Oct 5th 194-
Dear Folks,
I don't know why you didn't get a letter - I'm sure I wrote last week, but time goes so fast that I don't know which week is which.
Mother suggested that I join the Drum & Bugle Corps. I've been in it for a month now and at present am battalion bugler blowing all calls for the 33 & 34 battalions. In a little while I'll try for ships company - that's what the twins (Geigers) are in. If I made Temporary Ships Company it would mean 60 days on the base here at Great Lakes. Then maybe if I tried for permanent ships company I would be stationed here for two years. But at the end of that two months or years I'd be sent to sea as bugler 2nd class. I don't know whether to try for ships company because there might be a slight possibility of service school. Any suggestions from the home front will be gratefully acknowledged. [page break]
Sunday afternoon I spent a few hours with David Studebaker and a friend of his. We ate at the canteen and then attempted to have a jam session in the game room. It was some fun. The instruments are slightly dilapidated. That's why I'd like to have my horn here - I like to play, but not on tin cans. If you don't send the horn send the mouthpiece - I don't like using the ones they have here - which a hundred people have used. If my horn gets here there also may be a chance of my getting in the band - musician 2nd - but time is going so fast that I'll have no time to practice by the time my horn gets here. - The auditions for the band are plenty tough and require practice.
Sunday I went to church - the C.S. service. There were about 25 men who attended. It seems that there ought to be more than that from an area as large as this - about 5-10 thousand men. The worker here is a very interesting fellow.
Last Thursday at the testimonial meeting I met an old friend of Gaines and Marge. He went to school with Gaines at Flint. His name is Bill Graham. Maybe you'd know him. He went to Fifth Church at 117 th Street.
Today I ran across Max Davis, an [page break]
friend of mine when I went to L.H.S. He played in the band - trombone I think. I hope to see more of him - he's just a couple barracks away. He said he was going to get a haircut this one day - Boy! is he in for a surprise - Yip!
I'm afraid - certain in fact that the wedding is out - I'm trying though. If anything turns out believe me I'll waste no time sitting around here. Shoosh! - and I'll be in Cleveland.
Being bugler isn't so bad - I get in chow line a half dozen times a day. My bugle is pass - so why not take advantage of it? I'm not hungry any more anyway.
I'll have to close this in about five minutes cause I'm running low on ink and have to blow reveille at 4:15 - it's 4:01 now. Mary is writing me regularly.
Lots of love
Bud
[ILLUSTRATION 1: "0530 AM" — Bud blowing Reveille on his bugle, musical notes streaming out]
[ILLUSTRATION 2: "0531" — an enraged sailor fills the doorway, X's for eyes, decidedly unhappy about the wake-up call]