Jan. 19, 1943

Dear Mother,

I should have some pictures pretty soon. 

I can almost tell you where the motorcycle picture is from here.  It is in the same bunch where the picture of Gale is signing the bill of sale and of Betty + me on the motorcycle.  And I had doubles made of that roll too.  So there is one drawer somewhere.  It will be in one of the envelopes. 

So Betty wants my address.  Well, well.  Baloney.  Maybe I’ll have time to write and maybe I won’t.

Thank them for the letter.  Is that going out of their way to write a couple of times?  Yes I wrote Gleason.

I got a letter from Prebsttes.  The temperature has dropped very much here.  Saturday it was around 70º and now it is 6º above. 

The sun is shinning bright so I guess the temperature will fly back up again. 

All the fellows that graduated from here last June are on all battle fronts.  And a lot of others too.  We’d probably stay for two more months before going.  Or may be shipped right to England for training.

I’ve decided on the air corp.  It has many different jobs.  And if they make a pilot out of me there won’t be any chance of some Japanese Soldiers sitting in a tree top picking you off. In the air you’ll see him when he sees you. 

A little leaning on Fire Warden + Safety first wouldn’t happen to hurt anyone.  And anyone that doesn’t take advantage of such an opportunity is nuts. 

Why don’t you go to some of those meetings and learn about people and how to associate with them.  That would be a way of learning how to enjoy this world.  

Well I can’t think of anymore so’ll I’ll quit for now.

                                                Your son,

                                                Melvin

Enclosed is a few Christmas Cards that are pretty nice.