--- audio_path: --- # Letter — 9 July 1943, to Anna **Sender**: Pvt. Arthur M. Yena — Station Hospital, West L.A. Area, Ward 156-2 North, Room 222, Sawtelle, California **Recipient**: Miss Anna L. Yena, Quaker Lane, West Warwick, Rhode Island **Date written**: 9 July 1943 **Postmark**: 9 July 1943 *(Air Mail)* **Type**: Handwritten cursive **Scan location**: `scans/processed/1943-07-09_to-anna/` **Transcription source**: ChatGPT vision pass 2026-05-26 (~95% confidence) **Confidence**: clean --- ## Transcript (ChatGPT clean) > Pvt. Arthur M. Yena > Station Hospital, West L.A. Area > Ward 156-2 North, Room 222 > Sawtelle, California > July 9, 1943 > > Dear Anna, > > Got your letter O.K. along with everything else. I'm still in the hospital but am up and around and feel fine. Yesterday I had a pass from 1:00 to 9:00 P.M. It's a wonder I did get one from the hospital, but I suppose they do that to see if you feel O.K. when you get back. I should be leaving in a few days. We, a fellow-bedmate from N.Y. City, Jewish, went into L.A. Los Angeles and saw some woman lawyer he knows. She was very nice too. Yeh man, [unclear] finally ended in Hollywood and took in the sights. About 7:00 the canteen opened so we stayed there till 8:30 as we had to be in by 9:00. I sent you a card from there so you should get it before the letter. > > None of the real stars were there yet as they probably come a little later on, but we did see a few of the Hollywood notables and among them was Miss America or Miss Victory or something who was handing out kisses here and there. She was also all right! > > You asked about this cap business. The round cap is the garrison cap and the overseas hat is the one that fits close to your head. We have the overseas cap issued to us. The garrison we have to buy. I haven't bought one as yet for the simple reason that when I did have the time I didn't have the money and vice versa. It was a good thing in a way too because when we got to Salt Lake City they made all the guys who had them sell them because the 2nd Air Force, which is what I'm in, doesn't allow them. However, some camps disregard the rule so when I get to Tucson I'll find out. The one I used in the pictures I sent home was the studio's. > > Somehow or another I haven't heard from Connie in quite a while, but I guess it's because my mail is all balled up because I haven't heard from Al and the rest either. My mail is probably in Tucson. > > I got a letter from Karl and one from Mr. Soyer. He said he didn't know I was in the Army until just a few days ago. He has my name on that honor roll etc. He was very nice in his letter and said he saw Pa and Johnny I guess and said they looked fine. He also sent me a list of all the fellows of the church who are in the Army. Walter H. is on it too. So far I've gotten all the letters you sent with the exception of the ones you sent to Tucson. I got the one you weren't sure would get there. > > I still haven't found out who called. Quite a few fellows call home but I'm inclined to think it's not worth much. First it costs quite a bit for 3 minutes; then there's a doubt of getting your party on; it isn't too clear all this distance and everybody gets hot and bothered over nothing. Then I know maybe I'm wrong, but that is the way I figure it. > > The more I hear of your having your teeth fixed the more I'm glad I had mine done before I got in the Army. For once my worries are done for awhile. However my wisdom tooth has been coming out for the last 2 or 3 months and bothers me a bit, but that's something you can't help. > > The picture you painted in your last letter reminds me of a typical Yena Sunday morning with little Johnny or Kathleen coming in to ask you "what's that?" or "what are you doing Auntie Nana!" I can smell Mama cooking all the way from here. > > This hospital is quite a nice place and pretty large. It takes in some veterans and casualties from this war too. It's very nice and impressive looking like all the homes in California. > > Yesterday I had a chance to get acquainted with the location and found it isn't too far from Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and