September 1, 1942 - Philosophizing on Wars, Analysis of Current War

Tuesday Morning

Dear Mom + Dad,

Here I am again writing you in the wee hours of the morning. It helps me tremendously to keep awake by writing so all my letter writing has been taking place here in the hospital. Things are a little more livelier tonight than they have been. We have five new cases in fresh from operations and are they a bother. Of course, they are in pain but they sure keep us busy. I gave two of them shots of morphine to make them sleep and ease the pain.

I’m getting accustomed to this hospital work now and it doesn’t bother me quite so much. I still don’t relish it to any great degree but as least it seems a little better than when I first started. I just have no sympathy for the sick and I can’t appreciate how they feel. Perhaps it is in my background for as you know I’ve never been really sick myself. That makes it very hard to understand the psychology of the sick.

I have just finished reading “Long Remember” a story of the Civil War. It was primarily about the town of Gettysburg and the battle that ensured there. It is definitely anti-war propaganda. It shows the vileness and rankness of war even back in Civil War times. It is not the type of book one should read at these times. However, I found it very enlightening and enjoyed it very much. War is sure a strange thing. It seems to bring out everything that is destructive and rotten in the human race. Yet despite all this, and the common knowledge of the fact, very generation seems to be scourged by some war. You can trace history back for years and years and you will find that every generation has faced a war somewhere on the earth. All facts seem to put it as a human instinct. Yet I can’t see how great groups of people can forgo the finer things of life and let the shrouds of war take them unto its fold. I guess my opening sentence on this subject is the only explanation. It is just a strange phenomenon.

I didn’t write the above paragraph in a discouraging tone. It is just something that is hard to explain. I know that I’m in this present war and that later I may see actual conflict. I have no burning desire to go out and kill people. Yet the whole world and the entire of civilization is so involved that there is nothing I can do as an individual to stop it. I sincerely believe that the cause we fight for is right yet it is the method of propagation right? I don’t think so yet it is such a large sociological set up that there is no other way. Well, perhaps some day the world will live in peace. The idea of a lasting world peace has been an idle dream for centuries. Will it ever materialize? Time alone can answer that question. At present I and millions of others have a duty to perform for our country, regardless of whether it’s right or wrong.

While philosophizing on the subject of war, let me delve a little into the present war. The news that is coming in now is more and more encouraging to me. I’m beginning to feel now the end is a lot closer than I dared think a few months ago. The German drive in Russia seems pretty well spent. If the Russians can keep Germany out of Stalingrad the Germans will have suffered a crushing defeat. The Nazis must have those Caucasian oil fields and in order to get them they must get them before winter sets in. The Nazis drive appears to be stopped now and the long hard struggle of supplying their army, so far from home, seems to be tolling on them. I personally think this campaign in Russia is the turning point of the war. From the tremendous toll it has taken on German supplies and men and still they have not conquered their main objective in Russia. It looks to me as we have added up this balance sheet on the credit side.

In the Southern Pacific things are beginning to look a lot better also. The fact that our fleet has gained control of the sea is probably the most vital factor to our eventual success. It seems that the fleet has it pretty well under control as evidenced by a Japanese statement that our fleet is numerically superior now. The answer to the defeat of Japan is the control of the sea so that our supply line can continue uninterrupted. If we can keep the control that we seem to have gained the eventual defeat of Japan is only a question of time.

The question of a second front to me is the most important question of the whole situation. It needs to be opened now and I doubt the Allies will ever get a better opportunity than is offered them now. With a good part of the German army tied up in Russia our landing will be much easier now than after the finish of the Russian campaign when the Nazis will have reshuffled their men to counteract this possible invasion. True it will cost a lot of men and supplies. But if we can get a foothold in France or some coastal district (I have a hunch it might open up in Norway) the victory is more than half won. All in all I’m very well pleased with the way the war has been shaping up lately. I just hope it continues that way.

Now back again to the personal touch. I haven’t received any mail in three days now. This is rather discouraging to me for in the past three weeks I hadn’t missed a day without receiving at least one letter. I guess nobody loves me anymore. It means only one thing though that it will all pile up on me at once and then I’ll have a job of answering them.

Today was supposedly payday but as I told you we didn’t get paid. I’m fairly certain that the “coconuts” will caress my palms about Wednesday. Then a few bucks should make my bank account go up to a new high.

Maneuvers started today but I’ve heard of no developments on them yet. They take place in this area but as they cover so much territory I don’t get to see very much of them. So far we haven’t had any commotion here in the hospital. I hope we don’t both for our sakes and the boys taking part.

