Postmark: 10/27/1944

Return Address:

Sgt. V. Misitano
2628th Hospital Section
APO #790
c/o Postmaster N.Y.

(Mother's notation: Rec Nov 1st.)

Oct. 25, 1944

Dearest Mother,

    I received your most welcomed letter that you wrote on the 21st of Sept. and enjoyed reading it very much.

   In your letter you told me about the 3 letters that you received from me that day.

   I'm glad you received the money that I sent you but feel sorry that you can't use it for what I said. I guess they are hard to buy on account of this war but this war won't last forever, so you're still going to get that refrigerator mother, so don't put that money away for me but keep it on the side till I get home.

   Mother, you said that you hope the other boys had some money left that I was playing with. Well it was only a few days before we went on the front lines and none of us worried whether we won or lost.

   You asked, mother, if I heard from Joe, Phil, or Tony. No mother, I haven't heard from any of them yet, but I wrote to them not long ago so I should be getting an ans. soon.

   I'm glad to hear that Phil made Cpl. again mother. About more responsible, well I found out when I made Sgt. that more responsible isn't as bad as I always thought it would be. At least you don't have as much work to do anyway. Phil's smart mother and I'm sure he'll go higher than just a cpl. I'm dumb and look what I made. (ha ha).

   Mother, I'll be anxiously waiting for the picture that you snapped of daddy while he was on the ladder painting. I really wish I was there to help him.

   Well mother that about ans. your letter so I'll tell you a little about myself, which you always know will be true and that is mother, that I'm O.K. and in the best of health. I'm still here in the hospital and coming along O.K. so please mother don't worry about anything because I'm O.K. and will always be O.K. The Jerries don't have a bullet for me. I decided to die of old age, say about a hundred or even two hundred, it will all depend on how I feel when I'm a hundred (ha ha).

   Well mother, I guess I'll close now with lots of love to you mother dear daddy and the kids.

   Love,

"Jim"

Daddy Painting House

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Refrigerator Rationing:

About the hoped-for refrigerator gift, this letter mentions "I guess they are hard to buy on account of this war." Some notes about such shortages as listed in an Oregon government web page https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ww2/Pages/services-conservation.aspx follow:

In addition to rising prices, the incredible demands of building and supplying the U.S. war machine led to shortages, black markets, hoarding and calls for conservation. Rationing took center stage in the effort to address shortages but other measures such as conserving existing supplies played important roles as well. People took the wartime slogan of "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without " to heart. They really had no choice since shortages developed in thousands of different items that were never rationed.

By late 1942 the mobilization of production to defense related items was reaching its stride. For example, mechanical refrigerator manufacturers switched to making airplane parts, ordnance and other defense products

Officials offered "fun fact" types of information to drive home their point about the connection of consumer goods to war products and the need to conserve and sacrifice. For instance, a set of golf clubs could make one .30 caliber machine gun. A refrigerator could make twelve .45 caliber machine guns while 61 refrigerators equaled one light tank. The aluminum used in one vacuum cleaner could supply enough for seven .50 caliber machine guns or 12 four-pound incendiary bombs. The zinc found in one washing and ironing machine could go toward the production of 20 rifles. Eleven washing machines could produce a half-ton truck. And, the big sacrifice, one automobile would equate to twenty-seven 20mm aircraft cannons. Officials reasoned that the burning need for a new car would subside a bit if the consumer knew their husband or son fighting overseas needed that rifle more than they needed that new car.