Letter stamped “October 3” (in red, didn’t scan) but envelope postmarked Sep 27
September 26, 1944
Tuesday Evening
Dear Family,
I sure wish I could tell you what a happy mood I am in tonight. To begin with, I got your weekend letter tonight. I gave my morale a lift of about 40 points (that’s just an arbitrary number). And then the next good thing that happened to me came sort of as a result of an accident.
I remember Mr. May saying to me that you learn to take care of yourself in the army – And he sure didn’t know in how many ways that applies. I intended to stay in the barracks tonight and write you a big long letter. But they started looking through the barracks for a detail to clean up a lot of stoves they are packing up before we leave. And as usually happens they pick on the first people they see. And since I haven’t been in the army a whole year entirely for nothing, I got where they couldn’t see me. One of my buddies and I went to the show.
I didn’t think the show would be any good but it would be better than working two nights in a row. (We worked last night but I’ll tell you about that later). It sounded like another war love story – “Till We Meet Again.” But I can say its by far the best play I’ve seen in an awfully long time. Most of the pictures have to mix drinking into it in some way or another, or are disgusting with a love story or be in some other way distasteful. But this was as clean a picture as you could ask for.
It was a French underground picture and sure brought out some good thoughts. There were some pretty exciting scenes in it but after they were over they just added to the feeling. If you want to see a good play I can recommend it to you. Incidentally it also adds to your dislike for the German way and makes you feel more like doing your part.
I guess the main reason it appeals to me was that it brought out a lot of religious points in it. It was more or less built around a nun. I definitely am glad that circumstances led me to go. (I never expected to be so thrilled over a movie).
I’ll have to hurry now to tell you the news. Yesterday we spent the day studying explosives in all their different forms and uses. And then we spent the evening and night till about 10 o’clock on a little problem with what we had been studying. Of course, we got up as usual this morning and it sure was a job to hit the floor.
This morning we went to a class about how to behave on our travels. Then after that we did about the same old routine. Most of the time was spent studying the use of maps but it was all a review.
I hear we are going to have a hike tomorrow night but I hope it’s just a rumor.
5:30 AM Wed.
I am playing like I am going to school again and am getting up just a little early to study. I’ve been looking over some of your past letters so I’ll try to answer some of the questions you have asked that I was in too big a hurry to answer before.
I see I got 2 letters from you dated the 23rd of Sept. I got one of them yesterday and I believe the other one Sunday. Thanks for the stamps that were in one of them.
As near as I remember, Richard has hit the nail on the head on that Big Rich poem. I just about had it figured out that way myself. It was sort of a silly thing to ask but some way it sort of came to my mind that evening.
I don’t suppose Richard will ever regret not taking Latin this year. Of course, I may not have seen the full value of it yet but I don’t see how the last two years of Latin that I took could be much added help to the first two. You don’t remember enough extra that you learn to hardly be worth the time. And after all that’s what counts anyway.
As far as the political speeches go, I hear them sometimes and sometimes read and hear little snatches of them. I agree that it sure is rotten this year. On the speech that you mentioned, I heard the guy that announced the president but he made such a long speech and there was so much clapping afterwards that we never even listened to the president. I must have missed Dewey’s speech the next night altogether.
About telephoning you. I think about it once in a while but there never is any news that is too important to wait for a letter. I expect that if I ever do have any important news then I won’t be able to call you. I’ll call if I ever feel it necessary but for the difference it costs I can never think of what to say over the phone anyway. I’ll be able to tell you four times as much in a letter.
Just tell me if you want me to call before I leave just for the sake of calling. If you want me to I’ll do it whether I’ve got anything to say or not.
The others are getting up now so I’ll have to sign off. Hope you are coming along as well as usual. Good luck to Richard in his football games. God bless you all.
Love, Donald
By the way, where is Waldo King now? Did you tell me once? I may have forgotten.