Year: 1944

                                              Thursday Sept 28,'44

Dear People,
   Another day another dollar as old saying goes. But of course this isn’t a money making venture for any of us. I’ll start my evening by writing you and try to get a couple more letters written before bed time.
   I got a letter from you this evening and it sure got here in a hurry. It was dated Sept 27 PM. and got here this evening so it couldn’t have taken but a little more than 24 hrs to make the whole trip. I just wonder how much of the way an airmail letter travels by air.
   Boy that must have been a whale of a football game. As usual I can see that a few men got a chance to take all the glory while the men in the line must work without any notice. It made me glad to hear that all of you got to see the game and it’s good that the game you saw turned out so well.
   Since they have finally started sending my war bonds to Orestes, that will be just one less worry on my mind. If we go overseas, we’ll get 20% extra pay so I may decide to get a $50 war bond a month or just have so much taken from each pay and sent home automatically. I won’t cut myself short but I sure don’t expect to need any more than I do now.
   Now a few words about what I’ve been doing. Except for one little thing yesterday and today were the same old line of basic subjects. And that exceptional little incident was in the form of a four hour hike last night. Considering that we haven’t done any hiking in a good while, I came through it extremely well. My feet have felt sort of weak all day but I only got one little blister out of the whole deal. The hike lasted from six till ten last night and they let us sleep one hour later this morning. They are very generous with our time but sure are stingy with the army’s time.
   For tomorrow, the bulletin board said I’m to report down to the regimental supply office to work. That’s something different so at least I won’t be doing the same old stuff. It’s hard to tell what kind of a task I could be given to do though. I’m due for KP any time now and it wouldn’t surprise me any to get it on Sunday of this week. But if I do, I just will, that’s all. No use worrying about it.
   I don’t suppose we’ll be around here more than two more weeks now but we haven’t received any definite news yet.
   They have told us that when Oct. 1 (Sunday) comes we will be on the same  status as troops overseas as far as furloughs go. It will be impossible to get a furlough under any circumstances. Even emergency furloughs will be entirely out. I don’t know whether they’ll start censoring our mail or not.
   Well I’m about run down so I’ll sign off for this time. 
        Love  
         Donald

