December 12, 1945

Wednesday Evening
December 12,1945

Dear Folks,
    Well I seem to be sort of getting into the habit of doing my writing just before time to go to work. Only this is my night off so I won't have to quit before this is finished. I'm just a little late with my writing this week. It was in my mind to do all day yesterday and today but just didn't. In fact, today I've done very little except read. I had a library book started and it just happened to be the first thing that I'd picked up this evening. I finished it just about a half hour ago. I know very well that there'll be several books that I'll have to read at college and I just wish that I could read something now that would give me a good start. I try to select good books but it's just a chance that any of them will be on the list of required reading. I expect that I've read more books in the last four months that I ever read in any two years before. Maybe if nothing else, it'll be a little start toward getting back into the habit of reading when I have to. 
    Well I've received two letters from you since I wrote. The one that had been written on Friday came Monday and your week end letter at noon today. I haven't heard from Richard yet but it may have been that he was too busy to write on Sunday or maybe his letter could have been tangled up in the Christmas mail. The Tribunes have been coming as regularly as you can expect. Sometime they come in two at once but the important thing is that they do get here.
    I'm glad to hear that Wendell is out now and even a little gladder to hear about his planning to go to college. Perhaps a few fellow who wouldn't otherwise have gone on to school otherwise will take advantage of the chance and do so now. 
    It's not going to be very long before Christmas will be here. I'd sure like to spend it at home. It's going to be at least as hard to miss it this time as it was the other years. I can't see any other way around it though so we might as well make the best of an unpleasant situation. One of the fellows has a radio in the barracks and you know how you begin to hear a lot about Christmas now. Boy it almost got under my skin this time.
    Well I see that I've complained a lot but it may help a little to get it off my chest. God bless you.    Donald