Dec. 24, 1943

 

Dear Mom.

            I received your letter and Mollie’s card and note also.  It was the best possible present on Christmas for me.  What the dollar was for I don’t know and I’m debating whether or not to send it back.  Guess I’ll hang on to it for train fare.  Don’t send me cookies, candy or anything else like that because the place is infested with cockroaches.  They get into everything and I don’t want food that they crawl around in.  Thanks for the offer anyway.  That flu epidemic you mentioned.  Remember your resistance is low and you catch cold easy so don’t take any chances around the cemetery or any place else.  You know you are careless about such things.  Glad to hear you got that card from Henry.  He never forgets.  So Frank and Viola stopped again.  It looks like Frank is going to lose out in that contest.  Hope he doesn’t because we make a good team.  Henry and I made a good team too.  His trouble was that he stayed away from home too long.

            This is the best part of the day for me, when I can write to you.  It’s hard to say the pleasure derived from it.  I never thought letter writing could be so much fun.  My stationary is holding but good so you’ll hear from me quite often or at least every time the opportunity comes along.  Seems to me Mame Hamman would invite you over to her place on Christmas seeing that you are by yourself now.  Visit those people who can tell you something else besides their troubles, it’s better for you.  You have enough to worry about without somebody else, so don’t forget.  Just now we’re going to sign the pay roll.  The money I get will be saved for train fare which is the next most important thing in my life these days.  I’ve been trying to figure out the most direct way home.  It seems like straight to Washington from here and then to Cincinnati to Cleveland.  By bus or by train I’m not sure yet.  There’s plenty of time to dope that out yet.  You know what traveling conditions are now.  The train terminal in Washington is a moving ocean of men in uniform.  It’s that way every place these days.  Tonight for a Christmas celebration the boys bought several boxes of candy.  Imagine that for Christmas.  Well this day is a success as far as I’m concerned because news came from home.  Every so often I seem out of words but a few minutes later, ideas come.  Let me know what the financial condition of the place is.  Have you any money worries?  Don’t (now this is a suggestion) stick any large amount of money into anything foolish.  You handle money alright so it’s just precaution that I mention it.  One thing I hope more than anybody else and that is, that you will be able to pay the place going financially for the time that I am gone, what ever length that will be.  If you had lots of money I wouldn’t give a damn what happened to me.  The main reason I want to come out of this alive is to help you out and keep our home free of mortgages etc.  It would do me more harm to think of you being in bad shape from financial worry or losing the home, than a basket of Jay bullets.  So let me know how things go from time to time.  You’re the kind that would say everything is rosy when it wasn’t so tell it the way it is for a change.

            Being the day before Christmas they give us a breathing spell and it’s the nicest part of the day.  I had sentry duty 2 hours 6 to 8 this morning and walking in circles for 2 to four hours gets monotonous.  My feet are beginning to feel like there’s some life in them now.  These Government Issue shoes are all right when they’re broken in.  I’ve neglected my laundry for a few days on account of being busy so I’ll spend the rest of the day washing.  It’s quite cold here which is strange to me because I thought the South was warm.  For the 1st time in my life, I’ve seen palmettos.  I think that’s what they call them.  They’re strange sights to me.  Also that Spanish moss that hangs down from trees.  Ohio is worth every state south of the Mason Dixon line.

            If I could do this all over again I’d enlist in the Merchant marine.  To hell with the uniforms and glory of the U.S. Marines I wish I’d never seen them and so does every last man in the platoon.  They’re all sick of it.  Of course that’s for your eyes and ears only.  Should anyone else ask me about it my answer is this, they are all right “Nothing more, nothing less.  It’s a lot of baloney.  I laugh at these moonstruck kids 17-18 years old who enlisted when they became of age.  Those dress blue uniforms of the Marines and their Hymn “From the Halls of Montezuma, etc” gave them a patriotic urge.  Now that the beat is on, every one of them wishes to Christ they never heard of this outfit.  You should hear the sob stories I get on guard duty.  I’m not supposed to talk to anyone but early in the morning its dark and nobody sees it.  There isn't another army or corps or outfit of any kind in the world as rigid as this.  It’s an accepted fact.  Lots of their requirements are plain damn foolishness.  Well one consolation is that I didn’t sign up forever.  Thank Heaven.

            My civilian clothes will come home one of these days.  They’re in pretty bad condition so don’t spend anything on having the hat blocked or cleaned.  Remember how I used to lose hats.  One of them blew off behind the bank on Shaker Square last winter about 2 o’clock one morning.  I was busy doing something or other and couldn’t find it in the snow.  I remember lots of things that took place in my civilian life and it seems ages away.  There are lots of chuckles and laughs when I think of some of the goofy things I done.  You have a kid that has a mind sharp as a razor when it comes of foolishness.  The rest of the boys can’t touch me that way.

            One thing I’m glad for is that the gambling bug has not affected me.  Gambling is prohibited here but the boys still lose lots of money matching coins.

            We can’t drink for there is nothing to drink and it doesn’t bother me at all.  I will though when furlough time comes fill myself up with as much Cleveland beer as I can hold.  Beer (a case of it) right now would make Christmas complete for me.

            That bum Tom is still missing.  I hope he comes back soon because he’s the best cat I’ve seen yet anyplace.  Tomorrow will not be considered a training day for us so that means we’ll have to stay one day later.  It won’t be so long until you set eyes on me again but time drags so that it will seem much longer.

            I thought I’d scream laughing 2 days ago.  Ten battalions (4000 men) paraded for the commanding officer.  My outfit was among them (5th Battalion) and some stupid fool from the platoon (ours) came home from the parade with the 7th Battalion.  They got mixed up in a column movement.

            You don’t have to write long letters, a lot of short ones about 3 a week are better than a big one once a week.  I’ve just been interrupted for a couple of hours.  Mail call (we get 2 a day) has come and Bob Febley sent me a letter, the navy got him.  Well that cleans out the street.  He said he hasn’t been sober since Saturday.  Well mom we eat soon so I’ll wind up.  I’ve got my clothes in a bucket soaking and will wash them out after chow. 

            That stuff scratched out was a train storm I had and got over quick.  Be sure you don’t lose that picture of Betty, I want to save that.  It’s in those magazines by the radio so don’t throw anything out that belongs to me.

            Well Mom I’ll wind up now so good luck to us all. You, Mollie, and myself.  Thank her for the letter and card.

            Take care of yourself and don’t get the idea they can give me a beating I can’t take.

                                                                        Love,

                                                                            Bun