10-8-43

Diane my darling,

At long last a letter from you and how happy it has made me. You have no idea how much the lack of a letter from you affects me and neither did I until I got down here. I guess maybe it was because the last one seemed to be from you when you were upset and it seemed such a long time as a result. As a matter of fact as I checked back it was only a matter of two or three days more than usual.

I was very glad to get the list of promotions from you. I was very disappointed for as far as I can ascertain I was recommended from here and the job I hold calls for promotion. Naturally I was more or less on edge about it and to say that it makes no difference to me would be an untruth. As a matter of fact I wanted it very much and one of the reasons that I wanted to come here was that from here I thought I would have a chance. I really feel now that that was the last good chance for they will not be making them very fast, if any from now on. I do know that I am still several years junior to most of those that are being made and seniority does have some effect on the matter. Well there is no use to fret about it for after all in the end we will all be reduced some after the war.

General Harmon will probably be I SA about the 16^th and 17^th and I will send a package with him. Your present from Lima has not arrived yet and I am hoping that it gets here before he leaves. He will have to do a little smuggling I suppose. I can wrap the things in separate packages I suppose and value them at less than fifty dollars which should make it all OK. About the radio you mention I could not get one here for love or money unless I ran across a second hand one. However they all work on twenty five cycle here so would not be worth a darn on sixty cycle as you use in the states. Things here in reference to buying things are the same as in the states and getting worse. I was in the CRR commissary yesterday to try to buy a pair of golf shoes. They had had a recent shipment of shoes in and you should see the crowd. Of course they had sold out of gold shoes and most eberything else. We wanted some reading lamps for the house. None to be had at all and people ask enormous prices for their second hand ones. Gen. Randall is leaving and we have contracted for some of his stuff. At last we will probably have a place to sit besides on the bed or a GI chair. It will cost us about fifty dollars a piece but it has become very tiresome not having a darn thing in the house for any comfort at all. Camping out has been the word. Of course it can be sold on leaving without any trouble for what you put into it.

I am sorry about Charlie but I guess that is as far as he is going to get. However I can’t be worrying about others. Its enough to get along onesself.

We can get the twin beds eventually old girl when this GD war is over and we have a home once more. I am glad that you were able to talk to the Harrisons and get an idea of my job here for as you know I can’t write it to you. Things are going to change here in the soon future but I can’t really dope out the outcome at present nor do I believe that anyone else can at the present time. I wonder if I should try to go to that school that they are all shooting for. I know little about it but if it is good and should be had maybe I should make a try. Find out a little about from Nick if you can and let me know sweetheart.

There is no real interesting news my darling except that I love you with al my heart and more so everyday that I am away from you. The time seems to drag so here for that reason. I still do not have that picture and would like to have it very much. Something has gone wrong with my machine now. Carnsarn it the a doesn’t want to work. Well anyway more later my darling ladybug love to you.

Edwin