January 31, 1945

Dear Father,

Tonight I have the detail know as Group C.Q. In the process of this I have the use of an Underwood. The key board may be the same as a Royal but the other equipment is very different. Thus the waste of all the valuable space because I can’t seem to find the margin resets. It is well that I have the use of this typewriter because I have a couple of chaps on my thumb and forefinger, making writing a bit rough.

Perhaps as long as I live I will always remember many years ago the gift that you made Miss Coulihan – a chisel – for being sharp. I had this little incident in my mind when I started the little guessing game. Perhaps I have set up a system that has trained me to see all little details. Whenever I receive a letter even if I am certain of the sender, I always note the return address and the postmark. I figured that you might work in a similar way. Well it seems as though the “Old Scout” is slipping but bad.

I now wear a sergeant’s chevrons with a “T” below or in short a T bone Sergeant, a Model t Sergeant or what have you. Unlike the T/5 a T/4 has gained the rank by a little extra knowledge. In many cases a T/5 ranking is a consultation prize after a Pfc has just about worn out his knees praying for Corporal. In money the base pay is $78. Before long with the additional Combat Pay of 20% and then the 5% :old foggie” pay come next September, I will be getting nearly $100 per month. In view of the fact that there are no Mutual Savings Banks in Texas, in these past 21 months I have carried out a policy of building up the existing accounts to 20 each. By such a plan I figure that I can make the butter grow a little thicker over all the existing bread. I have since my call to the service obtained two additional accounts. One last may in Staten Island; the other this last December in the Bowery Savings Bank which incidentally is directly across the street from Grand Central Station. Usually on the return trips I am too darn low financially to feel safe in parting with much of my liquid capitol. Generally speaking most of my time in the army has been marked by a frugal policy of putting spare time to work and holding on to my army pay in the bargain. My only great out lay has been for furloughs. In each case at least a month before I would start saving my pay towards that great day. At the present moment I have my carfare deposited in an Austin bank against any and all emergencies. When I ship out I figure to take that sum with me in the form of travelers checks which I believe are safe and will be honored most anywhere. So much for my financial situation.

The future is a thing that is foremost in the mind of nearly every soldier. Unless things change greatly in the next few years, I should get pretty fare treatment under the G I Bill of Rights. My past scholastic work is set that I could go to several other fields without too much trouble. However, I lack credit for a reading knowledge of German. Harvard as do some of the other larger colleges conduct from time to time reading exams in both French and German. I therefore figure that I might be able through Extension Courses to pick up enough of a reading knowledge of German to pass one of the exams. I have contacted the Massachusetts Department of Education on the subject and Loyolia University. The Armed Forces Institute does not deal with too many of the big time institutions. From either of these outfits I Should get enough working knowledge to be able to either pass of the reading exam or if not that lucky be able to handle a course like German B without too much trouble. That is about my immediate plan for the future as far as the educational plans go. All this may be changed by the theatre of operation to which we will go but that is something else.

Tomorrow night I am going to undertake a very ambitious 3 day pass. I am going to Denver. Since I came back from furlough I have stayed very quiet. My automotive business has kept me busy as have various spare time details. When I was at Lubbock, my eyes looked towards the gateway to the Rockies but I never tried the jump. Now with time getting short, I figure that I better get a move on. A couple of weeks ago I tried hitting the CO for a pass but the old Tulane grad remarked using his familiar adjective that if a man wanted to get drunk he could have a three day pass but to go sightseeing or the like no soap. Last Sunday he got an emergency 5 day leave. In his stead a Second Lieutenant just out of Belvoir this fall took the burden. This little fellow is remarkable for the following sequence of events. Shortly after he arrived he and I were batting the breeze up at the motor pool one Saturday afternoon. He asked me where I was from to which I gave the familiar, “You’ve heard me talk so you should be able to tell me not only the state but even the city.” His reply was that he came from Boston but he could not tell about other people. My next was that Boston was a mighty big city I’d been told, what section? His answer West Roxbury. That too covered a mighty big area. What street – Manthorne Road. Well Sir if the wind was blowing from the proper quadrant I could spit in your front yard. Old neighbors don’t you know. Name Thomas J. Dolan, age 21, used to live on Orchard Street, Jamacia Plain(family moved since entrance into service) however did not know the Goodwins or the Mouldoons. Boston Latin 1941, MIT Class of 1945; gobbled by army in fall of 1942. When I heard this old boy was substitute CO, I promptly tried for the three day pass again. I got it. He told the first sergeant that should he refuse me the pass he never could face me comes peace. So I am going to travel about 2000 miles this weekend, add a new state to my list and see new country. I will have at best 14 hours in Denver but I have seen times when I have done a lot of good in less time. If I had exceptional luck I might get to see Philip but that is something almost beyond hope.

Time in camp shift is getting short. I can only hazard a guess at where we are going. Probably the Malyain Pensyulia , with the Philippines as a close second. Censorship will be put onto us almost any day so even if I know definitely I will not dare say anything. I have made arrangements at almost all possible ports. In Frisco, a WAC Sergeant Major, San Diego, A girl from Parsons Kansas, Seattle, a boy in my class in Harvard. New Orleans I am going to try to hit the Harvard Club. New York of Boston well --. Of course I’ll probably ship from either of the last two without ever getting free.

Tomorrow I plan to express the bulk of my excess clothes. We must be down to strength by the 15^th. My last thing to go will be my bed roll because it is darn handy on these CQ brawls.

Now on to Denver and the Rockies

Sincerely,

John