21 SEPTEMBER 1944
U S S PRAIRIE
DEAREST FOLKS,
I JUST GOT MOMS LETTER ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AGO. THANKS. MARY TOLD ME ABOUT BILL BAKER BILGING FROM V-12. I WAS SORRY TO HEAR THAT BUT WHEN I SAW HIM LAST ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I KIND OF THOUGHT HE COULDN'T LAST BECAUSE HE HADN'T GONE THROUGH BOOTS AND KNEW WHAT A REAL ADVANTAGE HE HAD. HE STILL THOUGHT HE WAS IN CIVILIAN SCHOOL AND COULD PULL THE SAME STUFF AS HE DID IN L H S. I WONDER WHAT KIND OF DEAL HE'LL GET NOW OUT OF BOOT CAMP. IT'S A D___ SHAME TOSSING A GOOD FREE EDUCATION AWAY FOR A LITTLE FUN.
IS BARBARA WRIGHT AT I.U.? WHAT IS HER ADDRESS EITHER THERE OR AT HOME. SHE WROTE ME SOME TIME AGO BUT SENT HER LETTER PONY EXPRESS AND THE ADDRESS SHE GAVE WAS THAT OF THE MERCHANTS TRUST COMPANY OF MUNCIE. I CAN'T VERY WELL WRITE HER AT THAT ADDRESS CAUSE SHE PROBABLY HASN'T WORKED THERE FOR A MONTH. WAS SHE TRYING FOR DELTA GAMMA OR WHAT? ALSO I OWE MARYS FRIEND ALICE A LETTER. I HAVE HER HOME ADDRESS.
GOSH SEPTEMBER. ONE DOESN'T EVEN SEEM TO NOTICE THE MONTHS OUT HERE. IN FACT, HE DOESN'T CARE TO. THERE'S NO REASON FOR REMEMBERING MONTHS AS FAR AS PERSONAL INTERESTS GO FOR THERE ALL THE SAME ANYWAY. HOT IN THE DAY COOL AT NIGHT RAIN ALL THE TIME. IF ANYONE EVER GOES INTO ECSTACIES OVER THE BEAUTIFUL PACIFIC ISLANDS WHEN I'M AROUND I SWEAR I SHOOT HIM DEAD. AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED AFTER THIS WAR IS OVER GIVE THESE GODFORSAKEN PLACES BACK TO THE JAPS OR WHOEVER DOESN'T MIND BUGS, MUSQUITOES, FLIES ETC. ALMOST EVERYONE ON BOARD HAS SOME SKIN DESEASE OR IRRITATION. HEAT RASH IS THE MOST BOTHERSOME. IF SHERMAN THOUGHT WAR WAS HELL, HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOWN HERE A WHILE.
I STILL GET A BIG KICK OUT OF THE PICTURES YOU SEND TO ME. THEY ARE THE REAL PLEASURE OF THE LETTERS. IT'S SO NICE TO SEE FAMILIAR FACES OR PLACES AGAIN. EACH TIME I LOOK AT DORA I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. SHE ~~CERTAINLY IS GROWING~~ UP TO BE A BIG GIRL. HAS THAT FRONT TOOTH COME IN YET? IN THE PICTURE THERE STILL SEEMS TO BE A HOLE WHERE IVORY SHOULD BE.
THE LAST TWO LETTERS I'VE WRITTEN HAVE BEEN KIND OF SLOPY BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO THINK OF ANYTHING TO SAY. FOR NOW,
LOTS OF LOVE,
Bud [signature]
P.S. NOT YET MOM, DEAR, BUT I WILL.