France

September 17, 1944

Dear Marnie,

It's about that time of month when you'll be having yourself another birthday. So I send my congratulations and suggest you buy yourself a present out of my account and keep it down.

Just came back from church a short time ago. This is the first one I've been in which had no pillars to block the view. It is a fairly large church, and the wooden ceiling is just slightly arched. The tan boards appear to run the full length of the church. The usual heavy beams or stone pillars are not in evidence anywhere.

The sanctuary is deep-set with a fine marble altar in front of three stained glass windows. There are two small rooms full of seats behind the two side altars which are well forward of the main altar. At left is the general plan. Some of the rear windows are clear, but those toward the front are a beautiful stained glass.

There is a balcony at the rear with an organ. The churches now are beginning to have large Stations of the Cross like ours at home. These are dark and heavy against the light walls.

Some of the villagers attended, mostly choir, to sing for us. The bulk of the town went to Mass before and after our service.

I imagine if any of the townspeople understand English they were thoroughly confused by the chaplain's sermon. As I told you, he is from Brooklyn and speaks a great deal of slang. The men love it and he is really a powerful speaker. He's quite a rugged character. I learn that he's been through the African and Sicilian campaigns with an armored unit. Quite a boy.

Now I must tell you of the strong box, for it is a remarkable item. We thought at first it held records of the NSDAP (a Nazi Brown Shirt Workers Group, judging from the paraphernalia left behind), but it appears to have belonged to the original owner of this house, which was NSDAP headquarters.

The box is a sturdy affair of steel, about 5 x 9 x 14. Its top is marbled with rust as if only it has been exposed to the elements. The sides are still clear and are decorated with whorls of a high speed drill. The tumbler system is quite intricate, for unless you raise the lid just at the right time as you turn the key you cannot get it open, and having opened it, once you close the lid it immediately locks again. The interior is painted a bright red.

I speak of it at length for this small box contains a 100 year history of a tumultuous people - a political football. It is nothing but legal papers - deeds, notes, bills of sale, assignment of property, licenses, insurance policies, but they encompass a span of great significance. The earliest document I can find a date on is from 1835 during the time of the Napoleons. Then they progress to the beginnings of the Republic with a switch from French to German after 1870, and another transition back after 1918.

A notary in those days earned his money for nearly all the documents are hand written, usually embellished along the way with many flourishes like Pop's birds. There is a piece of parchment (genuine) which I am certain is the oldest item of the lot, but unfortunately it contains no date.

Being unable to read the documents I can only guess at what they contain. But it is easy to visualize the parade of marriages, transfers, and deaths which produced the century-span of one family.

There is a license to sell tobacco dated 1859 and granted by the Emperor. It is one of the few printed documents of the time until the recent typewritten policies. But there is nothing about the town to indicate the tobacco shop still exists. Perhaps it is record of a venture which failed. Who knows?

Love,

Bob