December 25, 1943
Dear Mom.
Enclosed you will find a copy of that
insurance policy. Keep it because it’s
necessary that you have it. Christmas
dinner today was very good we had all that anybody else has. I stuffed myself with everything in
view. We also seen a show called “Old
Oklahoma” the third since I’ve been here.
This pen
I’m using belongs to the kid in the next bunk and a pencil I find is much more handy to write with. I’m writing lots more letters
these days and it’s more convenient. I
hope you had a nice time even though I wasn’t there. Seems like I’m getting my
head swelled properly. There’s a
lot of candy floating around here and at no time have I eaten so much. There’s nothing else to do around here and if
there was I wouldn’t chew this stuff.
There’s a black kitten that’s the mascot of a barracks
down the line and it’s the pride of the platoon. If anyone down there ever lost that kitten
there’d be a lot of misery in store for those boys. He’s the drill instructor’s favorite.
One of our
Drill Instructors got hold of some booze last night and he’s been sleeping off
a jog all day. He looks like hell
today. It makes me think of the good old
days in
That dollar
you sent me is gone already. It went as
a Christmas gift to the Drill Instructors.
They got $40.00 apiece so the chances are that’s where one of them got
that terrific load.
We smoke a
lot here nights for want of something else to do. The only 2 forms of dissipation I can no
longer indulge in is booze and Betty. I don’t miss booze but I miss Betty. That picture of her makes the girl friends
and wives of those guys look like shadows.
She’s a real nice girl and a scream to laugh at when she’s about half stiff
though she don’t often get that way.
Don’t get
the idea that because I mention money now and then that I need any. I’ll let you know when the time comes. I’ve had 6 cents in my pocket for the last 2
weeks and it looks like it will stay there till I get home. Don’t be surprised if I’m a first class
private when I get back, it will depend on how much ambition I can work up
before furlough time comes. It’s not
important one way or the other. I’ll bet
Wally and the rest envy me because I’m in the Marines. These guys put a lot of stock in uniforms,
snappy marching, etc. but it’s all baloney as far as I’m concerned. The Cleveland Police Department is the only
place I’ll ever be contented. I’m glad
that that is permanent. I also miss
music, there’s probably lots of nice music going on these days that I never
heard of. Looks like my next station
will be
Lots of Love.
Bunny.