I heard today that they are thinking of making this camp into a basic training camp. However, I don’t think that will effect us or any outfit on maneuvers now. This is just the type of place they would make into a basic training camp. A God forsaken place that is not fit for anything but soldiers.

This has been quite a letter. It has given me something to do and I trust you will enjoy a few of my opinions expressed here in. I enjoy writing when I have the time as there is a dearth of activities in my daily life my letters have to be of this type. Be that as it may. I’ll write again tomorrow night.

Love
Bob

August 30, 1942 - The Usual Dull Routine

Sunday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

Well here it is the day of rest again that is for all normal people. I managed to get a little rest but when night rolls around my work starts again. Just an endless treadmill one day after another. They all seem more or less the same except for minor incidents.

I am rather sleepy this evening. It is now about 10:30 and I’m beginning to wonder if I will be able to stay awake or not. At 12 oclock we eat our supper and that helps pep you up a little. However, things are very quiet here and promise to be for the rest of the night. We have no patients in now who will cause us any trouble. Of course if an emergency should arise and we get some new ones in then it will be a different story.

The ward I work on is the only air conditioned ward in the whole hospital set up. In fact it is the only ward that is not in a tent. We get all the seriously ill patients and those that come in, in cases of emergency. You can never tell from one minute to the next just what will arise. There are four of us here in charge. We do all the work of a regular nurse. When it is quiet, as tonight promises to be we can catch a few hours sleep on one of the beds. It is not a good idea to catch a little sleep before supper is served. Usually we work in pairs on the sleeping detail. There always has to be someone awake just in case anything should happen. Then to we have charge of medications and every so often different patients have to have different drugs and you have to see that they are given.

I understand there are supposed to be nurses coming in tomorrow to relieve us of some of our responsibilities. Perhaps I may get transferred to a different ward, for if we have a night nurse on we won’t need as many men working here.

Last night when it was just about quitting time, that is six o’clock in the morning we had an emergency come in. An automobile accident happened about 8 miles from here. As this was the nearest place for the help the army took care of him. It is not a usual practice to take care of civilian cases except in an extreme emergency. The fellow, a middle aged Mexican, was pretty well cut up. They fixed him up in the operating room and then sent him down to us. Later on in the day he was transferred to a civilian hospital. But it is just such cases that keep us busy and on our toes. Then too we have all the patients to care for right after operations. That is when they are most difficult as they have to be watched very carefully. Persons coming out of ether often cause a great deal of trouble.

Add to this one more worry and you should have a fairly clear picture of my work. That additional fact is the keep of records. We have to have complete records, including history, treatment, narcotics, behavior and recovery, charts and all the stuff that goes with it. It is quite a job here as the hospital is run completely by enlisted men. In most army hospitals you have nurses, bookkeepers etc. to do a lot of the work but here we have to do it all. It really isn’t hard though after you get onto the routine but nevertheless it is quite an undertaking.

The main objection to the whole job is the hours you have to put in. It is very hard to get sleep during the day as the rest of my outfit is still doing the regular work. There is always someone running in and out of the tent. You get up for your meals. You get enough sleep but it is always interrupted one way or another. You should have seen me trying to sleep during a tent inspection Saturday morning. After getting 15 minutes sleep I gave it up as a bad job.

Tomorrow should be a payday but I’m not sure we will get it then. We may have to wait on the maneuvers, which take a break on Wednesday. It doesn’t make much difference to me one way or the other as I have plenty of money. I’m going to try and send home another $25 this payday. I need next to nothing now that I can’t get out of camp on a weekend. Five dollars a week takes care of my needs very plentifully. Cigarettes are of course the major item but sodas, cookies candies and petty incidentals mount up. As I told you before I’m really proud of that bank account. If I ever move out of this place it will come in handy to have that reserve.

I have now broken my army record of staying in any one place. Today is the 9th week I’ve been here. I’m going into my 10th week. The longest I stayed previous to this was Barkeley where I remained 9 weeks. I’m very liable to stay here another nine weeks too. I wish I didn’t have to but I have no say in the matter.

I haven’t heard anything further on my application for the air corps. I suppose it will take months as it has to go through military channels. Oh well, perhaps it is all for the best.

This has been quite a long letter but it has helped pass the time away. I can guarantee to keep up this pace as there is really not much happening except the usual dull routine. I’ll have to ration my wordage. Well that’s about all. I’ll write again tomorrow night.

