17 OCTOBER 1944
U S S PRAIRIE
DEAREST FAMILY,
I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING QUITE A NUMBER OF LETTERS LATELY. IN FACT, ONE CAME FROM MOTHER POST MARKED MAY 16. STILL I AM BEGINNING TO WONDER JUST HOW MANY LETTERS I HAVE COMING THAT WERE SENT DURING THE TIME I WAS WANDERING THE PACIFIC IN SEARCH OF THE MIGHTY PRAIRIE. RECENTLY I RECEIVED A LETTER POST MARKED APRIL 15 FROM MARY. OCCASSIONALLY I GET LETTERS ALL STAMPED AND WRITTEN UPON FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE PACIFIC THAT HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ROUTED IN QUEST OF THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNER.
IT'S GOOD THAT AUNTY GERTRUDE IS FEELING BETTER AND GETTING A CHANCE TO VISIT ANN AND HER FAMILY. IT WILL BE KIND OF LONESOME, THOUGH, AFTERWARDS WHEN SHE HAS TO RETURN ALONE TO FLORIDA. MAYBE IF TIDI AND LOMMY SHOULD SPEND A LITTLE VACATION DOWN THERE THEY CAN DROP IN AND KEEP HER COMPANY A WHILE. THEN TOO, MAYBE MOM WILL GO DOWN AGAIN, HUH?
THIS TIME OF YEAR IS QUITE A BIG TIME FOR CELEBRATION IN OUR FAMILY, ISN'T IT? ANYWAY, IT IS THE TIME WHEN US SPRING OF THE YEAR GUYS HAVE TO KEEP ON THE BALL REMEMBERING THE PROPER DATES FOR THE LOMMOSSONS WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, DORAS BIRTHDAY AND DADS BIRTHDAY AND ~~XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX~~ AND OH YES, THE MORITZS TOO. I HAVE ALREADY SENT MY SYMPATHIES TO LOMMY, AND NOW I'LL HAVE TO SEND BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO LITTLE PUNKIN FACE.
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TWO MORE TIME PONY EDITIONS CAME YESTERDAY. I'VE FINISHED READING THEM AND BY NOW I BELIEVE THEY ARE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE SHIP. I ENJOY THEM EVER SO MUCH AND AM TRYING TO GET AS MUCH OUT OF EACH ARTICLE AS POSSIBLE. I'M SO IN HOPES THAT POOSEVELT AND HIS GANG GET THE OUTSIDE OF THE WHITEHOUSE THIS COMMING ELECTION, BUT DEWEY DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF VIGOR OR 'GO' THAT MADE WILKIE SO SENSATIONAL. HE SEEMS TO BE FIGHTING AN UPHILL CAMPAIGN BUT DRIVING EACH POINT HOME INDIVIDUALLY WITH FACTS AND FIGURES TO SUBSTANTIATE HIS CLAIMS. BUT, ALAS, THE TEAMSTERS AND UNION LABORERS ETC., NOT HAVING THE ABILITY NOR THE DESIRE TO FACE FACTS AND FIGURES BECOME EASY PRAY FOR THE MASTER COMEDIAN, WHO AFRAID TO FACE FACTS HIMSELF, USES THE JUTTING CHIN, BROAD SMILE, AND SADISTIC WIT AS A ~~XXXXXXXXX~~ RELIABLE CONVINCER. F.D.R. WILL BE 'ONLY TO GLAD' TO EXIT AFTER THE WAR IS ~~WON~~ AND LEAVE THE JOB OF RECONVERSION, NATIONAL DEBT AND OTHER TOUCHY SUBJECTS TO HOPEFUL REBUBLICANS. (WHO, NO DOUBT, WILL BE JUST IN TIME FOR ANOTHER WORLD DEPRESSION BREWED AND FERTILIZED BY THE NEW DEALERS).
YES, IT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER QUIET WINTER AT 1134 WEBB ROAD THIS YEAR- BUT YOU BETTER GET USED TO THE QUIET NOW AND BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST WHEN THE WAR IS OVER- IF THE HOUSE IS QUIET THEN IT WILL BE ONLY THROUGH AN ACT OF GOD.
I SAW AN EDITION OF THE PITTSBURGH SUN TELEGRAPH TODAY AND NOTICED THAT MY KISKI BOYS BEAT SOME HIGH SCHOOL 25-13. I RECOGNIZED ONLY THREE NAMES ON THE TEAM- IN ANOTHER YEAR THERE PROBABLY WONT BE ANY FAMILIAR NAMES.
LOTS OF LOVE,
Bud [signature]