the estate sites. This woman lawyer happens to live in Beverly Hills. The food is swell. The Red Cross has a bungalow which carries on all kinds of activities. During my stay in bed I braided a belt and bracelet intended for you if I get a chance. I also made a billfold of real leather including the engravings which I have learned to do. I'm starting on another one. I've read "How Green Was My Valley," "The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu," another mystery whose name I've already forgotten, "High Tension," "The Vigilantes," "Inside Europe," and am half way through "Kitty Foyle." I've never read so much in my life, but being in bed all the time I had to do something. > > Today there is a Polish fellow getting home on a discharge because of sugar diabetes. He lived in Illinois and is about 20 or 22. Well I guess that's all again. > > Give my love to all at home. Tell Ma not to worry, and tell little Johnny to behave himself. > > Love, > Arthur --- ## Major content / narrative significance - ⭐ **THE READING LIST AT SAWTELLE.** *"I've read 'How Green Was My Valley,' 'The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu,' another mystery whose name I've already forgotten, 'High Tension,' 'The Vigilantes,' 'Inside Europe,' and am half way through 'Kitty Foyle.'"* — Pops at 19, hospital-bound, reads voraciously. **Captures the formation of a literate young man.** *How Green Was My Valley* (Llewellyn, 1939) — Welsh mining community, similar working-class register to Pops's own. *Inside Europe* (John Gunther, 1936 / updated 1940) — pre-war political journalism, the situation in Europe at war. *Kitty Foyle* (Christopher Morley, 1939) — working-class woman in love. **Strong Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 anchor.** - **The Hollywood pass with the Jewish bedmate from NYC** — Pops's first explicit ethnic-diversity encounter, took the streetcar with a fellow-bedmate "from N.Y. City, Jewish" to visit "some woman lawyer he knows" in Beverly Hills. Charming scene. - **Miss America at the canteen** — wartime celebrity-on-tour. - **"Auntie Nana"** — what little Johnny and Kathleen call Anna. **NEW. Family vocabulary.** - **The braided belt + bracelet + billfold** — Pops makes craft gifts in Sawtelle's Red Cross bungalow. Tactile detail. - **Mr. Soyer** — first appearance. Wrote to Pops, has Pops's name "on that honor roll," sent the list of church-affiliated fellows in the Army. Probably the **minister of Pops's home church** in West Warwick. Confirmed by the July 19 letter ("the more ministers I hear the more I find out how good a speaker and minister Mr. Sayer is"). **Mom-interview: which church? St. Cyril & Methodius? Holy Ghost?** - **"Walter H." on the church Army list** — confirms Walter Hillebrandt/Hildebrandt is in Pops's home church congregation. - **Pops's wisdom tooth** — biographical detail (bothering him 2-3 months — since around April 1943). - **Calling home thoughts** — Pops articulates why he doesn't call: costs, clarity, "everybody gets hot and bothered over nothing." Long-distance telephone scarcity in 1943. ## Family-tree refresh - **Mr. Soyer / Sayer** — likely minister of Pops's home church, West Warwick. NEW MAJOR NAME. **Mom-interview.** - **"Walter H."** — confirmed in church Army roster. Likely Walter Hillebrandt/Hildebrandt. - **"Auntie Nana"** — what Anna is called by little Johnny and Kathleen. Family vocabulary. - **Jewish bedmate from NYC** — Pops's hospital ward-mate, unnamed. - **Unnamed woman lawyer in Beverly Hills** — Jewish bedmate's contact. - **Polish fellow** — going home on discharge for sugar diabetes; 20-22 yrs old, lived in Illinois. ## Themes SAWTELLE-HOSPITAL-PASS · hollywood-and-vine-second-time · jewish-bedmate-nyc · beverly-hills-woman-lawyer · MISS-AMERICA-CANTEEN · MR-SOYER-CHURCH-MINISTER · church-army-honor-roll · walter-h-on-list · AUNTIE-NANA-FAMILY-VOCABULARY · READING-LIST-AT-SAWTELLE · how-green-was-my-valley · inside-europe · kitty-foyle · fu-manchu · red-cross-bungalow-crafts · braided-belt-bracelet-billfold · wisdom-tooth-april · calling-home-too-costly · polish-fellow-sugar-diabetes · pull-quote-reading-list