JULY 30,1944
DAY
Italy
 
Dear Mother and Dad,
         The month of June seemed to go very slowly here, but July has gone before I realized it. Life is still not too strenuous for me - and fairly easy, but it gets boring that way. I think that I get the chance to go to Rome the next time , I'll take it.
         We had an Officer party recently. We just took possession of an empty mansion near the beach. Our band, acting as orchestra provided the music. The special service officer can buy gin and cognac in bulk - so that made cocktails - with fruit juice. We had a pig barbecued over an open fire- some chicken , chocolate cake and various cocktail trimmings. Nurses, and some of the local Italian girls - were the feminine attraction.
         ...
         Last Sunday I went to one of the local village churches. Attendance was poor - and although there were plenty of men loafing around the village square - there were practically none of them in the church. The church in the United States has a lot more vitality than the Italian Church. It makes me wonder why we let the Italians control things. They are certainly a sorry lot- as soldiers, civilians , or churchmen.