April 26, 1945

                                                        April 26,45
                                                        Germany
Hello Folks,
  Well I must say that I’ve done pretty well lately getting letters from my brother James. Guess I’d do well to write to him a little more often. I got his Vmail a couple of days ago and yesterday evening I got the regular letter that he had written. One of these summer days when you can’t find anything to do I’ll be very glad to hear from you again, Jim.

I also got another birthday card from you people last night. Considering everything I don’t expect mail very hard this afternoon but who knows. No doubt I’ll still be here when the mail comes today. I can let you know.

In my last letter I was crabbing about the weather but sometimes like today it can clear up and really be beautiful. Then maybe you think I don’t get just a  little longing to be back in Indiana. The sun is shining so brightly this evening that I could enjoy doing most any kind of peaceful work out in it - even riding a tractor. By rights this seems like an afternoon that might be spent plowing corn about six inches high.

If I was guessing I would say that tomorrow will the last day of school for Dad and Jim. Of course, last Friday would have been the 20th so it would have been impossible for it to have ended then. I expect you’ve told me at least a couple of times when it would be out but I’ve forgotten.

I saw the mail man come in with the mail just now so I’m going to sign off ‘till after it’s sorted. I may have more to write about then.

                                                              8PM
You may think it funny that I am writing at this time of night when we are living in pup tents but it is just beginning to get dusk and I’ve a good bit of light yet. Anyway I go on guard duty at 9 so there is no use going to bed. I intended to get at this earlier but I sort of messed around and didn’t get to it - read my mail twice, fixed a telephone for one of the platoons, etc.

I sure struck it rich on the mail tonight. I got three letters from you - April 8, 12 and 14. As mother wrote to me once, it sure is good to get mail especially when you hardly expect it. I was proud as a peacock when Richard told me about planning to start at Purdue. I’ll sure be thinking about him and hoping and praying for his good luck. I just hope the war is over before six months roll around (another physical). Have the bees been sold yet? I just about hit the mail on the head when I guessed about school’s being out, didn’t I?

I understand that our division is now part of the 1st Army. So even if I’m not in the same army with some of the Orestes boys, I guess I am in the same one as Charlie1"Charlie" is probably the same Charles Johnson as wrote the March 29 letter. 
Apparently the Division was moved from the 3rd Army (Patton) to the 1st Army, because the entire VIII Corp, of which the 87th Division was a part, was moved. That likely didn't make a practical difference at the time. In early May the VIII Corp was moved to the 9th Army. Apparently the Army was planning ahead: the 3rd Army ended up occupying Germany, so they were probably shifting around units that would not stay in Europe.
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Well before it does get dark, I’d better sign off. Thanks for the clippings.
Be good and God bless you all,  
       Donald