Wednesday 12:30 noon

7/8/42

Dear John Milton:

Maybe by now you have gotten your Daddy’s letter, now, here’s mine.

Well, we are both glad you are once more fixed at your new field and we will have to learn your new address after many weeks of writing it as we did the other one.

I hope you like the new ”home” and as to the much work, I was called by Mark Kirby on the day after the piece I am enclosing came out in the “News”, to be congratulated, and she was telling me just about that you had in your letter as to the hard work and strenuous. Of course she had learned what she was telling me, from her son who had been at Maxwell Field and is now Sec. Lt. and in Cal. and married last week. I am speaking of the young man whose picture I sent you to see.

Now, I know you are just as determined a young fellow as he was, and he said the work and all it took to get that commission wasn’t going to get him down, so, John Milton, I am looking to the day when it won’t only be in the paper that you are a Cadet sergeant but a Lt. and we will all be plenty proud, and not only that the commission had been won but that it took a lot of long hard work to get it and you got it. Three cheers, J.M. and I’ll be waiting for this news.

I have given Evelyn the pictures and she seemed much pleased. In her next letter I guess she will tell you of her position she has taken. If, and when you want the other set to send to the girl in Washington, I will send them to you, or do you want me to send them from here, to her?

Ben and I have enjoyed looking over your annual and we looked up Ruth, the picture is very much like the one on the piano. Your picture in there, is real good of you.

Please send the news clipping back to me, I am keeping all such things and some day maybe you will get a “kick” out of going over all these things I am keeping.

Speaking of the cross country flying, every time an airplane flys over the house I think of you, and when I know you have started this part of your training, and I see or hear an airplane, I will be wondering if that’s you up there, perhaps on your way to Washington or some where else. I am glad you are looking forward to this part of your work.

Thanks for all the interesting information and when you know any more and have the time or not too tired, tell us about it, we are always wondering what’s new with you. It was nice of you to write us so soon.

In and around Sandston a new Air Base has been put up, and the Sunday we came back from down the country the men were just coming in to the camp from some where, and it was hot, --- oh, hot as its never been, and those men were all over that field with those big old heavy duffel bags, nothing on, many of them but their pants, getting them selves settled, and when I see all these kinds of things, I can imagine the things you go thru. When you said in your letter that you had gotten into Albany at 4 A.M. and no where to sleep, reminds me, after S.S. this past Sunday, we didn’t stay to church, and on our way home I asked Ben to stop by Broad St. Station so I could see the O.C.D lounge, and while in the station we saw several boys stretched out on those hard sears in the waiting room fast asleep, as much so as they could, and at the same time fight flies.

Worker’s Council met at Forest Hill last evening for their closing meeting. Had hot dogs and etc, a little fun and not a bad evening. We went to help swell the crowd and also because we were expected, but the crowd was small. The Gov’t is getting tighter and tighter on using cars, and from the sound of the morning paper, looks as tho we might have to give them up altogether. I guess we just can’t see how we can get along without them, but perhaps Uncle Sam does, and we’ll learn.

We are thru dinner now, Ben has gone back, Ada will soon be gone and then I’ll either take a nap or find something else to do until it’s supper time and Ben comes back. That’s the way we live with a little extra thrown in.

I believe this is all this time now, so good bye and lots of luck.

Love from us,

Mother.

I intended saying we do not know who put this piece in the paper. None of us, and not Bud. I have wondered if it came from the army in any way. We had to smile when we read that you had been a member of the baseball team and the varsity crew. How about it?

Hello , son. – again let me repeat that your mother has given expression to thoughts which I don’t seem able to put on paper. It is now 6:55 pm and I have just finished talking to George Bayliss, a roommate of yours at Maxwell Field. Horace Sharpe is in town and suggested that I call Bayliss because he thought that he (Bayliss) had seen you since he had.

Bayliss is in Richmond because he was sent home from California, where he had been for the past two months, because of the Condition of his heart.

He spoke very nicely about you and asked to be remembered to you.

He answered a number of questions and said he thought you would get several weeks as the new Byrd Air Port after you get your commission!

I enjoyed talking with him and am sorry things turned out as they have for him. Good luck, old man, we are pulling for you.

Dad