No. ? (1)
Page 1
25 MAY 1944
U. S. S. PRAIRIE
DEAREST FAMILY,
WELL, IT SURELY IS INTERESTING READING IN YOUR LETTERS WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK OR THEREABOUTS AND THE NEXT DAY GET A LETTER FROM BACK IN APRIL. BUT THAT IS WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY MAIL. NOW I CAN'T TELL WHAT IS WHAT OR WHICH IS WHICH. YESTERDAY I TOLD A FELLOW ALL ABOUT MARYS GETTING A JOB AT THE BOMBER PLANT AND TODAY I TOLD THE SAME GUY ABOUT WHAT SHE WAS DOING IN COLLEGE. HE WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW SHE MANAGED TO GET FROM BLOOMINGTON TO CLEVELAND AND BACK SO QUICKLY AND IF IT WASN'T A LITTLE STRENOUS. THEN WE DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE DATES ON THE LETTERS- THEY WERE JUST ABOUT A MONTH APART ONLY THE ONE WRITTEN LAST ARRIVED FIRST.
BY NOW I IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE MY NEW ADDRESS AND NOW YOUR LETTERS WONT CIRCLE THE GLOBE IN GETTING TO ME, JUST HALF CIRCLE IT.
MAYBE I NEVER TOLD YOU FOLKS, BUT LAST YEAR WHEN I TOOK MY FIRST V-12 PHYSICAL, IN CLEVELAND, (THAT FIRST COMMA IS A TYPEOGRAPHICAL ERROR) I GOT STOPPED ON EUCLID BY A VERY FAST TALKING SOLICITOR, PRETTY AT THAT, AND BOUGHT MYSELF A SUBSCRIPTION TO THE SATURDAY EVENING POST AND HAD IT SENT TO ME AT KISKI. FOR THE PAST YEAR, NOW, THE MAGAZINE HAS BEEN GOING DOWN TO SALTSBURG GRATIS TO THE SCHOOL. BUT THE OTHER DAY I BECAME SO DESIROUS OF READING MATERIAL THAT I SENT A REQUEST TO THE CURTIS PUBLICATIONS REQUESTING MY SUBSCRIPTION BE SENT TO ME OUT HERE. IT IS A TWO YEAR SUBSCRIPTION SO I WILL AT LEAST HAVE FIFTY TWO MORE COPIES COMING. (DAD PLEASE NOTICE HOW I SPELT 'COMING') HO-HUM. I'LL NEVER FORGET HOW I GOT ROPED INTO THAT DEAL AND I'VE BEEN TO EMBARASSED TO TELL ANYONE UP UNTILL NOW. ANYWAY I GOT IT FOR HALF PRICE. FIVE DOLLARS INSTEAD OF THE USUAL TEN. DAD WONDERED WHERE AND HOW MY MONEY WENT SO FAST THAT DAY WHEN I ASKED FOR MORE TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL.
I PLAN ON SENDING ABOUT SEVENTY FIVE OR MORE DOLLARS HOME EVERY OTHER MONTH NOW SO IT CAN BE ADDED TO THE LITTLE BANK ACCOUNT OR USED AS YOU FOLKS SEE FIT. I HAVE VERY LITTLE USE FOR THE STUFF OUT HERE AND CAN GET BY ON ABOUT TEN DOLLARS A MONTH. I MIGHT ADD THAT IT COULD GO TO A TEMAGAMI FUND OR SOMETHING OF THE LIKE FOR THIS SUMMER. THERE'S NO REASON FOR YOU FOLKS TO GIVE UP THE TRIP TO TEMAG. MOTHER NEEDS THE FRESH AIR AND THE LIKE FOR HER HAYFEVER AS DOES MARY, AND DAD SHOULD GO UP THERE TO SEE IF HE CAN IMPROVE ON THAT LITTLE PUNY ELEVEN AND A QUARTER POUND TROUT HE CAUGHT TWO YEARS AGO- OR WAS IT THREE. ANYHOOT, WHAT WILL THE BIG BASS SAY WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE ANY LITTLE PUNKIN FACE TO CATCH THE BIG ONES OF THEIR KIND.
Page 2
NOW THAT DORAS SCHOOL IS OUT, MOTHER HAS TO GO THROUGH THREE MORE MONTHS OF THE USUAL BREADBOX RAIDING, COKE LIFTING AND NOISE MAKING THAT IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AFTER TWENTY YEARS OF THE SAME THING EVERY SUMMER ONE WOULD THINK SHE'D BE AMMUNE BY NOW, BUT I GUESS SHE JUST GETS RESTED UP OVER THE WINTER WHEN THE USUAL H--- BREAKS LOSE AGAIN. I CAN NEVER FORGET HOW MARGIE COLLIER WOULD EVER BE COMING (THERE IT IS AGAIN) OVER TO THE HOUSE ABOUT FIVE THIRTY OR SIX IN THE MORNING AND COME BREAKING INTO MY ROOM WHERE I WAS PEACEFULLY SLEEPING AND YELL LIKE MAD, 'IS DORA UP'? DORA WAS ALWAYS UP AND WHY MARGIE HAD TO PICK ON MY ROOM ALL THE TIME WAS A QUESTION I COULD NEVER ANSWER. I HAVE A COUPLE NEW TRICKS FOR GEORGE CHAMBERLAIN WHEN I GET HOME. THESE ARE REALLY KILLERS. HE'LL GO NUTS TRYING TO FIGURE THEM OUT, NO KIDDING.
SAY, MAYBE YOU'LL HAVE TO GET SOME OF THE SHEEP AT KISKI TO GRAZE ON THE FRONT YARD NOW THAT THE PRO ISN'T THERE TO CUT THE GRASS. FRANKLY THE PRO WILL NOT MISS CUTTING THE FRONT YARD AT ALL - ALTHOUGH RIGHT NOW I WONDER.
FOR NOW THIS WILL HAVE TO BE ALL. AS IT IS IT WILL PROBABLY COST ME TWELVE CENTS TO SEND THIS HEAVY STATIONERY HOME.
LOTS OF LOVE,
Bud [handwritten signature]
HARLAN SHIREY YENNE JR. S2/C
U.S.S. PRAIRIE 4TH DIVISION
C/O FLEET POST OFFICE
SAN FRANSISCO, CALIF.
P.S. PLEASE PARDON THE TYPWRITTING- IT MUST BE THE BALMY BREEZES OR SOMETHING. MOST LIKELY IT IS ME STILL TRYING TO TYPE SIXTY WORDS A MINUTE WHEN I CAN ONLY GO THIRTY FIVE.