North Africa
Nov 20 1943

 

My Dearest Mom & Dad

            At last I am writing you once again and I hope you haven’t been worried because of no letter. I have been so busy with work and the evenings pass so fast that it seems that I could never get time to write. Received a Vmail today and so glad to hear from you Dad. I was so pleased to hear that you are already on your new job and like it so well. Good luck on it Dad and don’t work too hard. Take care of yourself because all the time I am here I worry about you both.

            So the chatter box is there. I am sure glad I am not there but I can seem to ever hear her away out here. That’s just like her to be gadding around and get that chatter started and be late for eats.

            Yes I imagine it is like Fall there now. The leaves are still on the trees here and I guess they wont fall off. We are eating tangerines now. You remember what they are. I sent some from down in California when there. Boy they sure are good.

            My letters seem to be coming pretty fair now. Yours of the 31st of Oct got here today. Not bad. When I was at one of the other camps Oct 2 I sent Myrtle $30 by cable and in her letter yesterday of the 30 of Oct she said she got the money. It took plenty long for it to come. She said she was going to spend all of it for Christmas gifts. Oh yes by the way I got one gift already. Myrtle sent me a shaving kit in a nice leather case with shaving cream, soap, tooth past, talcum powder and a tooth brush. I am using my electric razor now as I have the 110 volts from my light using system.

            I suppose it was quiet there in Salem on Halloween night. It was here too and just another day to use. No Dad I got the letter before Thanksgiving. I don’t know what we will have to eat on that day. The cooks are pretty good and if they have the things to cook with they really can make a good meal. One day we had donuts that they had made and they were real good. No Mom they weren’t nearly as good as you can make. You can be very very sure that when I get back home I will never complain about the food I eat no matter how bad it may be. If a person can eat this chow day after day then he can eat anything.

            Well I am working around on the Italian radio again and am going to try and stay with it until I get it working. I am changing it around a little so it will be more compact. It is in turn units and I am setting one on top of the other so the connections between them will be shorter.

            I am well and I don’t get so lonesome as much as I use to. You know it has been 16 months since I come in the army but it doesn’t seem nearly that long. I hope it isn’t another 16 months before I get out because I miss Myrtle so and she seems to miss me a lot. She is so sweet and good to me and is so happy each time she gets one of my letters.

            Gosh I am about out of news for this time so guess I will close. Please don’t worry about me as I am O.K. I miss you both a lot and wished we could all be together for the Holidays. I hope you are both well and getting along O.K. give my regards to Bob and Mary, Mr. and Mrs. Scheirman, and to all the rest of the good friends there: Mom say a special Hello to Mrs. Duval for me.

            Goodnight and God Bless you both and keep you well always.

Your Most Loving Son

Howard

 

P.S. Dad here is a 5 franc note I am sending you. It is the money like we use here. 1 franc is equal to 2 cents of American money. So 5 francs is 10 cents.