                                                    Tuesday Evening

Dear Family,
   I sure wish I could tell you what a happy mood I am in tonight. To begin with, I got your weekend letter tonight. I gave my morale a lift of about 40 points (that’s just an arbitrary number). And then the next good thing that happened to me came sort of as a result of an accident.
   I remember Mr. May saying to me that you learn to take care of yourself in the army - And he sure didn’t know in how many ways that applies. I intended to stay in the barracks tonight and write you a big long letter. But they started looking through the barracks for a detail to clean up a lot of stoves they are packing up before we leave. And as usually happens they pick on the first people they see. And since I haven’t been in the army a whole year entirely for nothing, I got where they couldn’t see me. One of my buddies and I went to the show.
   I didn’t think the show would be any good but it would be better than working two nights in a row. (We worked last night but I’ll tell you about that later). It sounded like another war love story - “Till We Meet Again.” But I can say its by far the best play I’ve seen in an awfully long time. Most of the pictures have to mix drinking into it in some way or another, or are disgusting with a love story or be in some other way distasteful. But this was as clean a picture as you could ask for.
   It was a French underground picture and sure brought out some good thoughts. There were some pretty exciting scenes in it but after they were over they just added to the feeling. If you want to see a good play I can recommend it to you. Incidentally it also adds to your dislike for the German way and makes you feel more like doing your part.
   I guess the main reason it appeals to me was that it brought out a lot of religious points in it. It was more or less built around a nun. I definitely am glad that circumstances led me to go. (I never expected to be so thrilled over a movie).
   I’ll have to hurry now to tell you the news. Yesterday we spent the day studying explosives in all their different forms and uses. And then we spent the evening and night till about 10 o’clock on a little problem with what we had been studying. Of course, we got up as usual this morning and it sure was a job to hit the floor.
   This morning we went to a class about how to behave on our travels. Then after that we did about the same old routine. Most of the time was spent studying the use of maps but it was all a review.
   I hear we are going to have a hike tomorrow night but I hope it’s just a rumor.
                                                       5:30 AM Wed.
   I am playing like I am going to school again and am getting up just a little early to study. I’ve been looking over some of your past letters so I’ll try to answer some of the questions you have asked that I was in too big a hurry to answer before.
   I see I got 2 letters from you dated the 23rd of Sept. I got one of them yesterday and I believe the other one Sunday. Thanks for the stamps that were in one of them. 
   As near as I remember, Richard has hit the nail on the head on that Big Rich poem. I just about had it figured out that way myself. It was sort of a silly thing to ask but some way it sort of came to my mind that evening.
   I don’t suppose Richard will ever regret not taking Latin this year. Of course, I may not have seen the full value of it yet but I don’t see how the last two years of Latin that I took could be much added help to the first two. You don’t remember enough extra that you learn to hardly be worth the time. And after all that’s what counts anyway.
   As far as the political speeches go, I hear them sometimes and sometimes read and hear little snatches of them. I agree that it sure is rotten this year. On the speech that you mentioned, I heard the guy that announced the president but he made such a long speech and there was so much clapping afterwards that we never even listened to the president. I must have missed Dewey’s speech the next night altogether.
   About telephoning you. I think about it once in a while but there never is any news that is too important to wait for a letter.  I expect that if I ever do have any important news then I won’t be able to call you. I’ll call if I ever feel it necessary but for the difference it costs I can never think of what to say over the phone anyway. I’ll be able to tell you four times as much in a letter.
   Just tell me if you want me to call before I leave just for the sake of calling. If you want me to I’ll do it whether I’ve got anything to say or not.
   The others are getting up now so I’ll have to sign off. Hope you are coming along as well as usual. Good luck to Richard in his football games. God bless you all.
      Love,
       Donald

By the way, where is Waldo King now? Did you tell me once? I may have forgotten.

                                                   Saturday Evening

Hello Folks,
   This is one week end that I don’t have a whole lot of news but of course there may be things come to my head as go along.
   They’ve been pretty good to to us this afternoon so I’ve about got my work done up to writing. We had one hour of actual classes and then we had about ¾ hour of cleaning up our weapons. Then I washed up my necessary clothes, cleaned what equipment I had to and then took a shower. Now I’m just waiting for them to call chow. It should be in 15 or 20 minutes now.
   I haven’t been put on detail for tomorrow yet and I’ll sure be thankful if I can be free. I guess I’ve been pretty lucky along this line and I really appreciate it.
   Well yesterday morning we ran that demonstration problem but the general didn’t turn up. The highest officer there was a Lt. Colonel but he talked pretty well of our work so we got by with it alright. I’ve been put in a squad to run another demonstration Tuesday and again there are supposed to be high ranking officers there. I don’t know whether the General will be there like he was for the other one or not. The reason why we are doing this is because they are trying to find some new system for control of the squad in combat and we are just trying out the different ideas.

                                                      After supper
   I sure had Christmas tonight. I got both of your packages. And I can’t express my gratitude for being so good to me. You even remembered me down to the detail of the bill fold. I had about forgot that I asked you for one. I've been tying a string around my old one and getting by. But this sure will help.
   The watch sure is grand. If I’d picked it out myself with regards to looks and features and forgetting price, I don’t see how I could have picked any other. It certainly suits me to a “tee”. If I don’t get a furlough, I’m going to help what I can on it.
   I don’t know how the cake tastes yet but it looks good & got here in very good shape. I’ll let you know how it goes down when I cut it tomorrow. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys to do things for me. Even the Sunday School papers sure are appreciated. I am just ready to start reading something else and they’ll be enjoyed.
   Well, I’ve about run down now and I’ll want something to say tomorrow anyway. 
      So long till then,
         Donald