Love
Bob

August 29, 1942 - Politics

Saturday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

Your letter finally arrived today and I was very glad to hear from you. As you know I was looking forward to it and expecting it so when it finally arrived it seemed good.

Thank you for getting my drum sticks and socks. You should have used the check as that was your money anyway. But if you want to add it to my account thats all right too. I expect to have a few more dollars to add to it very shortly now. That is as soon as I get paid. I just can’t get over the idea of me having a bank account. It tickles me pink. Perhaps by the time I get out of this army I’ll be a capitalist. However, if I ever move to a decent place I imagine I’ll be able to spend my money as usual. But now I can’t spend it if I try.

I don’t know where you ever got the idea I didn’t appreciate home. I guess it was just that I took it for granted and never thought much about it. Now that I’m away from it I can really see just what it did mean to me. I guess you never really appreciate a thing until you have to be without it. God knows I’d give everything I had to be home again. However that is impossible right at present so I have to make the best of it. When this war is over, believe me it will be the first place I’ll head for. I often think a lot of you folks and being home. But I try not to do it to much for if you dwell on things like that it only makes things more miserable in my present life. Needless to say, I miss you all and hope to be home sometime in the not to distant future.

It was good to hear about “Sweetheart”. I’m glad to hear you are trying to restore some of its lost glamour by removing the dents. I’m sure that will improve her looks. It is a shame to let the “Sturdy” go at such a low price. But I know that it isn’t worth much. That car was sure a waste of money - so the gas ration is keeping the car from moving very much. I figured it would. It seems a shame when I see all the cars that run around here with all the gas they want for 14c a gallon. Maybe I could ship you a gallon or two a week. I’ll look into it.

I found out where to write for my absentee ballot right after I wrote and asked you about it. I have already sent off for a blank. I hope it gets back to me in time to send it off before September 15. I have now only a little over two weeks. It looks like the Republicans with Dewey have the best bet this year. I’d like to see him elected as I think he would be a good man. Farley certainly put one over on Roosevelt didn’t he?

The state primaries out here in California are quite interesting: Olsen the present governor of the state won the Democratic primaries and is their nominee. However, an unattached man Warren, won the Republican nomination and pulled enough in the Democratic primary to give Olsen a close race for that post. It looks as if Warren is a sure bet to win the election. It will be interesting to watch anyway.

Probably by the time you receive this letter you will be thinking seriously of your vacation. I hope you will have a good time on it. I still haven’t heard if you’re going anywhere as yet. Let me know the details.

My morale has picked up again some. I’m getting accustomed to this job now. It isn’t too hard except for the time you have to put in. Tonight I’m in charge of giving medications and working the books. I understand that we are supposed to get some nurses in to start work on Monday. If we do it will sure relieve our burden here.

I’ll write you again tomorrow night.

Love
Bob

August 28, 1942 - Written from the Hospital Ward

Friday Evening Late

Dear Mom + Dad,

I didn’t receive your letter but it will probably arrive tomorrow morning. I’m assuming you are writing as per schedule you announced in your last letter. It’s gotten so that I look forward to receiving the mail as I actually out of contact with civilization. I get a real kick out of hearing from you and from my friends.

I’m now writing in the ward. Things are rather quiet as we have no real sick patients on our hands. Most of them are all asleep now and it becomes a tiresome job after while. There are five of us working here so none of us have to work hard. I manage to get a few hours sleep every night but it is just of a dozing variety. I imagine next week when maneuvers get underway again we will be fairly busy. I work in the only air conditioned ward in the whole set up. We get most of the seriously ill cases and the ones just coming out of operations. Naturally these kind of patients are the hardest to handle. So if we get a lot in I imagine I’ll be fairly busy but right now it is very easy.

The days around here are beginning to cool off. The nights are rather cold. Some of the boys in the tents have been wearing long underwear to sleep in. Of course, the days aren’t real cool but in comparison to what they were a month ago they are much nicer. It won’t be long before the weather will turn real cool here.

I don’t think I’m getting paid until Wednesday. On Monday most of the outfit will be on maneuvers. They return for a rest period on Wednesday. Thus I thing that is when we will get paid even if it is due Monday. It doesn’t make any difference to me as I still have about $20 left from the last time I got paid. I think I will be paid about $40 this month as I have a few incidentals out such as laundry, PX, books insurance etc. I’m going to send home 10 or 15 bucks anyway to be added to my bank account. I’ll see how much I can spare when payday comes around.

