June 12, 1944

Dear Mother, Dad, and Grandpa,

                I was swell talking to you this morning. I am however trying to restrain myself a little in regard to the phone calls. It is pretty darn tempting, nevertheless.

                Mother, I wrote G Stella Rice tonight and enclosed the letter in care of you. Yesterday I wrote Harry Zeiger, so I am slowly but surely catching up on my correspondence.

                Today I successfully passed the 10 word per minute test in code and I am now working on 12. It is comparatively easy, and I should pass it in a couple of days.

                Wednesday I, as well as everyone else who hasn’t fired the Thompson sub-machine gun for record, will have to do so.

                I am keeping my fingers crossed in regard to my furlough. I should be getting it sometime in July. At any rate, I certainly hope so.

                We will probably go to Lake Charles this coming weekend. It will be nice

for a change.

                I expect to get K.P. and guard again this week. I look forward to them with eager anticipation. (It says here!)

                I received the cookies last week and as usual, they were really swell. On the same day, I got the “New York Times.” I enjoy that paper more than any other one in the country.

                I believe I told you that I rec’d. the candy from Ann Rubenstein. I haven’t written her yet.

                The box of cheese, etc., came today, and it’s simply marvelous. I hate to see you use so many points, though.

                Perhaps tomorrow or Wednesday I will see the Conrads again and give them some more papers. I saw them in the Service Club Saturday night.

                I saw 2 shows this weekend. One was very good while the other one stunk to high heaven. That one (the stinking one, I mean) was “The Cobra Woman” with Maria Montez. It was at Keith’s last week. I hope you didn’t take the trouble to go see it.

                “Two Girls and a Sailor” with Jimmy Durante was excellent. It has a lot of “names”—Harry James, Gracie Allen, Jose Iturbi, etc. It’s a wonderful musical. Don’t miss it.

                Sat. and Sun. it rained here for about an hour and then cleared up and became very hot. That’s Louisiana for you!

                Sue Mangolis certainly has a lot of honors. I saw her picture in the paper.

                Remember me to Nan Adler when you see her again. Didn’t she like Lasell?

                Dad, I got your letter Sat. Let me hear from you more often. I wish I could spend Father’s Day with you. I will be with you in spirit, anyway, and maybe next Father’s Day things will be different. At least, I hope so.

                I can’t quite figure this war out. All the news is certainly good, though. I hope Winchell is right, but I am afraid he is much too optimistic. That was a terrible statement to make the day before the opening of the War Bond drive.  I’ll bet he was criticized severely for that.

                The Fairview graduation sounds terrible. It probably was as bad as last year’s. No other school puts on

such ridiculous graduation programs. In wartime, it is certainly out of place. That’s all right for a P.T.A. meeting, but certainly not for graduation.

                I think the boys entering A.S.T.P. are very foolish. What can they hope to gain by it? The Navy V-12 is getting tighter, too. The requirements to get in and to stay in will probably be harder than ever, for they want to get rid of 25% by Nov. 1. Raymond Moley commends the Navy, though, for its handling of V-12. It’s in this week’s “Newsweek” on the last page.

                I rec’d. you latest letter today, Mother.

                Grandpa, I hope you will be able to get a room at Elkhart. It will do you a world of good. Wisconsin is really a beautiful state. So’s Louisiana. (Who am I kidding?)

                I sent a khaki suit to the cleaners, and I won’t get it back for a week or 10 days. They came out with an order just today forbidding the wear of palm beach or gabardine suits. I don’t know why. It sounds crappy. But then that’s an Army order, so who I am I to question it?

                Well, I must hurry and get to bed, so I will close. I’ll write more tomorrow or Wed.