Sunday 11:30 – July 30, 1944
Hello,
How are all you folks now? I wonder what you are doing today. Since I don’t have to be out in the sun, I can call this a beautiful day. It is not hard for me to see how people can like the South. Because if you can be inside and look out as I am today or if you can view it from such a place as a shady park, it does really look beautiful. But it is just too hot to enjoy when you must be out in the weather. I hope you are having nice weather too; or if you are still needing rain, I imagine rain would be about as welcome as sunshine.
After Dinner
I was stopped by chow call and then mail call but here I go again. At mail call I got a paper, the cookies from the Ladies Aid, and best of all a letter from you. It looks to me from your letter that some of my class are going to see action and just to be truthful it may not be long before I’ll be with them. There is a shipping list coming up shortly and I have as good a chance as the next one of being on it. I got my G.I. glasses yesterday and that fills all my requirements to make me eligible. But even those in the outfit who don’t go now will leave (I am pretty sure) soon after the maneuvers are over in October. Here’s my attitude towards it right now. The way we have been working lately it wouldn’t be a whole lot worse than it is right now, and with the exception of maneuvers I have had all my training and ought to be able to look out for myself as well as the rest. I may also be able to help get this over with sooner and if I do or don’t I’ll be filling my little spot. Also remember that “All things work together for them that love the Lord,” so I don’t want you to feel any different about it than I do. This is all I am going to say about this until I learn something more definite. Don’t be surprised when it happens and don’t worry about it.
The hike we had Friday night didn’t make me feel much worse after it was over than I did before I started. The blisters were a little larger but I worked on them yesterday evening and I can hardly tell I have them today. My right ankle was a little sore before I started but it got limbered up after a mile or two and it didn’t bother much after that. I went to radio school yesterday morning and we had a pretty easy afternoon yesterday so with an easy day yesterday and a vacation today I ought to be pretty well rested for next week.
I did my weekend washing last night so I didn’t have to get up to do that this morning and I slept till church time. I wouldn’t even have woke up then if one of my buddies who sleeps next to me hadn’t known I was in the habit of going to church and woke me up. By the way he himself is a Catholic. When he woke me up it was about three minutes till ten and I was going into the chapel at 6 minutes after. The chapel isn’t very far away but even at that I did some hurrying.
The chaplain, who I mentioned once before that I liked so well, spoke to us again this morning and I really enjoyed the service. THis fellow is so common acting and preaches so plainly that you can’t help from liking him. The other chaplain must be from some church that has a very formal service and it is much harder for me to enjoy than one more like our own.
Well I’ll sign off now and maybe write a little more this evening. Thanks a lot for the needles.
7PM
When reading over my letter so far I see I have told you about one of my buddies and it reminds me that I have another buddy whom I have been intending to tell you about. He is the one who pitched his tent with me last week and I like him very well. He lives in Greenville, Ohio. If you remember when we took Mattie and Aunt Mary over into Ohio we went to Greenville. He is familiar with the territory over to about as far as Muncie so he and I have just a little in common. When you are stuck away like this it is good to find even so remote an “acquaintance.”
We have been working for 6 days a week lately and haven’t got to go swimming for a good while so I decided this afternoon if I couldn’t get a tan one way I would try something else. I put on my bathing suit and layed out in the sun for about three quarters of an hour this afternoon. I see that my back and one shoulder is sort of pink now but it is entirely cool so it didn’t burn any.
I succeeded in getting a letter written to the Ladies Aid so maybe they won’t be bothering you with questions about whether or not I received the cookies this time. I find that most of the cookies have to be eaten with a spoon (they have been crushed so) but they sure taste good.
You’ll have to admit this is a pretty good letter for me. I’ll read a little and then hit the hay pretty soon. It looks like we may get some rain tonight.
Lots of Love, Donald
I sent for a stamp with my initial and last four serial numbers on it so you don’t need to worry about sending me this.