As I told you earlier in the day I feel a lot better. Right now I’m feeling fine. I’m all ready to go down and eat our midnight meal so I’ll close until tomorrow.

Love
Bob

August 28, 1942 - Back in Shape Again

Friday Afternoon

Dear Mom + Dad,

I rather expected a letter from you this morning but none arrived. I imagine it will arrive in the evening mail or the first thing tomorrow. If it arrives I’ll drop you another short line tonight. I feel like writing now as I’m restless and can’t sleep. This will help pass some of the time away.

I fell O.K. today. The hives have left me and I’m back in shape again. It sure feels good to be feeling up to par again. I think it was the food we eat that upsets my stomach. Then too eating out of mess kits isn’t very good. You can’t get the darn things real clean. I’ll be glad when I can get to live like a human being again. This life in the raw gets very discouraging at times.

I worked all last night in the hospital and it really isn’t so hard. It’s just that I don’t like the type of work. Then to the hours are rather hard. During the day you can’t get proper rest as everyone is running around. However, I feel a lot better about the whole situation today. I liked to have a little time off but maybe that can be arranged later. In the meantime I can take it but I don’t like it.

A lot more of the boys are due back from furlough today. I imaging they will be a sad bunch of boys coming back here after being home. I know how I felt when I came back.

Are you going anywhere on your vacation? It would be nice if you could get away for awhile. But I suppose the gas situation is bad.

If I get your letter I’ll write again tonight in the meantime bye for now.

Love
Bob

August 27, 1942 - Hives

Thursday

Dear Mom + Dad,

I didn’t work last night. I went to sick call about 6:30 and the doctor told me to stay in my tent and rest. Thus I was excused from duty. I feel a lot better today but have undergone a new development. I’ve got a rash that I think is the hives. The doctor gave me some powder to put on them this morning but they still itch. I guess my system is just out of order. However outside of the rash I feel pretty good and I’ll have to go to work tonight again.

Somebody took my place on the ward last night and they have changed around. I’ll probably be working in a different ward when I go back tonight. It is my hope that I get transferred to days but I’ll have to wait until tonight to find out.

I still feel rather depressed. I don’t like the hospital work and I know I will have no time off so it makes me feel blue. I just have nothing to look forward to. The only thing I can set my hopes on are that maneuvers will be over in October and then probably we will ship out. But then that is two months away. Oh well I guess I will survive everything. It helps my mental attitude a lot to be feeling better. Things seem a little brighter then they did the other day when I was feeling real sick. I guess everything will turn out all right in the end. I know for a fact my morale will pick up when we ship out of here.

I haven’t heard anything as yet from my application for the air corps. I probably will soon as it was shipped out right after I turned in the office. I hope I can make it.

I was looking at a folder the other day on the O.C.S. for chemical warfare. The proposition looked very attractive. I had all the qualifications including college chemistry. The school is in Maryland which is very nice to. I might give that a try the next time I apply. However, that is still two months away.

I guess that covers the news for today. I’ll write again tomorrow.

Love
Bob

August 26, 1942 - Sick

Wednesday Aft.

Dear Mom + Dad,

Enclosed you will find a clipping telling about my place. When you read it you will find that maneuvers are due to start again next week. The clipping gives you some idea of the things the boys have to go through.

My first night at the hospital found me in very bad shape. I took sick and vomited up my supper. I spent most of the night laying in bed feeling lousy. I still don’t feel right yet and I just came back from sick call. The doctor said it was a lack of salt and gave me salt tablets to take. I’m beginning to feel a little better now. It is really nothing serious. I have no temperature but just have a lazy feeling. I haven’t been able to eat anything today. I’ve been drinking milk and fruit juices. I’ll snap out of it soon now. So don’t worry about me.

The work in the hospital won’t be hard as we have only 10 patients in our ward now. However when maneuvers start again I imagine there will be a pick up. Our outfit is not needed over there really but we are there. As I told you I don’t like waiting on anybody and that’s just about what the job is. Then too 12 hours a day seven days a week is no picnic. I’ll sure be glad when we get shipping orders to move out of here. Nothing will please me more.

Your letter arrived today and was very glad to hear from you. I’m sorry you have to work so hard but what can one do about it. I bet you’ll really appreciate your vacation this year. I hope you have a good time I know you deserve it.

I‘ll probably send some money home again soon as we get paid on Monday. I won’t need money working seven days a week. I imagine I’ll be stuck in the hospital until October or whenever maneuvers end. If I ever get to a decent camp I’ll have a good time as I’ll have money to spend.

