May 7, 1944

Dear Mom,

I writing this letter to you in answer to the letter I received from Marg. I hope she won’t mind. I know you all read or hear what I have to say in my letters home. I also received the wonderful lot of candy and cakes. It was swell to get all of those sweets, and the boys and I enjoyed what we ate very much. Really, though, Mom, you shouldn’t send “SO” much at one time. It is just too much to handle at one time. Then again, you were always like that. “Load ‘em down, Katie,” they call you. I can remember very clear in going home, the way you load up paper sacks and boxes with ham, candies, cakes and whatever you had at the time I came. So I don’t suppose my writing will do any good.

Now to go on with Marg’s letter. It’s perfectly alright in writing to me whenever you feel the urge or whenever you have time. I don’t mind at all, only don’t forget your little ___ brother. Yes, I don’t doubt that there is a lot of sickness going around. Why, with the weather the way it has been, it’s no wonder to me, that, there isn’t more sickness than there is. No, I don’t suppose my back will ever be the way it should be. Although, it has felt pretty good the past couple of days. I have been hearing from Matt, and I guess she tried, so her letters say that she is. She stopped writing everyday. In fact, I haven’t had a letter in two days, but I guess that is due to the storms in the middle west and it more than likely has delayed railroad traffic.

I’m so glad you liked the cards. I thought they were pretty also. The weather is really nice now or I should have said for the past few days. Say, that clipping sure is funny. I showed it to some of the boys and they all got a kick out of it.

Sorry I wasn’t able to help celebrate Pop’s birthday, you see, I’m too far away and then again, Uncle Sam don’t like his nephews to be paddling all over the place. Nevertheless I’m glad you all had a good time.

Well, I guess its time to close once more so I’ll do just that, by hoping, before the birthdays roll around again, all this business will be over.

Love to all,

Norman Lee