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to Estelle Spero

Diamond complains that "[N]othing has occurred to disrupt the sameness of…existence here." Sidney instructs Estelle to have enough fun for the both of them, telling her that she should know that he would never condemn her for anything except wasting...

GLC09120.283

to Estelle Spero

Diamond includes a poem written by one of the men in the company in the letter.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond discusses the upcoming General Election with Estelle, expressing frustration with his parents for not having sent adequate information pertaining to the political parties and candidates.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that he yearns for battle as it's his "mission to fight".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond explains that due to circumstances beyond his control, he may sometimes find himself "without ample opportunity to write."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he is now "even more impatient to get at the Japs."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he finds himself "at loss for words."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes about the humidity, and informs Estelle that Mary, "the cocoa addict of El Paso", had sent him a package.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he has been working on an invention of no practical value.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes one of the "natives", mentioning that they "appear a great deal more savage" than those on the other island.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond complains about the difficulties of laundering clothes in the jungle.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes an evening of "revelry and ribald entertainment" that he had enjoyed the night before. Sidney tells Estelle that they are fairly well set up now on the island, having even put together their own shower, providing Estelle with an...

GLC09120.294

to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that he has just received five of her letters in one go, commenting on her seductive pose in a picture that she had sent him. He then responds to various pieces of information included in her epistles. Sidney ends the letter...

GLC09120.295

to Estelle Spero

Diamond reassures Estelle that his communicating with other girls does not mean that he is "deceiving" her. He tells her that her happiness means more to him, now, "than life itself." He describes the ten days and nights that he has spent training...

GLC09120.296

to Estelle Spero

Diamond provides Estelle with a vivid description of the jungle.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that he enjoys thinking of her "more than contemplation of any thing or person." He then describes his company commander, who is "a stickler for having things done his way".

GLC09120.298

to Estelle Spero

Letter is typed in order to practice typing. He writes that he imagines her sitting before him.

GLC09120.299

to Estelle Spero

The letter is typed due to lack of light, and Diamond complains about the difficulties of typing in the dark, making a vow that within a month he will be able to work the typewriter with his eyes closed.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond discusses what he has been reading, and describes what he imagines Estelle to now look like.

GLC09120.301

to Estelle Spero

Diamond discusses a book that he had recently read entitled "The Story of Damon and Pythias," relating it to his and Estelle's relationship.

GLC09120.303

to Estelle Spero

Diamond responds to various questions that Estelle had asked in a series of her letters that he had just received through airmail. He promises her that they will get married as soon as he returns, if not sooner.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond talks about making an "ark" in which to escape the rain, and then rowing to fetch Estelle. He writes that someone has taken out a subscription of "In Fact" for him, complaining about its biased nature.

GLC09120.305

to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that they have experienced a short respite from the "interminable rain". He also writes that he believes that his suffering from diarrhea has been caused by lack of consistency in his diet.

GLC09120.306

to Estelle Spero

Diamond encloses $20.00 with the letter, prescribing a "date" that she should go on with a friend, to be financed by the money. He then describes some of the "native boys" that he has been working alongside.

GLC09120.307

to Estelle Spero

Diamond instructs Estelle to go out and enjoy herself, despite his being away at war.

GLC09120.309

to Estelle Spero

Diamond chastises Estelle for placing him on a pedestal and belittling herself. He expresses concern that his postal vote for the election had been disregarded.

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to Estelle Spero

Sidney admonishes Estelle for accusing him of wearing "roseate glasses", asking her permission to describe how he feels after he talks of casualties, when he reads of cheating, strikes, race riots.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond reassures Estelle that there are no women around, as the "natives" had fled to the hills when the fighting took place. He asks Estelle to send him clippings of articles about chemical troops in action.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he returned the night before from spending the past two days in the jungle, commenting on how accustomed he has become to its discomforts. Sidney asks Estelle again for a lamp so that he can read and write at night.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the "natives" on the island. He then discusses the banian tree, drawing diagrams to illustrate.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that at last he has paid back the loan that he took out in order to purchase her engagement ring.

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to Estelle Spero

Christmas Greetings card to Estelle.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that he is in the midst of carrying out an inventory and audit. He tells her that he has once again been working with "native boys", describing them as "cute".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes a conversation with one of the "natives" about love and marriage.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that they will get married immediately upon his return. He states that if anything happens to him she should know one thing: "I've led a full pleasant life - I missed out on but one thing - marriage…"

GLC09120.322

to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that he had gone into the jungle to inspect the impact area of yesterday's firing. He describes a discussion with the other officers based upon the question: "What will the people back home say to us when we return?""

