From Gauss and his Children

Contents 1 Letter 2 Source 2.1 Transcriber's Notes 3 References

Letter

1st Lt. Allender H.F. 0-880106
No. 27 T.C.S.
69th Composite Wing
APO 627 c/o Postmaster
New York, N.Y.

September 6, 1944 China

Dear Mrs. Chambless:

I was very pleased to receive your letter, and just as pleased to learn you weren't a young girl. Your past experience has probably taught you to discount much of Gaby's fantastic imagination. That is a great relief to me.

Unfortunately, Gaby has violated so many times the unwritten code of correspondents that I've long ago given up writing to her. It's seldom that I have the opportunity to write of things I think about and It's difficult to find a suitable correspondent to transmit them to. Gaby listens very well, but has an uncontrollable urge to disseminate my letters and ideas among those about her. Being a publicity-phobe I object.

China provides endless material for short stories, if one can find the time to put them on paper. There are the Medieval sieges of ancient, walled cities with meager, but modern weapons. There are the stories of the endurance of the threadbare Chinese soldiers, and of the paucity of their equipment. There are the recurrent communiques from Chungking: ". . . the Chinese defenders were lost virtually to the last man." There are the pathetic descriptions of the Chinese columns moving painful across mountain paths on their way to the frontlines; their uniforms are different shades of khaki, thin as muslin and full of awkward stitches; besides an old rifle (shared among two or three soldiers) each man carries a peasant sun hat slung over his back, and an extra pair of grass shoes.

Thank you again for your letter, and I hope I may see you and your family, someday.
Sincerely yours,
Howard Allender

1st Lieut. Air Corps

Source

Typewritten original in the private collection of the Chambless family. Transcribed to softcopy by Susan D. Chambless, November 18, 2001.

Transcriber's Notes

References