                                                     Sunday Afternoon
   I usually have my letter written by this time but, I guess, it’s just as well not to do everything the same way all the time.
   I was so excited about receiving the packages at the time I was writing you last night that I had forgotten to open the greeting card-letter from you that I had in my pocket. I was sure glad to hear just a word from you. You can sure bet I’ll be waiting to get your week end letter and hear from all of you.
   Whether it means anything or not, they have set the dead-line for getting rid of our extra stuff on Wednesday of this week. So I got my Gruen wrapped up this morning and it is ready to start on its way in the morning.
   They say now that we can keep our civilian shoes so until they tell us different, I think I’ll get what use I can from them. Since we have permission to hold on to them surely the worst they could do would be to make us send them home.
   Now a little more about the Gruen. I think just as much or more of it than I ever did but I can see its not built for this kind of a life. I only wore it for one or two weeks of work and you can see the results. I hope its not hurt and after things cool-off a little I wish you would ask Leo (or somebody else if you don’t want to ask him) if there is enough dirt inside to hurt the works. If so of course I’d like to have it cleaned.
   If it is alright I’ll take care of it when I get back to needing this kind of a watch. I’ll get it cleaned (especially under the crystal and get a light colored leather strap put on it and once again it’ll be the nicest looking dress watch you ever saw. I hope you’ve still got its box to keep it in. I guess I can’t help sending it through the Orestes post office as you did but Bernice needn’t know any more than that its the same watch being sent back and forth to be fixed. I’ve got sort of the same situation with the mail clerk here but I’m not making any explanations.
   I got up just in time for church this morning and besides attending church I’ve read entirely through those S.S. papers. Thanks again for them. I’ve not cut the cake yet but we may get a hungry spell on just before bedtime tonight.
   I can say that I’ve had an enjoyable day and I hope it was possible for you to have the same. It’s sort of drizzling rain this evening and it’ll sure make good sleeping tonight.
   No doubt you read about the big storm that swept along the East coast last week and I guess we were very lucky. It clouded up a little that evening but it missed us entirely.
   Hope everything’s as usual with you. Unless something else happens  I’ll sign off for this time.
            Lots of love and good morning,
              Donald

   In reading over the letters I see that I wanted to just say a word about my old bill fold which you’ll get with the watch. It’s in good shape except the long zipper which either can be fixed or torn off and the sewing which sure is shot. If sometime you have the time & inclination to try to give it a going over with good linen thread I won’t be mad. It’s especially nice for carrying change and of course it has my name on it. It may be possible to get it fixed up so that it can give me a good bit of service yet. Because I have one now it would be best to let me know about it before you send it back. If you think it’s beyond repair there will sure be no harm done.
   If you want to tickle me real well you can send me a few air mail stamps so I’ll have a few extra to use if I get a chance to let you know any important news.

                                                     Friday Evening

Hello Mother and all,
   This will be a short letter just to let you in on the news. I wonder if anyone noticed the outside of the envelope before it was opened. In case you didn’t just to save you the trouble of looking - I have finally got one stripe. This isn’t much, of course, and it certainly took me long enough to get it but I like to think that maybe it wasn’t all my fault. In the first place promotions weren’t being handed out here except in very rare cases only to those who were with the outfit originally. Those who came in when and after I did have mostly been regarded as trainees. Then if I had spent all my time in one outfit it might have made some difference. Like everything else you have to spend some time at a job before you are considered part of it. No one who came in very much later than I did got Pfc. in this bunch. Lots of them who have only been here a month or so will get it though before we leave. As we have said in time past its sort of a part of being shipped overseas.
(Sidenote: I've known for a good while this was coming but I didn't know when so I said nothing about it)
   About all it will mean is four dollars more a month. I had to sew stripes on one shirt tonight for inspection tomorrow and it sure is a job. It’s as bad as sewing patches on. By the way we’ve had to take all of our patches off and we’ll have to sew either them or different ones on whenever we reach our destination. I sure wish I had mother to help me do some of this sewing. It’s a big job for me to do it then it isn’t too fancy a job.
   Today we ran another problem with live ammunition. They told us that it would be the last live ammunition problem we’ll have to do before we leave.
   I got a letter from you at noon today. You asked about Dollie Good. That is - as near as I can gather - her real maiden name. She just continued using that name instead of changing to her husband’s. His name is Mohler1I have not been able to find a soldier named Mohler in K Company. There is a Clyde W. Mohler from Carroll Ohio listed for 346th 3rd Battalion HQ. By the way he made Pfc today too.
   About our moving. We will leave here as a division and I suppose that we’ll go over together. Anything can happen, of course, but that’s what they have told us.
   Hope everything is OK back there. God bless you all.
        Love  
         Donald

