Thurs. Mon. 8

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well, I got my first pass into Honolulu yesterday. I had a wonderful time. Looked up Mrs. Willis where she works. Just lucky she has Wednesday afternoons off. A buddy of mine and I met her at noon and she took us home for lunch and dinner. We got to see Mr. Willis a little while downtown. Nancy was home with her baby. Sure is cute. He’s a nine month old boy.

They all look just like I remembered them. Mrs. Willis is rather heavy now but looks fine. Mr. Willis is heavier than ever. She sure is a good cook. I had forgotten. I had a big thick Swiss steak for dinner. You know how I love that. She drove us all around and showed us all the point of interest. Saw Waikiki and all the other famous spots. I was kind of disappointed in Honolulu. It’s all low dingy buildings, and terribly crowded. Not nice at all. Prices are awfully high. I had to pay $14 for a good pair of sun glasses. Eggs are 80 cents and 85 cents a dozen and so on. Nothing is rationed here except gasoline. Meat is almost impossible to get.

Billy is working for some picture studio in Monterey. He’s still 4F because of arthritis in his feet. He’s married and expecting a baby. He married a Las Angeles girl.

The family here sure has a beautiful home. It’s up on the side of a hill and you can see the ocean from a big window which goes clear across the end of their living room. It’s just like up in the mountains. Everything is green and tropical and growing all around. We had a lot of fun picking coconuts off the trees and eating them. I can see why they are happy over here. It’s really a tropical paradise where they live. They have picked up a lot of Hawaiian customs and language. One main one is taking their shoes off as soon as they get home. They all go barefooted all the time.

We recalled a lot of things during our visit, such as Billy and me falling in the creek and Dad and Mrs. Willis dying for a smoke. She still smokes as much as ever and Nancy is just as bad. I thought I was a heavy smoker.

Still haven’t gotten any mail since I left home. Sure wish it would hurry up and come through. Isn’t there something you would like me to send you from here? Write and tell me what you would like. We can send most anything out as long as it isn’t rationed in the States. You can send me up to 8 oz. without request.

Well not much else to tell for now. Still just laying around here at camp waiting, for what I don’t know. I wish we would move on up and get a little excitement. I’m getting so lazy it pains me to do anything.

Give my love to everyone at home and to drop me a line when they get a chance. All mail is sure appreciated over here.

I will write again soon.

Bye bye,

Love Jack.