Wednesday evening,

January 19, 1944

Dear Folks:

Nothing very much in the way of news from here. We have completed all of our tests, etc. and [have been] having a lot of inspections. I haven’t been doing very much work since Monday, just trying to look busy. I’ll really be ashamed to pick up my check when we get paid this month. It will be my first sergeant’s pay and just 24.00 more than I have been getting. It isn’t much compared to my “Wrights” pay, but I am banking just about as much as I ever did.

Charlie ____ wrote me a change of address card and his mail now goes to A.P.O. 921090 P.M. New York. So he is on his way to join his brother overseas. So now he joins Simpson, John and a few of the others doing their part overseas. I’d sure like to meet up with those guys soon. I bet old Charlie would have a lot of funny stories to tell me. I can’t believe that a whole year has passed since I saw Charlie, John, Walton and that gang. Writing letters has helped me to keep in touch with them and it is good that we correspond back and forth. Lots of times I haven’t had any news to tell, but I just write anyway. Today I got the check [from] “Wrights”. I am enclosing the check so you can bank it for me when you get a chance. I am glad to know that they haven’t forgotten me – I want to get back there after the war and start getting out the payroll once more. Can you imagine Simpson and me swapping stories between lunch periods? I’d probably start all over again abusing him just as I used to do.

Last night I received the box of candy you sent me. Thanks very much – I enjoyed it very much. I had bought a box Milky Ways a few days ago and they are just about gone. I can get a box of 24 for 72 cents out here now, so you see it is pretty cheap.

I also got another “Post” yesterday so I had a swell time eating candy and reading, lying on my bunk. What an easy life! That is how I spend my evenings out here – that and going to the movies are the only way to spend my spare time.

We are having a show in our dayroom tonight with coffee and doughnuts after the movie. Same class to [(as?)] us. Goodbye for now and I hope all of you are well. By the way, I have gotten rid of my cold – it wasn’t much but I am glad to get rid of it. Dad noticed it when I spoke to you on the phone. Anyway it is gone now and I’m not bothered with it any more.

Joe