Mon. Aug. 14^th

Dear Fran:-

I just finished noon day chow so I’ll start my letter to you, I know I won’t get it completed but I’ll at least have it started. I should have written last night but I just didn’t have the ambition. Yesterday was a honey we got up at 5:00 ate and started out arriving back about 11:15 we had both our meals in the field. Talk about march boy we did it, I was really dog tired. After arriving home we had to clean our rifles and we were dirty as hogs as most of our training was practical work in walking, creeping, crawling, concealment, cover and what not. I was rather disappointed when the mail man came out at supper yesterday because he had no mail for me. Had one in the morning from Mother and that was all. I still haven’t received your package with gum, cigarettes, and etc. but did get the others. I may get it today as we haven’t had our morning mail call yet. I wrote a letter Sun. to Geo. and one to Milt but forgot to mail them until this morning. I don’t know when we get paid but at present I’m flat broke although I have ^$3. loaned out but probably won’t get it back until pay day so if you can spare a couple dollars just put in your next letter it will be O.K. The next package you send me get about 6 or 8 of my hankies from home also buy me 2 or 3 pairs of Kaiki socks (light weight) at present I can’t think of anything else for you to send. It would be nice if you could send yourself but I guess not because this war news looks very good so any thing can happen, keep your fingers crossed. If I had the opportunity I’d tell any fellow the same thing all the boys told me, If you don’t have to go for God’s sake stay home. I only realized that fact since I left home for the Army but I have no one to blame but Ed. Chester so I’ll keep my big mouth shut. Today so far we had a period in exercising and a period on our rifle this afternoon I don’t know what’s in store. Tonight we have a night problem. I think we have to disassemble our rifles in the dark. Well its after evening chow now and there shouldn’t be any more interruptions so I’ll finish this letter. I said before I hadn’t received your package well I got it at chow time also your letter. Thanks a million for everything. I needed the cigarettes badly and was glad to get everything else. About that cigarette lighter don’t get it, as soon as they get them in down here I can get it much cheaper. Another thing don’t bother to send candy unless it would be home made as you can buy most any kind in the P.X. I’m glad you and Janie are going around together injoying yourselves, then you won’t get so lonely. I wish I was there to go along. You asked if Bob has seen his wife. Well he called and talked to her an I think he’s trying to get the week-end off to be with her, As I said in previous letters I don’t know what will happen to us should the war end. They keep drilling into our minds the fact that Japan must be policed and we’re the fellows thats going to do it so you can take it for what its worth. I personally don’t think we will but its still purely up to the big shots in the War Dept. Before I forget please don’t send any more reading matter unless I ask for it because you have such damn little time that it just piles up. When the “Record” starts sending me the papers that will be sufficient. Well honey regardless of what happens we will hope for the best and like I told Geo. when I get home he’d better be prepared for a dandy also to arrange to take the next day off. Incidentally its about 7:20 P.M. and we just received official notice from Washington that its OVER. Lets start praying shall we. I wish the two of us could be in Phila. or N.Y. boy I’ll bet its like a mad house. Well honey I think I’ll close and go up to the P.X. and have a couple bottles of that lousy beer. Remember the boy still loves you and always will so be good and pray they’ll leave us come home.

With all my love,

Your honey.