May 1, 1942

Dear Anna,

I received your affectionate letter and I was beginning to wonder why I had not heard from you. I hope you and the rest of the family are in the best of health and especially your mother I hope she is well.

There is very little to say about my trip to my brother’s place except that I had to see where my things were and how they were, outside of that I would have rather spent the day with you.

The train trip back was OK but the machine trip was terrible. We all met at Washington about 12 Sunday night and we arrived at the camp about 5 am Monday morning what a trip I don’t think I will do it that way again unless I can make better arrangements.

They sure are keeping us stepping we had to go on a 15 mile hike on Tuesday to Yorktown with our small pack 35 lbs including rifle, cartridge, belt and everything else on our backs several of the boys drop out on the way from exhaustion and other ailments and mostly everybody had a blister or two on their feet to add to our misery they sprung a gas attack on us while on the way by surprise and boy was that something however we came through OK. We had to pitch our own tents and sleep outdoors overnight and everything else that goes in the category of camping out.

Most of us wanted to go in the heart of Yorktown to look the place over while we were there. To do that we had to go through a foot inspection and those that passed were allowed to go. I was among those that were allowed to go, so we all went to town together. There isn’t very much there except a great many historical places of the Revolutionary War. There are a great many things about the place which I can tell you better than I can write about. However we all enjoyed ourselves and we started back to our own camp on Wednesday afternoon.

We received our first big pay and also our pictures I was telling you about an I think I better wait till I see you and then give you the picture otherwise it may get ruined in the mailing.

I understand Betty wanted a cap and she was to tell you the size that I could get it for her. I had an opportunity to get one for her since as we can not always get them but I did not know what the size was.

I guess I covered most al the events until I will be able to see you and I hope we will be able to spend more time together than we did the last time.

I do not know when I will be able to get another pass but as soon as I can get one I will let you know and you can meet me.

I shall always be thinking of you.

Regards to all,

Tony