16 MAY 1945
U S S PRAIRIE
(AD - 15)
DEAREST FAMILY,
WELL, MOTHERS LETTER OF APRIL 22 ARRIVED AND DAYS OF 4 MAY. ALSO HARRIET ANN SENT A NOTE. SO ALL IN ALL, I DID PRETTY WELL IN MY MAIL THIS WEEK. ONE OF THE STRIKERS IN THE RADIO GANG, A REGULAR NAVY MAN, RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HIS AUNT POSTMARKED AUGUST 26 1942. JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT UNCLE SAM SEES TO IT THAT HIS BOYS GET THE MAIL EVEN IF IT IS TWO OR THREE YEARS LATE.
WELL, SO THE COLLIERS HAVE PULLED UP STAKES. I REMEMBER THAT MARY AND I WENT TO A PARTY IN THEIR NEW HOUSE SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN ONE OF THE NEWCO B BOYS WAS MORE OR LESS 'IN LOVE' WITH HER. IF I (THAT COMMA WAS AN ERROR) I THINK ORTHOUGHT YOU WERE GETTING AND IF OF THREE GIRLS AND A BUNCH OF DOGS, THE PROSPECT OF HAVING JUST TWO NEW LITTLE BOYS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PARTICULARLY GEORGE AND CHICKS AGE. MORE THAN MAKES UP THE DIFFERENCE. DADS 'HELP HELP' IN HIS LAST LETTER WAS IN ALL PROBABILITY DEEPLY FELT.
SAY, I'M GLAD THAT YOUR GOING TO TRY AND MAKE TEMACAMI THIS SUMMER. I HOPE THAT TIDI AND LOM MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT. SEE IF YOU CAN GET HOLD OF A CAMERA AND TAKE SOME PICTURES. GAD. THERE OUGHT SOMETHING FLOATING BY IN THAT LINE. MAYBE CHARLIE CHAMBERLAIN CAN LEND YOU ONE OF HIS. BUT THEN, MOST OF HIS CAMERAS ARE OF THE COMPILICATE VARIETY AND OPERATION WOULD BE DIFFICULT WITHOUT A LITTLE EXPERIENCE.
SO, MY OLD FOURTH, FIFTH, AND SIXTH GRADE HEART FLAME IS MARRIED. BOY, PAULINE NEUBER REALLY TWISTED THE HEARTS OF ALL US YOUNG MALES IN THEM BY-GONE DAYS. MAY STONEY, AND MYSELF WOULD ALWAYS TRY AND GET TO SIT NEXT TO HER IN MISS BOYS CLASSES AT MCKINLEY SCHOOL. THEN AFTER WE WENT TO HORACE MANN, WE WERE IN DIFFERENT CLASSES AND NEVER SAW MUCH OF ONE ANOTHER. THEN DURING HIGHSCHOOL I NEVER SAW HER EXCEPT AT OCCASSIONAL DANCES XXXXXXX WHEN I WAS PLAYING WITH DICK ENDRESS OR FRED KOCH. THOUGH THE FLAME WAS OUT BY THAT TIME, I NEVER BALKED AT HER REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL NUMBERS AND WOULD ASK FRED TO PLAY THEM. SOMETIMES I'M SORRY I FELL IN LOVE WITH A TRUMPET. RUFF!
**(SHE WAS SMARTTER THAN EITHER OF US- ALWAYS GETTING A'S- MAYBE IT WAS PUPPY LOVE, BUT I PASSED A LOT OF TESTS THAT WAY)
DAD, I DID ENJOY THAT ARTIC BOOK, BUT IT WAS THE ONLY ONE INTHE SHIPS LIBRARY. I'M NOT READING ANYTHING AT THE PRESENT. THE URGE WILL STRIKE AGAIN SOON, THOUGH, AND THEN I PLAN TO READ JAMAICA INN.
NO. MOM. I DIDNT SEE RALPH SANGER. I JUST KNOW THAT HE'S ON HIS WAY HOME. AT LEAST, HE HEADED THAT WAY. THAT'S MORE THAT THE MIGHTY 'P' MANAGES TO DO.