Well that’s all for now. I’m trying to keep the old chin up as best as possible. My stay here can’t be to long now. Just about 2 more months. It is cooling off a lot around here lately. The nights are especially cool. I’ll write tomorrow.

Love
Bob

August 25, 1942 - 2nd Letter of the Day - Sad Dejected Soldier Now

Tuesday Afternoon

Dear Mom + Dad,

I’m a sad dejected soldier now. I just fell into a horrible mess. The station hospital needed technicians to help out in their hospital. So the scrape goat, the 5th Fld. Hosp. had to ship all there men over there to work. I go on nights from 7 to 7, 7 days a week. I hate the darn hospital work and then I have to be shoved into. It is the typical job of emptying bed pans, making beds, and all the crap work in the hospital. It just disgusts me through and through.

This darn outfit I’m in (5th fld.) has been just the scrape goat for all other outfits around here ever since we moved in. We get no credit for it, do the other outfits dirty work and stand around and take it. Now they have removed every single good man in our outfit and put them on duty someplace else. I don’t know why we can’t do our own work and not everybody elses. It burns you up. Working for some other outfit ruins all your chances of getting ahead, getting passes or getting any breaks at all. Pardon me while I boil over. Some things just hit right to the bottom and this is one of them.

I will be glad if I can get out of this medicine show and get into the air force. It can’t be to soon to suit me. However, it will take a long time before it goes through. The only thing I have to look forward to is that this camp will be all moved out by Dec. 1. It seems a long time away. I hope we getting shipping orders soon.

You wouldn’t feel so bad if you were doing something to help. But as it is we’re just wasting my time and the countries too. My only prayer is that this war will end soon so I can go back to civilian life. I’m just not cut out to be an army man.

I guess I better stop writing this way. However it has to come out somewhere and you were elected. I know things will pick up later but I’m afraid it isn’t going to be until we move out of this hell hole. I’m keeping the old chin up but it sure takes a lot of courage at times and this is one of them.

I’ll write you again tomorrow and perhaps I’ll be in a better mood. Write me soon.

Love
Bob

August 25, 1942 - Steady Stream of Headlights

Tuesday Afternoon

Dear Mom + Dad,

Your letter received today and was very glad to hear from you. You have been swell about writing lately. I didn’t mean to ball you out about not writing. Dad’s regular letters have been swell. I guess that coming twice a week they seemed awful far apart. It’s just that the days pass so slow around here and I guess it seemed a long time when it was only 3 or 4 days. I don’t expect you to write as often as I do and when you do write it is sure swell to hear from you. I write to you everyday to help relieve the monotony and because I want to and want you to know how and what I’m doing.

As I told you last night maneuvers are called off. The reason so many men with heat stroke. The hospital in Palm Springs is so crowded that they have set beds up on the lawn. Then I told you all about us pitching 30 tents last night to make room for them. I guess they are going to abandon this camp practically all it’s personnel now. The greater majority of it was here for maneuvers anyway. The camp is so set up that it will be an easy job to dismantle it. Even the permanent wooden buildings here are put up in sections so that they can be pulled down in a hurry.

As to how this latest development will effect my outfit, I don’t know. We were supposed to go on maneuvers when I first came here but we had orders not to later on because of lack of equipment. It may mean a move for us very soon and then again it may not. I sure hope it does.

Last night as I looked over the hills at the road you could see a steady stream of headlights. It was a pretty sight as it looked like a huge glowworm winding it’s way through the hills. You could see them coming in for over three hours so you can imagine how many trucks were being used.

I don’t think I’ll be able to get up into L.A. and Hollywood anymore now that maneuvers are over. With all these men here and not on maneuvers the crowded conditions on buses and trains is going to be terrible. I don’t like to go under those conditions. I’ve just about made up my mind to stay here in camp and save money. It is a long trip and for the few hours you have and the trouble getting there I sometimes wonder if it is worth it. The only thing is that it gets you away from this army life for awhile. I’d probably be better off if I save my money and waited until we got to a better time. I don’t think it will be too long now before we move someplace else. Then too I’m going to try and get a furlough around October and it would come in handy then.

I’m going to quit now and write some more letters. If I get time I’ll drop Brother and Marion a line.

Love
Bob

August 24, 1942 - Disgusted

Monday Eve.

Dear Mom + Dad,

I’ve been feeling rather disgusted today. It is just a case of this place getting on my nerves and the work we’re doing, doing the same. I’ll snap out of it soon.

