Wed- 10/20/43

 

 

 

Dear Mother,

            Just got your last letter and enjoyed it very much. I’ve gotten a lot of mail the last week, so have a lot of writing to do.  We got back last nite from 6 days in the field.  They were plenty tough, as all our work and moving was done at nite. Then most of us have extra duties several hours during the day, so sleep was something to be prized!  Also, its gotten plenty cool out here, especially at nite, when we can’t get enough cover on us to keep warm.  I had more on me last nite than I could at home and the tent shut up tight, and then woke up frozen this AM! Guess it’s the sudden change, or the great variation from day to nite.  I “guess” it was between 40 and 50 this AM and yesterday AM.  Also, the sun had felt good the last 2 days- no sweating at all!!! Now that its cooled off, I imagine we will be pulling out of here, for I don’t think we are here for long!  We may go on maneuvers the last of the week and we may not- don’t know yet.

            One afternoon (Monday) we went way out in the desert to watch planes bomb a fortification and before we got there we got caught in a real rain and hail storm, and it was it cold!! We nearly froze to death, as the wind was coming right out of the north, hard, and we were soaked to the skins.  You could see the creeks rise rapidly and a lot of stuff was lost in the water, as that is where we always camp, as that’s the only concealment you find in the desert.  They let us build a fire, so we got dried out before nite, but that hail really brought the cold weather.  The hail was bigger than Quail eggs and when it hit you I mean it hurt!  We got out of the truck and got under it.  We moved out that nite and after we went 2 or 3 miles it was as dry as ever.  The dust was really terrible.

            We heard to-nite that we leave for Cavalry Maneuvers Saturday nite or Sunday unless orders are changed before then.  We will be gone 4 weeks and then I imagine we will fall out to the east coast.  All of us over 30 are to be examined to see if we are fit for foreign combat duty soon, and those they have doubt in will be stationed in the U.S.  Hope I fall into that category, but I can’t think of anything that would make me unfit!

            We’ve been loafing around most of the day and the rest of the week will be spent packing up for maneuver, so we will probably have it pretty easy.

            I’ve heard from Paul twice and he says he has a lot of “school work” ahead of him. Wish that was all I had to do! Haven’t heard from Ester in a good while.

            I hope Martha got home last week. Guess she and Ms.Will enjoy their Sundays now.

            Glad the harvesting is progressing so nicely and hope Eugene will say over. The potatoes seem to have done extra well. It might be better to sell them now and get it over with.  Got Aunt L. Kate’s letter to-day and heard the news.  Miss Metcalfe is a WAC and is stationed in Hasworth.  I’ve been trying her address for over a yr. now, [I] was glad to hear from her-

 

Love

“Danny Boy”