July 14, 1945

Dear Billy:

Hiya, honey lamb. Since we haven’t had any mail from you since your letter of June 28^th, I assume you are away on leave. I hope you have lots of fun and be sure to tell us all about it.

Ham was in to see me again the day before yesterday. He had been down to North Carolina to see his Aunts and had just gotten back. He’s going away on a couple of more trips before he reports back on August 4^th. Ham is so anxious to get out of the army. As a matter of fact, I don’t think there’s anyone in the army more anxious to get out of it than he is. He said there’s a rumor around that anyone who had been a prisoner of war is going to be discharged and, needless to say, he’s hoping it’s true.

I asked Ham how the boys acted when they came into New York Harbor and saw the Statue of Liberty. He said there wasn’t a boy on the boat who wasn’t crying, including myself. To quote him, “I cried like a baby”.

Mother was talking with Aunt Marge last week and she said Raymond is on Iowa Jima. He has 106 points but hasn’t said anything about coming home.

The newspaper strike is still on the Mayor Laguardia still read the comics over the air. I saw pictures of him in the newsreel the other day, and it was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a good while. He yells, makes faces and does everything the characters in the funnies are supposed to do. I don’t know whether you folks have newsreels over there, but if you do I sure hope you see the pictures of the mayor.

I saw a couple of good movies this week. James Cagney in “Blood on the Sun”, which is about a newspaper man over in Japan before the start of the war, and the other one was “Nob Hill” with George Raft and Joan Bennett.

I’m taking two days off this coming week. On Wednesday I’m going up to Denville, New Jersey, where Dorothy Thom, her sister and another girl are spending their vacation. The place is called “St. Francis Health Resort” but it’s like a regular hotel. They say the food is excellent. It’s run by 60 nuns and they sat when the nuns come around and ask you to have a second portion of meat they’re insulted if you don’t take it. Gosh! I hope they have pork chops the day I’m there. I haven’t had pork chops in so long I’ll probably eat six.

On Thursday I’m going out with mother, as usual. We usually go shopping in the morning, then have lunch, go to a movie and then have dinner. By for now, Honey Lamb, let me know if you want anything special.