As I told you before maneuvers are called off. It is rumored around that they have been called off all over the country. If that is true it means that this country is getting ready to go into action. As a lot of these outfits on maneuvers were tabbed for overseas duty as soon as maneuvers were over. It means that they will ship them out sooner. The news seems to point to us opening up somewhere. I sure hope so as I want this mess to get over and the sooner the better.

The latest thing to happen around here is that now only 15% of the company can go out on pass at one time now. That allows about 25 men out of our outfit to go out at once. I was thinking of giving up going out now I know I am.

I’m in no mood to write a letter so I’m going to quit. O.K.?

Love
Bob

August 23, 1942 - Missing Letter

Blogger's Note: Unfortunately I do not seem to have a letter for this date. I'm pretty sure Poops wrote a letter on this date considering that he has been writing daily letters, and his statement in the subsequent 8/24/42 letter - "As I told you before maneuvers are called off." The maneuvers being called off was only speculated on in his letter of 8/22/42.

Perhaps this 8/23/42 letter was sequenced wrong and it will show up amongst the pile of future letters that have yet to get transcribed into this blog.

August 22, 1942 - “. . but to lose them playing war is worse yet”

Saturday Eve.

Dear Mom + Dad,

I didn’t go into town tonight as I went swimming this afternoon. It is nice to be able to go except that it is so far. You have to travel 26 miles each way on a G.I. truck and it’s no fun riding one of those things.

On arriving back at camp at 5:30 this afternoon we had to go to work. An emergency has arisen where they need room for 200 patients to come in to the hospital. Having no room for them we were called out on an emergency to pitch 30 tents to make room for them.

From all appearances maneuvers are being called off. In the first few days we have so many boys overcome by the heat that they deem it wise to call it off. That is one reason for our emergency tonight. Also four or five tanks have caught fire killing several men. I’m not absolutely sure that the maneuvers are called off but rumor has it that way. As I look over the hill I can see truck after truck returning to camp so there must be some foundation for it. I’ll know for sure in a few days just what the score is, as now the news is only trickling in. I do know for sure though that they are having a tremendous number of heat stroke cases in the hospital. You see the trouble is that a lot of these outfits have just moved in for maneuvers and aren’t accustomed to this heat. It takes at least a week and sometimes two so you get used to it. It doesn’t seem as the authorities have taken that into consideration. It is a darn shame in a way. It is bad enough to lose the men in war but to lose them playing war is worse yet. Well I’ll let you know what happens for sure in a few days.

I haven’t said much except about maneuvers but that is the main topic around here now. Please forgive me. I’ll write again tomorrow.

Love
Bob

August 21, 1942 - Enjoying Letters

Friday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

Your letter arrived today and was very glad to hear from you. I’ve been getting a lot of mail for some unknown reason perhaps it is because I’ve been writing quite a lot. I’ve been getting 2 or 3 letters everyday. I enjoy getting them very much and I enjoy answering them. It is nice to hear just what your friends are doing. I enjoy the letters from home a great deal as I still think and dream of the days when I was back in civilian life.

My application for the air corps is all set now and is all set to be shipped out to the higher authorities. I had a talk with a lieutenant today about it. He was quite interested in me. He couldn’t understand that I was only 23 years old and had taught 2 ½ years. It isn’t really so wonderful. Anyway it won’t be long before I’m 24 now.

So you’re getting a lot of overtime work in. It sure must help a lot from the money angle. I’m glad to that you are a rent collector. You must be making money hand over fist now, overtime and landlord.

It is all right to start a bank account for me. It doesn’t seem possible that I could have one. Earning so little money and yet I have a bank account. I think I may be able to send home another ten or so at the end of the month if I don’t spend anymore than I have so far. I still have $26 left from my original $37 at payday. It’s just that I have nothing to spend it on.

Will you find out for me just what I have to do to get an absentee ballot as I can vote in the coming elections. I don’t know how to go about it and I want to vote. I’ve been reading about the Democratic primaries in N.Y in the papers here.

I enjoy reading the paper you sent me very much. It is a very good idea. I think I will write them and give them a few suggestions if I have any spare time. I also heard from Dr Durger again and I intend to answer his letter in the next few days.

I may go into town this weekend. I have the whole weekend off and I can’t make up my mind if I want to go to L.A. or not. I’d like to go next weekend and see the Army All Star football game but I can’t be sure of getting off. I’ll make up my mind tomorrow.

I guess that is all for now. I’ll write again tomorrow.

Love
Bob