Saturday evening,

1/23/43

Dear Folks:

I have just taken a shower and am sitting on my bed waiting for light to go out. We did plenty of marching today and it was walking through the snow. More of the fellows have overshoes but they didn’t have my size and I just walked in my big army shoes. My feet were ___ wet and I was glad to get them nice and dry.

Your pictures with the scarf and medal and handkerchiefs arrived yesterday and the stuff went into use immediately. Thank Miss Murphy for the medal - I am wearing it now. The ___ gave us a ____ so I am well protected. These regular hours and church every Sunday are sure a change from my ____ house. I like it, especially the chance to get to church.

Today we through the gas chamber and tried out our masks. They had tear gas in the chamber and we had to go in, stand about 30 seconds and then take off our masks. After getting a good breathe of the gas we went out. The only effects were a ____ of the eyes and tears running from these. It was discomforting but we felt all right after about 30 minutes. My gas worked fine in the chamber and I felt no effect there at all. So I will be safe in case of a gas attack. They issued me heavy winter hats today so we look like the soldiers in Iceland you saw in the newsreel. With our overcoats, boats and cape we look pretty ____ and ready for any cold weather. I found out yesterday that I am going to be assigned to Headquarters Battery at the fort. You see the 144th is a ____ made up of several batteries. Now I am part of a training battery, after a month we go to one of the regular batteries. Some of the fellows are going to the gun batteries and actually work firing the guns. I go to Headquarters and will not likely be assigned to an office, ___ or ____, radio station or the plotting room. I hope it is the latter because Tom says that a plotter has a nice job and can learn a lot. I would like a job like that because I want to learn all about these guns and how they operate. It is very interesting work much more exciting than the joys all in Plant 1.

Today some of us acted as corporals and put the fellows through marches. I got a chance at it and it was fun to tell the others what to do for a change. It gives you a kick to be telling fifty or sixty guys how and where to march. I can yell really loud and nobody tells you to be quiet around here. It was lots of fun.

I hope by now that you have heard from ____ about my pay. I can’t understand the delay because I told them two weeks in advance when I was quitting. They should have had everything ready by the time. If it doesn’t come soon I will be pretty mad and let them know it.

That will be all for now. I hope you are all well and happy, what with food rationing and all that sort of stuff. Your candy was very good and enjoyed by me. We eat a lot of it out here because we are always outdoors and have a good appetite. So long and take it easy. Ah, yes thanks for the air-mail envelopes.

Joe