Thursday Dec 20,1945
5:30 PM
Dear Folks,
Merry Christmas. Unless this gets held up by the rush, this should be letter that reaches you most nearly to Christmas. It might even get there Christmas day.
I guess that about the only Christmas gift I have to send you in this letter is the announcement that you probably already know. I hope it is official. Anyway the news came over the radio yesterday that on December 31 all men with fifty points of over will be eligible for discharge. Of course, being eligible and actually getting discharged are two different things. But at least that's the "beginning of the end". I'll be willing to guess that before this time next month, I should be a civilian.
Your week end letter came at noon today. Since it wasn't mailed till Tuesday it made very good time. The news of the Intrepid's getting back to States sounds pretty good to me. If Ben is on it, surely he will get to be home for Christmas. I wonder just how near ready he is to be discharged. It would be a shame for some technicality on that subject to keep him from getting home. I heard on the radio that any soldiers who arrive in the States before Saturday of this week will be discharged in time to be home for Christmas. So an effort is being made to get as many home as possible and we can hope that the Navy has similar plans.
It sounds to me as if the weather in Indiana is about what we've been having. It snowed most of the day Tuesday and quite a lot the night before. So I feel pretty lucky that we only have 3 or 4 inches. That's enough to be quite a little snow on the ground but not enough to be in the way too much. The roads are pretty slick but I can't see that any of us here, at least, are suffering from it. The temperature has been low enough today that the snow makes a sharp "crunch" when you walk on it. I expect you've already had really colder weather than we have. I'm pretty sure that it's never been down as low as zero yet.
I wonder how the Christmas program at school turned out. What else is being done in the way of Christmas activities this time? I'll be working nights next week so I won't have to work on Christmas Day but I expect I'll have to miss the service at the chapel on Christmas Eve. So whatever is done about Christmas in the Sunday service will be about all I'll get in on. Of course, lots of things might turn up that I haven't expected.
Well for right now I seem to have just about run down. Be sure to have just as merry a Christmas as you know how. You can be sure I'll do the same. God bless you.
Your son and brother,
Donald
I'll be seeing you!
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