Saturday morning,

Nov. 20, 1943

Dear Folks:

Today is the third day of our trip and we just passed through Garden City, Kansas. We are scheduled for a short exercise period this morning which should come around soon. Nothing of any consequence has happened since we started out Thursday from Tullahorn. We sleep until 7 o’clock, have breakfast around 8 and then sit around reading. Noon meal occurs about 10 o’clock and then we around some more. Supper is at 6 o’clock and we go to sleep at 9. I can sleep well on the train and usually sleep right on through Tillneville.

Your phone bill this month will be quite high- I called last Friday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I don’t like to run your bill up so high but I thought I’d better get all my phoning done while I was still comparatively near home. The charges from California are very high and $5.00 would be gone just saying hello.

In one of my letters from Tennessee I asked for some flashlight batteries and light bulbs. I don’t need them now because I got two new batteries and a bulb from our wine section. They have enough to last two or three years. No wonder batteries are hard to buy outside- the army has them all.

This writing is very poor because I can’t get the typewriter- the sergeant is using it to get out source reports.

I was glad to hear from Ma that Charlie got on a furlough. Charlie is a swell guy and I know you enjoyed his visit. I only wished that we both could have gotten home at the same time- we would have some stories to tell each other. Bill Walton is about due for another trip home if I’m not mistaken he had his last visit just before I was inducted. I may run into him yet if we get passes which we’re out in the desert. When I left the desert in August, a rule came out limiting the men to one three- day pass which they were at Desert Training Center. That may have been changed by this time- I certainly hope so. The operations section I’m in now got quite a few passes while they were at Fort Brogg- that is one of the best parts about it. You see our section isn’t connected with the headquarters battery except for meals and clothing. We have our own passes issued to us by our chief of section and therefore have a better chance of getting to L.A.

Don’t be thinking you have to get me something for Christmas. I have everything I need- if I think of something I want I’ll let you know. And stop worrying about me being in the desert and maybe going overseas. Ill still be maneuvering somewhere in the states when this war is al finished- that’s all this outfit can do.

Joe