April 28

Dear Mom & Dad,

We haven’t done anything today but sit around waiting to be called out but we haven’t. It is now 5 o’clock. For the last couple of hours there have been 2 boys in here playing kitten and another playing a harmonica. There are 13 other boys setting around here on the floor and beds, listening. Yesterday was the first time I’ve had a chance to read the paper you sent and today I read the County News from front to back. Tell Senior Vice Commander Keller I said to keep every thing under control.

I took my handbag over to the police shed to send home this morning. We were supposed to get a 72 hour this week when we came back from camping but we didn’t so I put the things I had planned to bring home in the bag and they inspect everything that is mailed out so I couldn’t send all I wanted too. I had a hard time persuading them to let me send the gloves. If they are too small they stretch after you wear them. We have surveyed clothes that were torn and stolen 4 times I’ve been here. All the boys put down thing stolen that they have and get more so I did it too. All of us have about thrice as many socks and things as we need. I just pulled the size out of the old gloves and got a size I thought fit dad. I also had about 10 pairs of socks from him I was going to give him when I came home but I couldn’t mail them now.

Did you see in the paper where Lt Ailon married the Gorman girl that used to work for the Virginia Public Service.

I still have some of that good cake left. I got a letter from Aunt Maude today. I also got one from Dot Olbert out in Texas. She wants one of my pictures so send me another one like before.

Well I’ll stop now because it is time for chow.

P.S. I had planned to call tonight but we can’t leave camp so I’ll just write.

With love

Your Son

Joe