Saturday, Sept. 2, 1944

St. Antonio, Texas

Dear Pauline-

I have been here eight days now, and have had two appointments: a physical exam and a classification. I was put in class “C”, which means duty in the states, maybe in the ordinance or quartermaster department.

Some of the men between 35 and 38 years were put in class “A” and are subject to overseas duty again. There’s a rumor that if Germany folds up, all men 35 and over will be discharged. I hope it’s true and soon.

It took me about ten hours [to get] from Pittsburgh to Chicago, and six hours [to get] from Chicago to St. Louis, and twenty-seven hours [to get] from St. Louis to St. Antonio. I had plenty of time and took it easy. There are too damn many people taking pleasure trips and the coaches are always overcrowded. I’ve seen soldiers standing, sitting and laying in the aisles.

I wised up to this traveling and always make for the men’s lavatory, because in there they have long seats and you can stretch out. I lie down right away and start snoring.

In Chicago the meals are high. T-bone steak costs from 1.50 to 1.90. You can buy a bottle of whiskey over the bar, but the bartender charges a couple dollars extra.

St. Louis is better. T-bone cost a 1.00 and you can buy all the whiskey you want at regular price. In St. Antonio, the beer joints don’t sell liquor over the bar, only beer and wines. To get whiskey you have to go to a liquor store. Seagram’s 7 crown cost $4.90. You then can go to a beer garden and drink at the tables. They have what you call set-ups.

For one dollar they give you four bottles of coca-cola and a bowl of ice and you can sit there all day if you want to, drinking whiskey cokes.

Down here there are more Mexican and Spanish people than whites and some of these gals are pretty good lookers. They have a curfew here in town for the soldiers – weekdays [it] is 11:30 at night, Saturday [it is] up to 2 P.M. If you’re picked up by the M.P.’s after that time you wind up on K.P. for a week.

At camp if you miss any appointments they fine you $5.00 and give you three days K.P. After your interviews and appointments are filled you get a three day pass anyplace within 300 miles.

There was one soldier [who] got court-martialed for taking some Sergeant’s car without his consent. He was fined 16 dollars a month for 6 months and put in the stockade for 6 months.

Another one got 6 months and [was] fined 18 bucks for being A.W.O.L. seven days. There must be about 20 guys A.W.O.L. in my company. This is a hell of a time to mess up. Those guys will wind up back overseas. Well that’s all for now, see you later -

Pete

P.S. Frank, thanks a lot for driving me to the station.