Scanned in color because of the color of the letterhead
Ft. Dix, N.J.
October 4, 1945
Hello Everybody,
On my day off for the last two weeks I could almost feel like it was Sunday but somehow today doesn’t make me feel the least bit that way. It’s a chance to rest and catch up on whatever you might want to do but still there’s something important missing.
I wonder if you are having the sort of weather that New Jersey has had for the last few days. I don’t suppose so though because I don’t remember seeing much of this at home. Usually, you know, if the sun shines very much in Indiana it begins to warm upa little. But not here. Almost all week the sun has been shining as brightly as it does in mid-summer. But there has been a steady bitter-cold wind and the temperature feels almost at the freezing point. It’s not a bad wind but I suppose it’s cooled by the ocean. On the inside looking out you almost think it's summer but just as soon as you get outside you know different. If I’m not mistaken there was just a touch of frost on the ground yesterday morning. I can’t say that I mind this cool weather though - in fact - I almost like it.
I got something done this morning that I’ve been thinking about almost ever since I’ve been up here. I got a pair of khakis packaged up that I’m going to start home this afternoon. I was issued it in Ft. Benning when we were wearing a lot of khakis and since it is an extra more than the three we are authorized, I’m not charged with it. If I keep it till it comes time to turn in my army clothes (I hope it comes anyway) I’ll just have to turn it in. But since it’s not on my clothing record, if I don’t have it there’ll be no questions arise. I’m not sending it home as a uniform but just as clothes to get wear from. I may even want the tails of the shirt cut off square someday. The shirt seems a little darker than the pants but I think a couple of washings will fix that. You can see that they’re plenty dirty but I hope you won’t mind too bad to take care of that.
In the mail yesterday, I received a letter and a roll of Tribunes from Richard and the little quarterly devotional book from the Mission Circle. I sort of hope I’ll get a letter from you guys today. I don’t know any recent happenings to ask you about so I’ll just hope that things in general are OK.
I’m going to put an air mail stamp on this, so you can see if it helps any on the time.
Be good,
Donald
Pardon the scribbling. I’m writing with this on my lap so maybe that partly accounts for it I hope.