May 19, 1942 - End of the War by YE?

Tuesday

Dear Mom + Dad,

My trunks arrived safely yesterday. It seems to take quite a time for packages to arrive so I guess thats the answer. I haven’t used them yet but expect to any evening now.

It sure is hot down here. Classes in the afternoon are terrific. It takes all your will power to stay awake. Sometimes despite my trying I doze off. That makes it hard as I have to catch up on what I missed by reading later on.

You should see the planes that have been flying over here all day. Right across from us is an army air field. The field is used mostly as a refueling place for the planes. Most of them stop here and gas up and then move on. All day long there has been a continuous flow of them. It probably means that they are getting ready for duty somewhere along the west coast as they seem to be heading towards California.

The group of chemical warfare soldiers across the street are moving out too. They have been loading up flat cars with army trucks and all there equipment and two trainloads have moved out since Sunday. I assume that they are getting ready for overseas duty also. There are five fellows from Peekskill in that bunch who were drafted with me.

A lot of the fellows who were at Barkeley with me are all ready on there way over. I don’t think it will be very long after I move out of here before I will start to move too. I’d like to get home just once and then go and do some real work.

It sure looks like we intend to wing this war as fast as possible. All the facts I can get plus all our boys over in Iceland. I sure hope it comes fast. I personally think the war is won right now. Germany can’t last much longer against a Russian pounding. If we open up a new front, which I think we’re intending to do, they’re just about sunk. Japan is going to take a little more time but with the collapse of Germany it will be fairly easy. I expect to see the end of it before the year is up. Lets hope so.

I’m going up and go swimming tonight for the first time. It is really hot down here so I’m going to cool off a bit.

Drop me a line soon.

Love to all
Bob