Hi Al,

Say I’m sorry I didn’t write, but you know how the steel is I guess. A person gets so damned tired it’s not funny. I work down number four on a grinding machine; I like it fine except it’s pretty tough and monotonous.

If you can’t read this better blame it on the graveyard shift, I just came home and Mom went down town so I have to stay with Vicky till she gets back. I have to do something to keep awake so I thought I’d write, you ought to see the strong coffee I’m drinking just like Uncle Pete’s dynamite.

By the way, Beth is pretty dull with all the guys gone. The only one’s left are either too young or too old, and I guess you know the rest of that song.

I just got a letter from Steve and he said he was on maneuvers; the red army was fighting against the blues. The blue army captured him and he said he could escape but he doesn’t feel like, it’s the only chance he has to rest, smart guy, elementary eh what! He also says he was lost in the swamps and he couldn’t find his way out, so he slept there overnight, when he awoke he felt something cold wrapped around his leg, he knew it was a snake so he got his dagger and he grabbed hold of the snake’s head and started to lash it, he killed it! He finally got out, poor guy.

Your mother comes over every Sunday, she goes to 10:30 mass and from mass she comes up, and then in the evening they go trottin’ off to show, boy they’re corkers. They still curse the Germans and Japs. Your mother gave us a chicken and we gave her a duck, boy we might as well open up a zoo or something, we got a mixed breed, a menagerie or something or other.

Say how do you like the Navy by now? Fine I hope cause I like it. Well I guess I’ll close now. Until I write again I remain

Your cousin,

“Marl”