January 9, 1943

Dear Bill and Emily,

Eeahooooo! I could kiss your "(plural $65 word)" for sending that most welcome Christmas present. I was just jingling, jangling, jingling that precious last thirty cents and at the same time looking for a likely spot for my pending oil well. No kidding, I was actually wondering if I should go without my milk shake tomorrow at the canteen so that I could go see "Yankee Doodle Dandy" at the theater tomorrow night.

Spending my money on sewing kits, getters, collar braced etc. is not any joke down here. Boy oh boy if Mom could see me sewing on button, patches and the like. I think she would die laughing. The only regret is that I have never taken up needlecraft.

I used to think it was pretty funny when we were on maneuvers and I would get dysentery (the shits). I would rush out of the tent, grab the shovel, which was stuck in the ground on the left hand side of the flap. With my right hand, I would reach for the music roll, which was stuck on the limb of a tree. I immediately come to a walk, knowing that if I ran, I would have to change my diapers (very scary now). If you think digging a hole to defecate in is any fun at two o'clock in the morning and being in that condition, not daring to lift your foot up to push the shovel in, is any fun. Try it sometime. Actually when it was all over, all it was, was a "fart with fluid drive" (stinks doesn't it) (This Army) Gosh. After you took the cure, cheese and more cheese and more cheese with bread, I would set back and laugh like hell.

After this long spiel, what I'm trying to bring out is: it must be still funnier to sit back and watch me polish belt buckles, buttons and shoes, to gaze upon a skilled hand mastering the art of "needlecraft", to stare at "me" getting housemaid's knee, while I scrub the floor with a G.I. Brush. You would see me polishing window glass, with a master's hand such as a technician would use polishing a huge telescope lens. I can make a bed with the ability possessed by a French maid. Why if a coin is casually tossed upon the bed it will flip over. This is caused by tautness of the blankets. This my good "brother" and "sister-in-law", is hay shaking. Yes, hay shaking. Today was the first day that I've been out of camp since I came here. My name was up for special detail. After they marched ten of us, I said marched, over to headquarters, they piled us into a ten-wheeler, just like we had in the 101st infantry, I miss the gang. Well to get back to the detail, they drove us out the gate and about ten miles farther in the country, out on the range. On arriving in some cow puncher's (sounds more like the West) backyard, we dismounted into a plowed field.

This my friend was my first day as a pilot. You know, pile it here and pile it there. (Kackle, Kackle) after that corn. Well, anyway, we had to take pitch forks and shake out the sod and pile the grass in a pile to be taken back and replanted at our own little ranch. Down here they say "its' rougher'n a cob". All in a all I worked about one hour. There were too many guys for the amount of tools so I strolled thought the countryside. Thank the Lord I had this special detail because 75% of the boys got gigged today for skipping P.T. and drill call and if I was with the boys I would have spent the day in the canteen. They have to walk five hours on the camp. Nothing much counts at the center here, we're praying we get shipped to pre-flight next week.

As for Emily dear, how about sending some of those good jokes that you always have on the top of your tongue.

If it would make Jean feel any better tell her that's the way I'm going to get marries. That is if I ever do, as it stands not, I'm going to live a happy life of a bachelor on out (Fred, Charlie and myself) little place called "Bachelor's Paradise"

If I seemed to have rambled this way and that, in this letter please forgive me because I'm just a little (Barrack Happy) you know this sort of stuff.

As ever,

(Loose as a goose) Al