Sunday 18th (June 1944)
Hello Family,
I am writing with about an inch of pencil so you’ll excuse the writing, I hope.
Boy I struck a lucky break. The company went out on the range yesterday and will be out there most of the week. Any of the ones who came in since we were out before have to fire but everyone had to go. The rest of the company will pull details and do regular training the remainder of the time. But here’s where I was lucky. Those of us who are going to radio school stayed back here in camp so that we could go to school next week. You really appreciate the barracks and the conveniences of camp when you realize how most of the fellows are living. Back here we get today off but those out there will work this morning and get only half a day free; that also makes me feel glad to be back here. The one disadvantage of not being with the most men is that church services will be held out there this afternoon instead on here and I’ll not get to attend.
Our mail will be sent out there so we may not get mail all week but I can mail my letters from over at the service club and they’ll go out from there.
I wonder how Daddy is coming with his Remy [*see footnote] job by now. I haven’t heard anything except that he got the job so I’m anxious to hear a little about the job staff. I’m surprised that he found someone so close to home to ride with. In fact, I didn’t know that “Coffee” drove. As I remember it he left his car at the state road and went on the bus.
With everyone working I’ll bet you’ll find yourselves just going around in circles with the garden, bees, and other work. I just hope that you can get along alright. But I don’t know how I can help out much unless I could give suggestions.
I’m glad to hear that a little better arrangements have been made about the janitor job this year. I hope that they can get along (well) enough better (now) that it won’t be such a drag to them as it was before (his Carver Grandparents).
The variety of my work doesn’t change a whole lot so I don’t have very much news to tell you. As usual I’ll not finish this till evening and maybe I’ll think of a little more before then.
[*footnote – In 1944, the General Motors Delco-Remy Division in Anderson, Indiana, was a massive wartime manufacturer employing roughly 20,000 people. The plants produced crucial electrical components for military equipment, including starters for trucks, aircraft generators, and aluminum castings for P-38 Lightning engines.]
Sun. Evening,
Well I have really got a few things done today. It’s a whole lot like studying. If you can go off and hide you can get something done but with a lot of people around you can’t accomplish anything. In the absence of the company here’s what I have got done: slept a whole lot later than usual, written four letters including this one, went to a pretty good show this afternoon, and done quite a bit of reading in the Sunday School papers and Science digest.
You don’t mind seeing evening come when you feel that the day hasn’t been a total loss.
I wonder if you could get something from the drug store and send me for my athletes foot. It is hard to keep it under control in this hot weather when your feet sweat so. Maybe Mr. Bailey would have some suggestion that would help me out. Don’t send too large an amount. Thanks.
Well so long with love, Donald