Marked “Wed. Noon” but was actually Thursday – based on the letter content and the postmark date.
Thursday (not Wed) Noon – August 3rd 1944
Good Afternoon Folks,
Well I have ruined this paper with sweat before I ever start by just laying my arm on it but you’ll bear with it. I hope. I don’t need to tell you that it’s a very hot day and that this afternoon will likely not be comfortable.
In my letter to you I wrote Tuesday I said we were supposed to have a hike that night. Well for some reason or other it was cancelled until yesterday afternoon. Yesterday morning we hiked for an hour each way out to and back from an area where we ran a problem so that wasn’t so bad but the hiking wasn’t so good.
With two hours of hiking in the morning and four in the afternoon we were walking for 6 hours yesterday. And the afternoon was about like today’s will likely be as far as heat goes. I needn’t tell you that we were ready to quit when we got in.
Besides that I was on table weather yesterday and had gotten up at 4 o’clock. So I had to spend my noon hour and my evening till 8PM in the kitchen. After we were through and I was back in the barracks cleaning up, the pay off came. Most of the fellows were out as they usually are in the evening (movies, Service Club, PX, town, etc.) and they needed someone to go on guard. They had already picked the guard but one of them had some sort of detail and they needed someone else.
As you can guess they took me, even in the condition I was and I walked 3 hours of guard last night. Well that brought up my total to 9 hours of walking yesterday. I was pretty well aggravated about it but that’s all the good it did me.
But for being on guard we got the morning off today and so I brought up my total hours of sleep enough to equal a pretty good night’s rest. I don’t know what I’ll be doing this afternoon but no doubt there’ll be something.
I was pretty glad to get your weekend letter yesterday at noon. I was so busy I didn’t get to read it ‘till last night but the thought that I had a letter to read helped me through the afternoon.
I am interested in knowing how Daddy’s job comes out and I was amused at Mr. May’s letter. I sure hope Dad gets the job but like so many other things, I guess, it won’t be a life or death matter. Just do what you feel is right as best you can.
I was sorry to hear of Richard’s accident but it couldn’t be helped so just take care of it then forget the whole matter.
I can’t predict whether or not the motor cart will work but I do want to hear how it comes out. The idea of having no clutch and running it something like the railroad men do their put-put might be a good one.
I doubt if the letter prediction about the end of the war will turn out to be anything other than wishful thinking but it did interest me.
Well if any more news turns up before night I’ll include it. Otherwise I’ll close with my best wishes in all your undertakings.
Lots of love, Donald
Night
Well I sure had a break today. The company had gone out in the field this morning and didn’t come back at noon. So they told us (guards) to just keep busy around the barracks – cleaning our equipment, straightening up etc. That means I had an easy day today. Then I went to a show this evening to sort of spend the evening and it turned out to be real good. KP generally comes soon fter table waiter so I’ll probably get it Saturday so I won’t feel so bad. Love. Donald