                                                     Thursday Night
                                                    (I don't know the
                                                             date)

Hello Folks,
   I’ll start this while waiting in the barber shop for a haircut  and finish it later. I hope. Well we had another big clothing inspection today so that makes us another step towards shipping out. Besides that we went out and drilled a little but as a whole we spent most of the time scrubbing up the barracks and on extra details. I spent about half of the afternoon washing windows up in the kitchen.
   Let’s see  - what did I do yesterday. Oh yes. We went out in the morning and watched a demonstration of the tanks and infantry working as a team. Then in the afternoon we ran a problem similar to the one we watched in the morning. I guess they must be getting scared all of a sudden that we’ll have to be fighting with tanks before long.

                                                           Later
   Well I can see that this can’t be a very long letter. It’s about 9:00 o’clock and I’ll have to hurry to get even this page filled. We have to get a short haircut now and that’s what I got tonight. But boy did that barber do a poor job. It was so rough on top when he got through that I had to spend about 20 minutes trimming it up with a pair of scissors before a mirror after I got back to the barracks.
   I did something last night that I’ve never done since I’ve been here. I went to Columbia to spend the evening. There was a circus in town and a couple of the fellows already had tickets so I went along. It wasn’t a whole lot bigger than the circuses they hold in the high school gymnasiums but there was a little local talent worked in and it was spread out over a little more area. 
   It seemed to be sort of a benefit project sponsored by some of the local clubs. There were several dog and pony acts, a half dozen or so acrobats that performed and one act with 4 or 5 half dead lions in a cage. It cost me 50cents and was just the same old stuff but it was a different form of entertainment for me at least.
   To tell you the truth that was about the 6th time I have even been in Columbia. I went through it when I first got here, when I was going & coming from my furlough, and we went and came back through it on our way to & from the manuever area for our 4 day bivouac. I think that’s about the second time I have had a tie on since I came back here from my furlough.
   I got your letter mailed the 18th yesterday. I guess I’ll wait till the next time to look for questions you wanted answered. I do remember you asked about whether or not I will be stopped from receiving mail. I don’t suppose I will, so just keep writing unless you are told to stop. Hope everything is well with you.
         Love,  
           Donald

                                                      Tuesday Noon
                                                        Sept 19, 1944
Hello Folks,
   I was just a little surprised to get a letter from you yesterday. I thought that I had already received my quota of letter for last week but that’s one kind of surprise I like to get.
   It was good to hear that the football team was so successful last week. The flat tire situation was bad for the driver but for the rest it will just make another memory of the football season.
   I had read about the collection of milk-weed pods1as a replacement for Kapok in life-vests in the paper but I hardly expected Orestes to take part in it. It’s a good project though so hop right to it. Every little bit will help.
   I sure had an experience today that proved to me that my watch is airtight. When I got the watch back that worked loose so I just screwed it up tight. I guess the air must have been very heavy with moisture when it was sealed up because today the moisture started collecting on the under side of the crystal. It was pretty hot today and the moisture that was inside had to condense instead of getting out. All I had to do was take off the back and the moisture evaporated right away. It scared me at first because I couldn’t imagine what was happening but I can see through it now. I thought at first that maybe the crystal was made in layers and was clouding up like an old A Ford glass used to. I thought I sure was in it then. But its as good as new now.

