France Feb. 25.

Dear Mother & all,
         Received you letter of Feb.12
and was glad to hear from you.
Yes, I happened to remember about
Lincoln's birthday, but this week
I completely forgot about the
22nd being Washingtons birthday.
        Well maybe bly by the
time Freeman gets his training
all in this war will be over
with. I sure hope so anyway.
I am getting tired of being over
here on this side of the world.
     I guess you folks have had
plenty of snow lately and all winter
long. We had snow during January
but Feb. has been about the
nicest month I have seen for
a long time. The sun has

shone almost everyday this
month. The last few mornings
it has been rather foggy but
in the after noon it is real
clear.
      I haven't been doing much
writing lately. I just didn't have
much to write about. Did you
read abou the Yank I sent home?
We get quite a few magazines
over here to read, and of course
the daily Stars & Stripes.
      Yes I like to hear about all
the little news around home.
Your letters almost seem as
if you are right here talking
with me.
    I received a letter from Harley
today. He is ok and of course
he is very busy now also.

I guess everyone will have a
family by the time I get home. It
seems so long ago that I was home
I just consider some of the young
kids as kids yet.
      The war news is rather good
again tonight. Maybe this will
be over this summer and then
where we go and what we do
will be something to look forward
to. I guess no one knows what
will come next. I don't know
how our chances are on returning
to the States. I sure hope we
do. I know it will seem like
a strange place for awhile.
   Harley mentioned about Cliff
being reclassified in 1A. Doesn't
his job defer him from the
draft? Gosh I hope he won't

to come in and leave his family.
Has Harold heard anymore about
his classification?
     Well I can't think of much
more to write about. Here is
a little clipping showing how a
group of men can work if they
have to. Sometimes we get in a
pinch and have to put out for
quite a few hours at a time.
   Goodnight for now.
                                Love Ralph


The next letter will be posted on March 4th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Here are the ages of Ralph's brothers when he wrote this letter: Harold (34, married, 2 children); Cliff (32, married 1 child); Freeman (19)
• This is some of the war news for Feb. 23 and 24:

Germany

• A raid of 379 British bombers attacked the German town of Pforzheim, killing 17,000 people and destroying 80% of the town's buildings. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Adolf Hitler made what was to be his last speech to Reischsleiters and Gauleiters in the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Main Article | Facility | TH]
• Soviet troops attacked toward the eastern Pommern region of Germany (occupied Poland). ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]

• Here is the article he enclosed: