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