17 JANUARY 1945
U S S PRAIRIE
DEAREST FAMILY,
I JUST WROTE VEEN AND HARRIET ANN. MIGHT AS WELL MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF IT AND TRY THE WHOLE OUTFIT TONIGHT.
TODAY HARRIET ANNS CHRISTMAS BOX ARRIVED, OR RATHER YESTERDAY. IT SEEMED MORE LIKE MY BIRTHDAY THAN HERS.. IN THE BOX WAS A PICCALO, CHECKER BOARD, AGAZINES, GUM AND MUSIC. ALTOGETHER A VERY NICE BOX AND WHICH GOES TO SHOW THAT IT'S NEVER TOOLALATE FOR ANYTHING. I'VE ALREADY STARTED ON THE PICCALO HAVING GIVEN FAIR WARNING TO ALL RADIOMEN THAT THEY SHOULD EXPECT NOTHING SYMPHONIC. SO FAR MY BEST EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB, BUT AS I EXPLAINED TO TIDI WITH A LITTLE PRACTICE ANY THING CAN HAPPEN. ALSO, SHE SENT A CHECKER BOARD WHICH WILL COME IN HANDY AS A MATE OF MINE AND I HAVE PLAYED SEVENTY GAMES AND IN ORDER TO FINISH OUR CHECKER WAR NEEDED A NEW BOARD AS THE OWNER OF T E LAST WAS TRANSFERFERED. SO FAR I'M BEHIND 36 TO 34 BUT AM COMING RAPIDLY FROM BEHIND INTO A THREATENING POSITION. AT ONE TIME I WAS BEHIND 29 TO 21. DAD BETTER POLISH UP ON HIS CHESS TOO, BECAUSE THIS FELLOW AND I ARE TRYING TO LEARN IT AS BEST WE CAN WITHOUT ANY PROFFESSIONAL HELP. CAN A KING BE TAKEN LIKE ANY OTHER MAN OR CAN HE JUST BE CHECKMATED? OH WELL, IT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE BECAUSE OUR GAMES GENERALLY END UP LIKE A CHECKER GAME ANYWAY.
WELL, THREE DAYS LATER AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION I AM NOW TEN GAMES BEHIND IN THE CHECKER TOURNAMENT- 32 TO 42 IS THE WAY THINGS STAND NOW. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO PLAY OFF THOSE GAMES FOR TWO DAYS NOW BUT MY BUDDY, LIKE A WINNING GAMBLER, ISN'T WILLING TO BE DRAGGED HURRIEDLY BACK INTO PLAYING AND MAYBE LOSING HIS LEAD.
ALSO, YOU MAY THANK MR WOODWARD AND EVERYONE WHO MIGHT HAVE HELPED ME PASS MY RECENT TEST. BEGINING THE FIRST OF FEBRUARY I WILL BE A RADIOMAN THIRDCLASS. AT LAST, BOY, IT WILL SURELY BE NICE TO SPORT A CROW ON MY LEFT ARM IF AND WHEN THE PRAIRIE EVER GOES BACK HOME. MAYBE BY THAT TIME I'LL HAVE TWO STRIPES OR POSSIBLY EVEN THREE.
BOY, WAS I SURPRISED TO HEAR BILL BLANKNER WAS ENGAGED. HE GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DIDN'T HE? IS HE IN RADIO NOW OR JUST WHAT IS HE. IF HE GETS DUTY ABOARD AN LSM THE WAY MRS. HOWE THINKS I EXTEND MY SYMPATHIES. I ADMIT I WAS FORTUNATE IN GETTING ON A DESTROYER TENDER- THE DESTROYER JOCKS ENVY OUR LIFE BUT NOT OUR MANNER OF SERVICE- WE LACK ALL THE GLORY OF BATTLE AND HAVE SEEN VERY LITTLE ENEMY ACTION. BUT ASIDE FROM THE TERRIBLE MONOTONY EXPERIENCED ON A TENDER I'M QUITE SATISFIED. I'VE SEEN THESE REPAIR MEN PUT SHIPS BACK INTO THE SERVICE LIST THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE WAR FOR MONTHS IN A MATTER OF DAYS. OCASIONALLY I RUN ACROSS SOME BUDDIES FROM THE U. OF CHICAGO WHO ARE ON CANS AND COME ALONGSIDE FOR REPAIRS. MOST OF THEM ENVY ME AND COMMENT ON HOW I MANAGED TO GET SUCH DUTY. NO DUTY IS AS GOOD AS A LITTLE STATES-SIDE BUT AS LONG AS I AM THIS FAR OUT, THE MIGHTY TOP IS ALL RIGHT WITH ME. I BETTER SHUT UP ABOUT THIS- S MEONES LIABLE TO THINK I LIKE IT OUT HERE.
THE PICTURES OF DORA CAME. SHE CERTAINLY IS BECOMING PRETTY.
WELL, THIS IS ALL FOR NOW.
LOTS OF LOVE,
[Signature: Bud]