Family Letters

While packing, I found a collection of letters to my grandparents that I saved. This blog will simply be the gradual and random recording of those letters received by Carl "Charlie" and Frances Corridino Carbone. [?] indicates I'm not sure of a word or spelling; [with a word in it] means I inserted a word that seemed to be needed; I also use [brackets] to set off annotations.

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

March 17, 1944: From Angelo to Charlie

Cpl. Angelo Biase
Teheran, Iran
March 17, 1944


Dear Charlie -- and Fran!

It would be kind of thoughtless for to overlook you Frances when you've been writing so we'll drag Charlie in also. It was a treat hearing from you and it's just those little intimate things that make hearing from home such a treat. Fran, I don't know whether to envy you or feel sorry for you with that combination Lorenzo Jones - Don Juan husband of yours. I'm afraid if you give him free play with these little inventions of his, he'll run you out of the house one of these days with his unctions, ointments, elixers, mechanical men. Maybe he'll even take to experimenting with live animals and conduct a miniature zoo and cross breed some lulus. Then he can be as meek as a lamb, so generous, say yes to everything to make you feel you're the luckiest girl in the world. But I am glad to hear that he did finally succeed in getting a few ideas completed. Did you ever read the story of Leonardo, who had so many things started, a multitude of plans, volumes of notes for future inventions, paintings sketched in outline, his mind a whirlpool of conflicting theories? Well, that's the way I thought Charlie would wind up and still be looked up to and respected.

So the two Tonys are headed for the big show. The more of us the merrier. I'm glad you've got sense enough to see things as they are and are determined to make up in taking his place rather just mooning about it. I'm sure Billie will get used to it and be all the better as a result. People thrive on adversity.

I'm surprised when you say you didn't recognize the part of Iran in the war. You've heard of Russia and the flood of help the U.S. as contributed to Russsia. Well Iran is the road to Russia and amounts for the tremendous pressure behind this push just as surely as the merchant marine and the factories back there.

This is ancient Persia and a hotbed of all Eastern civilization with its political, religious and social ramifications. It would take hours to give you a faint idea of the people, customs and places here. The people are mostly Moslems, but a scattering of every imaginable sect in the book. What's more each one takes his [religion? -- missing word here] seriously and they often resent any practices inconsistent with their own way of being. Of course the Moslems wear veils -- thank God, don't care if they ever wash . . . that's the least important ritual of all. Washing is done in the street in the gutter, no running water . . . that is no piped system. No sewage disposal, no refrigeration, and a lack of a million other things. Meat travels from the slaughter hous to the stores in open wagons, slung over mules, dragged home over the handle bars of a bicycle, etc. Some of the darndest holes in the wall serve as stores, fly-ridden, dust ridden and filthy.

Well some day I'll try to give you more of it.

That was quite an accomplishment of Bruno's and it must have made you all happy. Just what type of craft is Tommy on. Too bad that he couldn't get in touch with Bruno. Wish he'd known my brother was in Scotland.

Well don't forget to remember me to all; Billie and Tony, John etc.. Glad to hear everything in the place is going fine. If you ever write Herman, tell him I was asking for him. Poor guy -- should be getting home soon.

So long and best of luck to both of you.

Angelo

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