20 MARCH 1945
U S S PRAIRIE
DEAREST TIDI,
I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU TOO WHEN YOU BECOME SUCH A VEHEMENT CORRESPONDENT. PLEASE KEEP IT UP FOR NEWS FROM MY WASHINGTON BRIDGEHEAD IS WOEFULLY LACKING.
SOON, YOU'LL BE WRITING FROM THE SUNNY SOUTH, OR SO I GATHER FROM THE TONE OF THIS LAST LETTER (MARCH 3). JUST WHERE IS THIS WONDERFUL HOTEL. IS IT NEAR AUNT GERTRUDE? I'M NOT VERY WELL INFORMED ON THAT PORTION OF THE MIGHTY UNITED STATES GEOGRAPHICALLY.
YOUR KIND OF YOUNG (I'M NOT KIDDING-YOU AINT SO OLD- YET) TO BE STARTING ON THE HARP AREN'T YOU? BUT SEEING AS HOW YOU ARE SO MUSICALLY INCLINED I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR WISH TO BE ADMITTED TO THE REALM OF ST. PETER WITH ANX GRADE A RECOMMENDATION AND AN UP TO DATE UNION CARD. WHAT DOES LOMMY DO DURING THESE LESSONS- STAND NEAR BY WITH A CLUB AND CHAPERON THE AFFAIR WITH WARNING GLANCES AT THE NERVOUS BESPECTLED MR NIMPLE LIKE TEACHER.
LATELY I HAVE BEEN GIVING MYSELF QUITE A DOSE OF SUN. MORE THAN I BARGAINED FOR I FEAR. FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW I'VE BEEN UNDERGOING ALL KINDS OF UNPLEASANTRIES. ESPECIALLY WHEN TRYING TO SLEEP. MY BACK IS TENDER - VERY TENDER AND MY STOMACH IS LIKEWISE. SO I TRY TO SLEEP IN AN MORE OR LESS HALF AND HALF POSITION. IT ISN'T VERY SUCCESSFUL. MY SKIN IS SHEDDING WORSE THAN BROWNIES WORST SHEDDING DAYS.
A PACKAGE FROM MOTHER ARRIVED YESTERDAY. ALL SORTS OF MAGAZINES AND PLENTY OF GUM- ITS ALL GONE NOW. MY KISKI ALUMNI BULLETIN WAS ENCLOSED. BOY DID I GET A KICK OUT OF THAT. I MUST RECALL EVENTS AT THE OLD SCHOOL AT LEAST A HUNDRED TIMES A WEEK. FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE NABBED AS SOON AS WE GRADUATED FROM PREPED OR HIGHSCHOOL, OUR BULL SESSIONS CENTER MOSTLY ON THOSE DAYS- SINCE THEY ARE THE MOST VIVID THINGS WE CAN REMEMBER. I NOTICED WHERE OUT OF MY GRADUATING CLASS OF ABOUT FORTY- THREE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ACTION AND A COUPLE MORE MISSING AND PRISONERS OF WAR. THAT HURTS! AT SENIOR CLASS MEETINGS WE USE D TO TEASE OURSELVS AT THE STATUS OF AN ALUMNUS AND PREDICTED THE FIRST THING HE'D BE APPROACHED FOR AS SUCH WOULD BE AN ALUMNI DUES- SURE ENOUGH. IT WAS THERE- THE LAST ARTICLE IN THE MAGAZINE- BUT A LONG ONE. IT'S FUNNY HOW THE OLD PLACE CLINGS TO MY MEMORIES. THE MIDNIGHT RENDEVOUS OF THE'BIG SIX' (CONSISTING OF MY BEST BUDDY I EVER NEW- MY ROOMATE- AND A FEW OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FIRST FLOOR WILSON HALL GANG) - THE FLUSTERED EFFORTS OF THE TEACHERS TO CATCH US IN THE ACT- THE LONG HIKE S BACK INTO THE ABANDONED COAL MINES ALONG THE LOYALHANNA RIVER. AND SO MANY OTHER UNFORGETTABLE THINGS. SCHOOL DAYS REALLY ARE GOLDEN- YET SO MANY GUYS NEVER EVEN FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL. I FEEL SO SORRY FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY MISSED THE MOST WONDERFUL THING IN THE WORLD - THE STATUS OF BEING A SENIOR- THE BIG SHOT, SOMETHING THAT ONLY COMES ONCE IS SUCH A LONG TIME. YOU KNOW THE FEELING HAVING HAD EVEN COLLEGE SO I MIGHT AS WELL STOP MY RANTINGS.
DAD TOLD ME OF BOB CHARLANDS BEING LOST IN ACTION. GAD, THIS WAR IS CHANGING A LOT OF LIVES- ELIMINATIN OTHERS. I ONLY HOPE THAT THE BIG SHOTS RUNNING THE WAR AND PEACE DO A GOOD JOB BECAUSE IT'LL TAKE A THOUSAND MEN AND A TEAM OF HORSES TO DRAG ME BACK INTO ANOTHER WAR- AND MY CASE IS ONE OF TEN MILLION.
YOUR CHECKER BOARD IS STILL A FAVORITE AMONG THE RADIO MEN. FOR EVERY RED MAN LOST THEY SUBSTITUTE A DIME AND A NICKLE FOR BLACK MEN. (BY THEIR OWN ACCORD TOO-) AND THIS IS BEGINNING TO BE QUITE A PROFITABLE VENTURE - WE'RE PLACING AN ORDER FOR ABOUT TEN MORE BOARDS- YOU CAN HAVE TEN PERCENT COMMISSION. AHEM.
WELL, I BETTER SIGNA OFF BUT FIRST HERE'S A LITTLE SECRET BETWEEN U AND ME-- I HAVE LOST FOUR INCHES AROUND LA WAIST. GOOD UH?
LOTS OF LOVE.
Bud