June 19, 1942 - Rumored to go to California

Friday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

Your letter containing the five spot arrived today and thanks a million. I can really find use for it and I sure appreciate your sending it. I hate like all sin to ask you for money but I really haven’t enough.

As you know the $50 bill finally is in effect but a lot of good it is doing us. As far as I can find out from our company clerk it doesn’t effect the graduating class. We get a partial payment and it is still based on the old rate of pay. I figure I get about $18 (I think). Everyone else is going to get the $50 as the orders have come in headquarters. But as we are moving out we don’t get it. Of course eventually I’ll get it. In fact in July I’ll get about $80. I sure hope they change it and decide to give the graduates a partial payment based on the $50 instead of the $30.

The rumor is floating around that I’m supposed to go to Indio, California. There might be some truth in it, however I haven’t heard for sure yet. Indio is right in the desert and it is really hot, even hotter that this place. I was talking to a fellow in the hospital who was there and he says its swell outside of the heat. Thus not much sense in worrying about it now until I get the final orders. I’ll let you know for sure when I receive official orders.

Tonight we are having a graduation dance for all the members of our class. I’m going to go and enjoy myself if I can. It will probably be as disappointing as most army dances but I’m going anyway.

I’m finishing my course only two days early. It is only a two month course for surgical technicians. Originally we were supposed to finish the 29th but it is now the 27th, just a week and one day off. I’m fairly certain of getting a rating, anywhere from first class private (4 bucks extra) to tech. sergeant. I’ll just have to wait and see about that.

I’m very near the top of my class as far as averages go. I didn’t do any studying for the last 4 weeks but I assimilated enough to rate high in my class. I was really surprised to find out I was in the first 20 of my class.

I was working in the dressing room today in the hospital. I dressed several wounds for the patients. That is a rather interesting job and I’d like to land a job like that regularly.

Yesterday I saw an autopsy on a premature baby. It was really interesting to see the insides of the things I studied in anatomy. Of course it is rather gruesome but yet it is very interesting.

I’m very sorry to hear that you are having a tough time with Nana. I suppose though that it will all turn out all right. Keep the old chin up. I can get a furlough if anything happens. It will take quite awhile to get home but I can make it. Of course a lot depends on where I go from here. I also can borrow money from the Red Cross to get home if necessary.

I guess that takes care of all the news for now. I’ll write again very soon.

Love to All
Bob

P.S. I think Charlie Neff is in Fort Bliss right here in El Paso. I got a letter from Em and she thought he was coming here. I’m trying to find out for sure.