May 11, 1944
Thursday afternoon
Dear Folks,
While I am off duty a little while this afternoon I’ll get my letter written so I can hit the hay early this evening. The reason I am off is that I have a nasty detail coming up tomorrow. Twelve of us from this company are on a prisoner guarding detail. Since some of the prisoners are held for pretty serious crimes this is a very responsible job and there is some larger danger connected with it. It is a very serious offense to let a prisoner escape. The last bunch from our company that were on this detail were on it for two or three days so I don’t know just when I’ll get off. We report at the guard house at 0610 in the morning so that will mean getting up pretty early.
I went to the radio school this morning and it seems that this will be over before much longer. They are going to start giving us tests Monday and so we’ll come back to drilling with the company about the middle of the week. I don’t know what we’ll do except just go ahead training with the company as we did before. There is no need for radio communication in the type work the company is doing now. If they don’t forget they’ve got radio men I suppose that we’ll go back to that whenever maneuvering time comes.
I wonder what kind of weather it is up there now. It’s pretty hot down here and I can just about guess what it’ll be like when summer comes. I wonder if you could get me a pair of sun glasses that fit over regular glasses. All I have been able to get is a pair of regular sun glasses. Since the glasses I am wearing now fit pretty close to the face and the sun glasses are sort of loose I can get by but it isn’t too satisfactory. I didn’t notice it so much at home but down here the sun shining on the sand almost blinds you to be out in it.
I am getting along as well as usual and hope you are doing the same. Don’t know any more news about when I’ll get to be home. Regiment has announced though that when furloughs start we’ll be allowed 8 days at home. That doesn’t include traveling time.
I’ve made up my mind to send my watch home so you’ll be getting that one of these days. I’m afraid that by the way things are looking, if it takes 5 or 6 weeks to fix it we might be moved out of here for maneuvers when it is ready. Of course, all of this is supposition but I’ve a hunch and a lot can happen in that many weeks. I’ve two or three things I’ll put in this letter that you can put away for me and they’ll stand less chance of getting lost if I hold onto them any longer. Thanks.
Your son & brother,
Donald
Hope I get a letter from you tonight.