                                                          Evening
   There was one more step made this afternoon towards our moving. It was almost like going through a reception center again. We tried on the new clothes that were ordered for us a month or so ago. Everyone got certain new equipment and then we got anything else that is needed. We got 2 new pairs of shoes, 5 pr sox, new field jackets, new packs, and ammunition belts, new mess equipment, 2 pr of fatigues and 2 new pr of woolen underwear. Because the ones I had needed changingI also got 2 pr of wool pants, a pr of leggings and a new belt.
   This seems like a lot of waste but I guess it is a regular procedure for going overseas. What we have now will be turned in and will be used for some poor guy training on this side. I have lots of times been issued fatigues or shoes that someone has worn the new off.
   We just tried this stuff on though and it will be stored for us till we get ready to go. From the way things look I don’t suppose we will leave here before next month. If we wait that long I wish we'd wait a month longer and then they’d have to give us a furlough. If you haven’t had a furlough in six months you aren’t qualified for overseas shipment. My six months will be up the middle of November. So all of us that got furloughed in May are just sweating it out now.
   Oh yes I almost forgot to tell you what I did yesterday. I learned to fire another weapon that I have not had any previous experience with. I fired the flame thrower. It is really quite a weapon and is used to burn the enemy out of cement or steel emplacements. It sure does develop a hot flame.
   Well I’ll be looking for a  letter from you tomorrow or the next day. I hope everything is coming OK back there.
           Lots of Love,
             Donald

This evening I was trying to think of the words to that little Hoosier poem by “Big Rich”. It’s in the ‘43 Spectrum and I’d like for you to send it to me. It was because I copied it down on the inside cover of my note-book that was preserved and published and now I can’t remember it.  DT

Sidenote

I'm not clean out of other stationary, but I just wanted to use this

                                                    Saturday Night

Dear Family,
   I am happy to tell you that this has been a usual Saturday evening. And to be sure Saturday evening and Sunday is one part of the week I hate to be anything but usual.
   I have messed around, done a little cleaning up, sewed on a pair of chevrons, read some and all the time have been thinking that I ought to get around to writing.
   Since I don’t have to go back any further than today to catch up on my news there won’t be much of this to tell. We had an inspection this morning and a couple hours of drill. And this afternoon we really had a snap. We had care and cleaning of equipment - which simply means staying in the barracks and doing anything that you need to do. The main thing is just be busy and don’t get caught doing nothing.
   That just almost brings me up to date so I expect it would be a good idea to sign off until tomorrow. This isn’t too good a start so I just hope I am long winded tomorrow.

                                                   Sunday Afternoon
   It seems to me that Sundays for me just aren’t long enough. All week long it is so hard for me to get up that I think I’ll sleep all day Sunday. Then on Sunday if I sleep I feel I should be doing writing or something and I don’t sleep I feel that I haven’t been fair to myself if I a tired after the weekend is over.
   As a whole I spent this morning sleeping. I got up for breakfast and then went back to bed till church time. Then I spent most of the time between church and dinner being lazy too. All the extra I did get accomplished this morning was address some change of address cards. We address the cards and put our name, rank and serial number on them. Then we turn them in and the new address will be stamped on them. They will be sent out when we leave and we won’t have any idea of our new address.
   Likely you’ll know at least to which side of the world I am going as soon as I do. But other than that for everyone's good, you and likely even I myself won’t know my final destination till I get there. Sure wish I knew when it will be.
   It seems to me that even today I can’t think of much to tell you. A furlough seems all but out now. I hate to think about the fact that the last time I left Indiana might be for a good while. I sure hope going now will make the final coming back a little bit sooner. I’ll quit for a while now before I get too deep in this line of thought. I’ll think of more to say before night.