I BOUGHT ME A NICE PICTURE ALBUM THAT A QUARTERMASTER MADE. NOW I HAVE SOMETHING TO KEEP MY PICTURES IN. EVERYONE SEEMED TO BE GETTING THEM, SO I FIGURED I MIGHT AS WELL SPEND MY MONEY FOR ONE TOO. IT IS REAL CLASSY WORK AT THAT- ONLY EXPENSIVE- BUT THEN, WHAT'S MONEY FOR IF NOT TO SPEND- OR GAMBELE. NOW DONT LET THAT 'GAMBLE' SCARE YOU.- I'M NO BIG TIMER. I FIGURE THAT I'M GOING FOR PLENTY HIGH STAKES AT A QUARTER A HAND OF BLACKJACK, OR NICKLE ANTE SEVEN CARD STUD POKER. IT GENERALLY KEEPS ME IN READY CASH- OR ELSE I'M KEEPING SOMEONE ELSE THAT WAY. IT MUST BE A PHOBIA WITH ME. BUT I ALWAYS MANAGE TO GET IN THE HOLE AT THE BEGINNING- STAY THAT WAY FOR THE WHOLE GAME, AND THEN, IN ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE POTS IN THE LAST HOUR AND EITHER BREAK EVEN OR COME OUT A LITTLE AHEAD. I'M GETTING A REPUTATION AS 'SLOW MOTION' OR 'DELAYED ACTION' GAMBLER. BUT, OF COURSE, THERE ARE TIMES A MANY WHEN THE GAME ENDS BEFORE MY LAST HOUR COMES AROUND.
MY CORNET IS WELL READY FOR A STATE BURIAL. MY BIGGEST MISTAKE SINCE GETTING DRAFTED, WAS TO BRING MY HORN WEST WITH ME. I HAVEN'T PLAYED FOR GOING ON TO THREE MONTHS- EVER SINCE THE BAND SECURED. AND MY VALVES ARE IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE. I HAVE TO LEAVE THEM OUT OF THE SOCKETS SO THAT THEY WONT CARRODE SOLID. I TAKE A PEAK AT SUSIE ONE OR TWICE A WEEK TO SEE THAT SHES NOT RUNNING TOO HIGH A TEMPERATURE. I GUESS I DONT NEED TO MENTION HOW BADLY I FEEL OVER THIS MUSICAL FAILURE IN THE NAVY. TEN YEARS IS A LOT OF TIME TO SPEND ON AN INSTRUMENT AND THEN HAVE TO DO WITHOUT IT. I REALLY MISS PLAYING- NOW- TEN YEARS LATE.
I'LL WRITE TO AUNT MINNY, MOTHER, AS YOU ASK. I ADMIT THAT SHE'D BE MORE THAN GLAD TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE WHO'S A LITTLE CLOSER TO HER DAVID. THE LAST I KNEW HIS MAILING ADDRESS WAS NUMBERED NEW GUINEA- BUT THEN SAILORS NEVER STAY VERY LONG IN ONE SPOT. IS HE ON A SHIP?
WELL, THE BOTTOM HALF OF WEBB ROAD SHOULD LOOK PRETTY GOOD WITH THIS SUDDEN SPLURGE IN HOUSE PAINTING. IF THOSE HOUSES BELONGED TO THE NAVY, THEY'D GET PAINTED EVERY WEEK- OR EVERY OTHER WEEK- THE IN-BETWEEN ONE WOULD BE USED TO SCRAPE OFF THE WEEK BEFORE PAINTING.
YOU MIGHT TELL MRS. MORITZ AND MR. TOO, THAT I'M GETTING A LITTLE DISSAPOINTED AT THE WAY THEY'RE HANDLING THE INDIANS DURING MY ABSENCE-
WELL, I HAVE TO GO TO WORK NOW. SO, I'LL JUST DAH ALONG.
LOTS OF LOVE,
Bud
P.S- WHAT ARE BOB YENNES' CHANCES OF GETTING A DISCHARGE NOW?
PPS- SAY, DORA- THANKS FOR THAT SPECIAL LETTER- NOW YOU HAVE A SPECIAL ONE COMING------