Jan 1^st 1943

Dearest Hal,

So glad to get your V-mail letter today, it was a nice New Years present. I have not tried the V-mail lately, as you said in one letter that they were with coming as fast as others, but I will try one this time. I have been writing Billy nearly every day lately, as that was all I could do to brighten his Christmas, and he has written me often, which has helped a very long dull week. He says it has rained at Camp Edwards nearly all week. It did here for days and now the floods have done a lot of damage from Pittsburg to Huntington and Cincinnati, Ohio. Billy says he has not been assigned to any battalion yet. About 60 boys are there out of the class at Camp Davis and Billy says they are giving them a different kind of training from the others, and he thinks they have something cooked up for them that they don’t know about yet. He seems to like to work with those guns. They were taken out on the range Wednesday before Christmas and did not get back until Sunday. He ate his Christmas dinner out of a mess kit and forgot what day it was until nearly through. Range is 50 miles away from Camp. It would be nice of you could have some of the too much rain that we have had. Sara said she had sent you some cigars. I’m so glad you got the package from Page and Sam but sorry you did not get ours. One reloaded tobacco too, I will try and send some more. Write again as often as you can.

Dearest love

Mother