                                                       5 PM (1700)
   I think the most important thing wrong with my writing this afternoon was the chatter going on in the barracks. I finally got enough of it so I came over here to the library where the atmosphere is a little more of a quiet nature. I have been able to get a letter written to Uncle Pauls in just a little while.
   I wonder what kind of things you have been doing today. No doubt you had preaching services this morning as usual. Richard is up to his neck in school work and football so I expect preparing and resting up for that has taken a good bit of his time. 
   The weather here sure has been running along its customary weekend lines today. It looked this morning like it might be a sunshiny day but by noon it was up to its old trick of raining. Since then it has continually been first raining then drizzling then raining again. This makes about 4 out of the last five Sundays that the weather has been like this. I don’t remember having heard you say anything about the weather at home for a while. I wonder if it isn’t beginning to almost seem like frost time now.
-- --- --- ---
   It is almost bed time now. This hasn’t been too much of a wasted day after all. I accomplished a good bit while I was away from the barrack tonight. Besides the letters I wrote, I spent almost two solid hours reading. I had a little magazine about like the Reader’s Digest that I almost read through
   When coming back to the barracks tonight the weather made me almost happy enough to shout. It sure is like an early fall evening at home. It’s stopped raining and is a good bit cooler than usual. It sure will be good sleeping tonight. In fact I’m getting in a pretty happy mood now. 
        Love,
         Donald

If I cut short it’s because any more that I might have to say isn’t worth starting a new page.

I don't feel I can keep all my pictures so I'm going to start sending the rest of them home gradually. I'll just have to risk taking care of those I don't part with

Tentative date because

• it’s a Friday,
• in September, at least one Sunday after he sent a letter to the Montgomery’s August 27, time for the preacher to have read the letter in church and for a reply from the Montgomery’s to get back to him.
• but not the 8th, because they were on the range that day

---

                                                     Friday Night

Hello,
   I got about half an hour so this can’t be very long. We have just finished scrubbing the barracks and getting everything cleaned up for inspection tomorrow.
   I got the letter you sent out on Wednesday this evening. I also got a letter from the Montgomerys today. They sure are great folks. They said that they had the Lilly Creek minister read my letter to the church. I suppose it was alright but it wasn’t a very fancy letter. Most of what they had to say was news about happenings that likely you know. I was glad to hear that Bob has taken up football and that Richard is helping him out a little.
   They sent me the first news I have had about the Lilly Creek preacher, but I don’t quite get the whole story on him yet.
   It seems to me I have heard of the new teacher but I just can’t place her now. No doubt I have seen her. It sounds like you’ll be able to get things straightened out and running in good order.
   Down here we’ve been doing the usual kind of thing. It does seem that it may not be very long before we’ll move out of here. We took a physical examination today and they are packing up equipment all the time. Things like this don’t happen all at once though so we may be here for 3 or 4 more weeks.
   I don’t have much news and maybe I’ll have time to write a decent letter Sunday. I sure hope so anyway. Good luck and God bless you.
       Love,
        Donald

                                                      Thursday noon

Hello Folks,
   How’s everything coming back there now? I sure hope school is progressing successfully.
   We sure have been stalling time here. But, of course, they have to keep us busy even though we’re not accomplishing  anything. We had a division parade for General Leer, the commander of the army ground forces yesterday and the rest of our time has been spent just going over basic subjects. This morning we spent an hour seeing training films so you can see we are just filling up time. This is the first time this has happened for several months. In fact, I don’t remember having more than one or two training films since the first 4 or 5 weeks we were here.
   I was sure glad to get your weekend letter yesterday. I guess I get a little anxious for letters but it does seem a long time before Wednesday gets here and they start coming. But after they once start I get  two or three in almost as many days. I’ll be on the lookout for the box but it hasn’t arrived yet.
   I’ll bet the PW’s are a great sensation in Orestes. But around an army camp you see them so much and so often that you hardly think anything about it. I wonder if they are German or Italian prisoners or what.
   I am anxiously waiting to hear how the football game came out. It looks by the papers like Richard is in it up to his ears this time. Have last year’s sweaters come yet??
   Daddy doesn’t need to worry about writing too much about school because that makes just as interesting reading to me as anything else. I am glad to hear any kind of news.
   There sure is a lot of preparation going on around here for leaving but it seems that we are no nearer to it than we were two or three weeks ago. I suppose when it does come it will be so suddenly that it will surprise us. I guess I’ll have to send my dress shoes home in the next few days and that’s one thing I sure hate to do. I’ve enjoyed them a lot in the last four months and I hope I’ll be able to send for them when we reach our stopping place. 
   Well it looks as if my time is about up so I’ll try to write a little more tonight. I think I’ll go to a show just to be doing something a little out of the ordinary. I don’t think there is an especially outstanding show on but the recreation is worth something. It does get a little on your nerves to never have any change of scenery. 

