from their home stations to the port as well as having responsibility for ensuring troops were properly equipped and prepared for overseas deployment. Most troops were embarked destined for arrival at rear area assembly points, but when destined for landing against hostile forces the ports "combat loaded" troops under different procedures made in consultation with the force commander that included billeting combat teams together at the port and loading team equipment and supplies aboard the assault vessels for efficient unloading.