18 November 1945

Dear folks,

Yesterday I received Helen’s letter sent on the 15^th and now I am sure that Joe really has arrived. The telegrams aid that Joe arrived that day but the letter that you had sent to me just said that Joe was due on the Gibbons and I was not sure if it was just that the ship had come in. Well now I know that Joe is near home anyway.

That brings up this news- we are suppose to leave here on Wednesday night sometime so if I am to speak to Joe it will have to be soon. He may or may not be home before Wednesday night. You can still contact me through the Moore McCormack Company but from the date that you receive this you better send any mail to me c/o Fleet Post Office, San Francisco. I will be looking for mail when I get to Manila and that should be in about two week after we leave here. There is a chance that I will be back in San Francisco in time for Christmas. I hope so anyway and there is a good change that I will. Up until Wednesday night you can still reach me through the Moore McCormack people. I will keep in close touch with them in case Joe gets home sometime Wednesday. There is always a chance that the sailing time maybe be delayed until the following day but don’t count on that now.

I hope that Joe gets home soon now because I realize how anxious he is to see you all again and how anxious you are to see him too.

That is about all for now so I will close here. Give me regards to Joe when you see him.

Tom