                                                      Night,
   Well I about said my speech so I guess this will be more of a closing than anything else. I didn’t get the box again tonight but no doubt its just as well or better that way. I still have something to look forward to.
   We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Our platoon made the highest grade in the regiment on these tests a few weeks ago so now we’ve got to pay for it. We got to run some kind of problem tomorrow for a bunch of high officers.
   Hope everything is well with you.  
       Love  
        Donald

I cut it sort of shortcut I would run out so soon it would just be a waste to start a new page. Goodnight.

                                                     Tuesday Night

Hello,
   I’ve got a lot to say tonight but I may not get it all said. To begin with I am on guard tonight. I have already walked one shift from 6 to 8 and I’ve got one more to do. I’ll walk 12 to 2 and I hope that’ll finish me up. We’re supposed to get off tomorrow morning but I think our platoon has some sort of a test tomorrow and I may have to go on it.
   As far as what I’ve been doing this week you can just about imagine what it has been. We ran a couple of firing problems yesterday afternoon and besides that it has been the same old routine.
   Now I’ll get down to business. I’ll explain a little about the box I sent. It’s things I have to get rid of before we move. I hate to part with the stuff like glasses and flashlight but there are very few things other than what we are issued that we can keep. These things can be used if you need them. I don’t suppose I’ll ever want them. The kakkies were issued to me but I have some old ones that I got that I’m keeping in place of the,. We’ll either turn in our kakkies for new ones before we move or not take any anyway.
   The stationery is part of what Gladys King sent me and for fear I’ll not need ot and have to get rid of it before I go, you can use it. The cleaning fluid, first aid box and hat are mine and I just can’t take them. 
   I believe I’d like for you to keep the khakis and cap stuck away for me.
   You can see that it won’t be long but even we don’t know when. They’ve told us to get our personal affairs taken care of. I’ve not got anything to make out a will for and since most of my savings is in bonds I don’t think I’ve got anything to worry about. Do you think of anything along this line?
   There’s one little item that was brought out to us in a lecture the other day that I want to tell you about. They were discussing benefits to parents, etc., and of course questions came up about different things if you get killed. They told us if you are killed overseas that they don’t ship the body back now but after the war they will if it is so desired. Now this doesn’t make a particle of difference to me but it might to you. I hate to even mention things like this and don’t be alarmed. I hope you understand. It’s just an “in case” thing. I’ve told you now and you can look into it if you ever need and want to.
   Now on pleasanter thoughts, I didn’t get to be at mail call tonight so I haven’t heard from you since Saturday. Hope everything is OK. I am doing fine and don’t worry about me. How’s school?
            Love,
             Donald

   Whenever we leave here our mail will be shut off for a while so whenever this happens don’t be alarmed. I wish as bad as you that I knew when this will be. I am hitting the hay.

                                                      Sept 13, 1944
                                                          morn
   As you can see by the date this day makes one year spent at this job. I sure started my second year off fine - walking guard the first two hours and in the rain at that. It looks like we’ll get the morning off so I don’t feel so bad about the situation.
   I sure hope to hear from you today. Pardon this messy letter. It’ll have to do under the circumstances. God bless you all.
         Your son and brother,
            Donald