[Probably January 23, 1944]
Sunday
Dear Folks,
I’ll start this letter before dinner and I’ll try to get it finished sometime between now and tomorrow morning. I didn’t get to write you a very newsy letter on Friday so I hope I can think of all I had in mind to tell you then.
It is another beautiful day today. I hope that we continue to get decent weather now for about 7 weeks but of course there is no telling what may happen.
I got up for breakfast this morning and then cleaned up for church. Then I layed down again and slept till about ten o’clock.
Well I finally got your package sent out yesterday at noon. I had all intentions of sending it Thursday but I couldn’t find my pocketbook (I’ll tell you more about this later), and then just before noon on Friday Lt. Blain told me he wanted me for a coal detail as soon as I finished my dinner so that fixed mailing the package on Friday.
The PFC. who is assisting in the supply room went on a pass Friday and since Sgt. Steele went to see something about his Air Corp transfer, I was in complete charge. I even had a couple of fellows working under me. And then in the afternoon I was put in charge of the coal detail. I had 3 men besides myself, a truck and a truck driver under me. Of course, this wasn’t anything great but it had a little responsibility to it and it shows that they have faith in my honesty. Usually they take a corporal off duty to put him in charge of the coal detail. Of course I worked as hard as anyone else even though I was in charge.
Yesterday I was back in the supply room again doing office work so I finally got a chance to go to the post office at noon.
About the day I couldn’t find my pocketbook, here is the story. After dinner just before I went to the post office I felt for my pocketbook and it wasn’t in my pocket. Well I looked all around for it and finally I decided that someone had reached into my pocket and took it out. When I was so near broke I took off my money belt and had never put it on again so I had all my money in my pocket book. Boy losing every cent I had didn’t make me feel very good. I spent a miserable afternoon thinking about where it could possibly be and then looking for it every chance I got.
When bed time came I had borrowed a dollar to send the package home and had written a letter telling you about it. After all hope was gone, I undressed and started to crawl into bed. In doing so I moved the pillow and there under my pillow was the pocket book. Somehow in dressing or undressing the night before it has fallen on the bed above the pillow and slid under the pillow. Then I had made the bed over it. Boy was I glad to see it and I was sure glad to give back the dollar that I had borrowed.
The little incident caused me a lot of worry but it turned out a lot better than I ever expected it to. It also taught me never to trust all my money to my pocket book again.
You asked about my glasses the other day. Well I can’t get G.I. glasses as long as I still have a pair. It’s foolish to spend money to get glasses when they are supposed to be furnished so I am trusting that if these ever break it will be at a time when it won’t make too much difference.
Sunday night
Well I finally got my letter written today about my KBT award. I suppose that we will be hearing a report on it one of these days.
I haven’t accomplished much but write letters but I want to do a little more reading before bed time. I wonder what you have been doing today.
I will be going out on the range a week from yesterday and so I wish you would send me a half dozen or 8 candles. It would be alright if they should arrive a few days after I get out there. The ones that are issued last for a while but not nearly long enough. The kind 4 or 5” long are good enough.
Goodnight with love,
Donald
P.S. In the package I put both of Ben’s pictures. I wish you would drop the one of him in his white cap into one of my letters and send it back. After you have got your satisfaction of seeing it of course.