Friday June 8
1930
Dear Family,
I intended to do this last night but bedtime slipped up on me before I got it done - To add a little variety to things around here there has been a softball league organized with each company having a team participating. I went to the ballgame right after supper and then after that I worked till dark remodeling my tent a little. Since it gets dark about ten o’clock, it’s not long from then till six in the morning.
I didn’t hear from you tonight but yesterday I got your letter of May 31. You said that Grandma had received her pictures . I hope you have gotten your’s before this. Do you know what thought passed through my mind when I had them taken? The last time (and it was also the first time) that I had my picture taken and sent it to you, I almost beat it home. Perhaps it might work as some sort of a charm and I’ll get to be home again soon. Maybe the reason I thought of it was because that has been one of the most important topics for discussion for several weeks now. That's just something to hope for and not plan on. I’m not worrying about the time I spend here, though. This may not be a place to be thrilled about but as long as I’m here I’m not in someplace worse.
It was good that Ben got to be home once again. Of course, it seems that he always has to have bad luck to get home but it looks as if the Lord is on his side too. There sure is a lot to be thankful for. Since Jim was there at the same time that Ben was home, I suppose he got enough visiting done with Ben to sort of make his furlough seem a little more real to the rest of you.
Well I seem to have more or less run out of news. I think I told you the other day, didn’t I, that we have moved from where we were near Plauen? I think the name of the town we are near now is Schleitz. But it's only about twenty or twenty five miles from Plauen so we are still in the same general area. This is an assembly area for the whole division and when we came here we thought we would be gone before this time. You never know what to expect.
It’s not unusual for me to have something other than the regular training to do so I don’t often do the regual drilling. But this afternoon I started on a hike that was supposed to take all afternoon. After we’d been out about an hour it began raining so we turned around and started back. When we got here the sun was shining but we didn’t start out again. So it turned out to be more of a nice little walk for exercise than a tiresome hike.
How are things coming in Orestes? I wonder if Richard made the trip to Purdue this week. God bless you all.
Love,
Donald
I liked that fried chicken offer and if I get a chance I’ll take you at your word.