October 10, 1945

                                                Separation Center
                                                Ft. Dix, New Jersey
                                                October 10, 1945
                                                1PM
Dear Family,
    I just barely finished reading your letter of Oct. 8; and since air mail makes such good time I’ll send this one that way. Air mail doesn’t make quite such good time coming this way but as you can see it does get here in two days instead of three.
    I was glad to get news of the anniversary celebration and am anxiously awaiting word about how it turns out. It’s quite alright with me to get flowers with my money - and especially since you’re fixing it so the rest of the grandsons in service are doing the same.
    I was also pleased to get a good or at least better report on Uncle Paul’s health.
    Like you, I don’t quite understand about Waldo and Charlie’s getting furloughs. But I’m not going to worry about it and certainly not feel offended. I’ll just feel that I’m doing a job that’s too important for that (40 day furloughs) and maybe they aren’t. And here’s another thing that you might as well get prepared for whether it happens or not. Somebody whose been in a lot shorter time than I have will be lucky and get out before I do. It’s just like it is about anything else; someone is bound to get rubbed. Just smile about it. Even when I do become eligible to get out, I can be held a while. Anyone working in a separation center can be declared essential (in fact, I think everyone is considered essential) and then you’re just about at their mercy. It looks as if I’ll be stuck a while anyway. They are starting to discharge men with 70 points now. And in time it will be lowered to 60 but I understand that’s as low as it will go. Then they’ll start getting out according to length of service. So again I’ll be stuck because it’ll be quite a while before they get down to two year men. I don’t expect anything till the middle of March anyway.
    Well I hope things are still running normally with you guys. I told you that I’m working nights now and I’m getting along OK.
    I didn’t tell you but I also got a letter from Richard today.
    Be good and luck to you.
                Your son and brother, 
                                 Donald