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond complains about the hypocrisy of friends back home who are giving speeches in his honor, but who have failed to write to him

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that he has been made a First Lieutenant.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the soldiers from New Zealand that he has been working with.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond refers to some of Estelle's letters that he has received.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond provides commentary on the photographs that he has enclosed.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond reassures Estelle that the nurse featured in one of the photographs that he had sent home is engaged.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that, upon his return, he plans to lock himself in a room for month and "sleep and sleep and sleep".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond discusses problems pertaining to the soldiers' ballot for the presidential election.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that he feels surprisingly calm about the prospect of going into battle: "there is only the quietness of heart & body".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond instructs Estelle to be good, happy and to keep her level head.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that they are "bon-voyaging again."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond asks Estelle to send V-mails in addition to her lengthy air mail letters, as he receives his parents' fairly regularly.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that the "situation continues as usual", with everything "wet, damp, moldy" from the rain.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that "the hunger for home grows increasingly great".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that "there is little if anything new to report".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes his "politics" to Estelle.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that the lack of mail has been caused by his being involved in combat, "front line stuff". He writes that he has "seen 'war' minus hollywood's beauty."

photocopy

GLC09120.340

to Estelle Spero

Diamond praises his men in their initiation into battle. He complains about the difficulty of seeing clearly on the front line, and also writes that he would give up a year's salary for a decent night's sleep.

GLC09120.341

to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he is "used to it by now. [His] nerves have settled down to their usual steady jangle."

GLC09120.342

to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he wants "home - out of this mess…"

GLC09120.343

to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the telephone operator, Kallor, as a Jewish dress cutter from New York who is in Sidney's father's union.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond comments that he has never been ill during his army career.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes Estelle a "short note in field on message & overlay paper."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that their "apartment will have a double apron barbed wire fence about it covered by a slew of machine guns to keep all relatives away…"

GLC09120.347

to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the process of selecting new observation posts.

GLC09120.348

Sketch of Stanley Diamond as a boy

Diamond writes that the mouth is "too feminine".

GLC09120.349

to Estelle Spero

Diamond again describes the process of selecting observational posts in trees.

GLC09120.350

to Estelle Spero

Diamond asks Estelle to send him a book once a month to entertain him.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond apologizes for having neglected Estelle on St. Valentines day.

GLC09120.352

to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes using the typewriter in terms of a battle offensive.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that he intends to attend his battalion motion picture show that evening.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he imagines embracing Estelle.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond reports that that evening they had gone to the cinema to see the film, "The Affairs of Martha

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond discusses the "present conflict" between labor and industry.

GLC09120.357

to Estelle Spero

Diamond talks of the constant rain, his desire for good cuisine and a recent nightmare about an air raid.

GLC09120.358

to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that his outfit boasts "a washing machine, ice box, and recently a generator & electric lights

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes his day as "quiet, dull, routine rot!"

GLC09120.360

to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that he no longer has "that burning hatred of the jungle and its mysteries", commenting on how peculiar it is that "a man can adapt himself to this way of living".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes writing to the wife of one of his men about his death, an experience that made him realize the "ridiculous emptiness of words".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the interior of his tent. He writes that it is "grand to be alive and well".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond tells Estelle that her "guy is getting along satisfactorily - nothing to write about of any consequence

GLC09120.364

to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that his vocabulary is too limited to express how grateful he is for everything that she has done for him.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond discusses his "bleak & uncertain" future.

GLC09120.366

to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that the day had been spent climbing steep hills to O.P.s (observation posts), and describes the view from them. Sidney gives Estelle some instructions pertaining to the "money order" enclosed and requests some garden seeds...

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that she has become an integral part of his daily routine.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond implies that since it was a leap year, Estelle should have proposed to him.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that they are working on maps and overlap. He comments that he doesn't feel "poetic, romantic, jocular".

GLC09120.370

to Estelle Spero

Diamond mentions that "nearly everyone around has discovered someone they knew from back home

GLC09120.371

to Estelle Spero

Diamond thanks Estelle for the New Yorker that she had subscribed to for him, and then proceeds to "rampage through the 'mag'

GLC09120.372

to Estelle Spero

Diamond complains that they have termites in the camp.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he is recovering from a 96 hour stretch without sleep: "I needed your shoulder badly".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond wonders "how these Nips can keep getting literally slaughtered." He comments that this is one period that he doesn't want to share with anyone: "I'm spending the rest of my life forgetting it."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond apologizes for the brevity of his notes, explaining that he doesn't have the time, place or imagination to write more. He promises to "come out of this mess."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes a reconnaissance trip that all of the officers had gone on that afternoon.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond comments on how sad it is "that man must come to destroy, scar, and burn."

GLC09120.378

to Estelle Spero

Diamond compares his current situation to attempting to descend an upwards-bound escalator: "One steps down only to be brought back to the starting point."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond states that he seldom writes when in the field, primarily "because there is nothing of consequence to relate."

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond informs Estelle that he is writing in a hole, with a small lantern providing light.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes the closest to real fighting that he has experienced.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond comments on how sad it is "that man must come to destroy, scar, and burn."

GLC09120.383

to Estelle Spero

Diamond describes bumping into a girl from Coney Island.

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that the oriental inscription on the ring that Estelle bought for him causes him embarrassment, as people assume that he "Got that off a Jap".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he has heard that Passover is the following day, but that his "holidays are celebrated by destroying the enemy." Sidney describes firing on some "Japs".

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to Estelle Spero

Diamond writes that he thinks that he is at his zenith.

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