Dad received a couple of letters from friends in June. The first one comes from Stanislaus Kosinki, the director of St Cecilia’s Choir. He writes that “I am very glad that you are still on this side of the ocean and hope the Nazis will collapse before you are sent over.” He also writes that the choir is practicing “a new Mass by Cesare Dobici” and that the choir “has a long way to go as it is difficult.” They also began practice on new music for a concert in the fall. The choir also attended the opera La Traviata starring Ethel Barrymore Colt and “it was an excellent performance in every way.”
Cover for the program of the performance of La Traviata that the St. Cecelia’s choir attended.
Kosinski updates Dad on news about some of the guys from the parish who are in the service.
- Francis Wojtal is “out of the hospital and probably back in action again.”
- Kosinski’s son Alexander is “teaching at the Medical College and has also started practice evenings and nights as there is a shortage of doctors.”
- His other son Ted has finished dentistry studies.
Kosinski wraps with the note, “That is all the news I have. Nothing exciting, but news about people you know.”
Dad also received a letter from his friend Joe Dasmusis which was written on June 24th. Joe is now stationed at Great Bend, Kansas; which is in central Kansas about 200 miles from Topeka which is on the eastern end of the state. Joe has just returned from a furlough during which he made a trip back to his home in New York City. He writes that while home he took his sister to see the Don Cossacks perform at Radio City Music Hall and they “saw that musical success on Broadway –‘Oklahoma!’ ” He also saw Going My Way and suggests that Dad see it as it is a movie that “makes you proud to be a Catholic.”
Now that Joe is stationed so close to Topeka he has begun to encourage Dad to get a three day pass so they “can meet up in Kansas City which isn’t too far for you and not very for a for me… It has the reputation of being the cultural center of the Middle West.” He even goes as far to suggest that if Dad can’t get a three day pass he could even make a trip to Topeka. No matter how the arrangements work out, Joe writes that “It would be good to see you again, and talk about past war plans, or people we’ve met in the Army, or places we’ve seen or things we’ve done.” He even suggests, “If they don’t want to issue you a 3-day pass give them a sob-story – tell them your pal is passing through Kansas City who has just come from overseas.”