January 10, 1944

My Dearest Mother,

I received your very nice letter on December 22. Yes it has been 37 years ago since we became acquainted. Mother dear I am so proud of you and you are the sweetest and dearest mother that any person could ever have. Even though there are many, many miles between us now my love and devotion for you is deeper than ever before. I miss you and Dad so much and especially the feast Christmas. I hope and pray with all my heart and soul that I can be there next Christmas holidays. Now that we have Myrtle in our family it makes it perfect as far as I am concerned. I am so glad that you like her so much, she is so sweet and in her letters she never asks me if she can buy this or that. I have to tell her and she is so afraid she might spend to much money. I keep telling her to spend it as she likes. In the last letter I wrote to her I told her to go in town and buy one of those new pretty robes. I hope she does get one and pays a good price and gets a good one. I told her to get it and that would be my Christmas gift to her this year. Don’t you think that would be alright? I want her to get all the clothes she needs and wants because she never have many before. I just got paid too-might so in a few days. I will send her about $50 so you see she gets $100 each month so we can have a nice nest egg when I get home.

Listen Mom when we were at the other at Christmas time they had the Mess Hall all decorated up for the Holidays and they had a couple of pictures taken of it. I ordered 2 prints of each picture and had them sent to Myrtle and I told her to send one of each of them to you. You see Mom the Capitan is doing it for us and we can’t send them from here so he is taking the addresses and sending them to his wife in the States. She will have the prints made and then mail the prints out to the addresses. So it may be a couple of months before she gets the pictures out to the addresses. But you and Myrtle will get them. I want you to let me know when you get them, will you?

O.K., Mom that is alright about the shorts. I don’t need them so bad right now as I am wearing my long woolies now as it is pretty cold here. You don’t have to send me any tobacco as I have a lot ahead and have a whole box of cigars too. Ha you can send me a nice chocolate pie if you like. Ha. Ha.

Yes it seems that we are on the move a lot but it is not bad now that we have the big trailer to keep our stock in. We are right back at the old campsite that we were before we moved before. It looks like we will be here longer. At least I hope so.

Gosh Mom dear I didn’t know dad had been sick. I worry so about you both and only wished I had known he was ill. I know he is well now I am well and haven’t had a cold yet. Since we moved into a tent it is a lot better. Please don’t worry about me as out medics or wonderful and we get the best of care.

Yes on Christmas and New Years dinner was real good. We had turkey for dinner today, there is a lot of turkeys over here now as so much was sent over and we didn’t use them all up over the holidays.

It would have been nice if Myrtle could have come there for Christmas but it is true she needed to be with her mother. Maybe next Christmas we can all be together and have a grand time. I wished you could meet sister Aurelia, she is a grand person and so jolly. I met her while I was in Roseburg. She has written me several letters, and sent a nice gift too. I was on guard last nite and it was as clear as a bell and the moon out full. It has been real nice now but it may rain soon. I am still busy at my job and like it a lot. They are breaking up the squadrons a little and sending some of the boys out to help form a new squadron. I am staying here but the Master Sergeant in charge of Tech Supply Warehouse is leaving. I hate to have him leave as he is a grand boy. He sleeps in the tent with me and the other two boys in the trailers.

Last week I had a nice surprise, one of the boys that I liked a lot and went around with a lot while in Pendleton Field, came in to camp here. He is a member of the crew of a Bomber that came in this field. He is a gunner now. He went to the gunnery school before I left for Siouan City. He said he didn’t know we were here at all and just happened to see some of the boys and thought he recognized some of them. He comes over and chats a lot with us.

Well now Mom I guess I will close for this time so please don’t worry about me to much. I will be OK and be praying for you both. Give my regards to Goldie and Henry when you see them. Tell Glen Walker hello and a special hello to Mrs. Duval. And when you see any one else say hello to them for me.

Good nite and sleep tight. God bless you both and keep you well always and safe until I return to you.

Your Devoted and Loving Son,

Howard

P.S. Tell Myrtle not to worry about me as much, will you please.