IN REPLY
REFER TO:
STILL AT ULITHI
WESTERN CAROLINES
U.S.S. PRAIRIE (AD-15)
26 SEPTEMBER 1945
HELLO POP,
I RECEIVED YOUR LETTER OF SEPT 16 THIS AFTERNOON- AND WAS REALLY GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU. OUR MAIL IS A LITTLE MIXED UP AGAIN, AS IT WAS LAST MAY OR SO WHEN WE THOUGHT THE PRAIRIE WAS GOING TO MOVE. THE POST OFFICE SAYS ALL OUR SECOND CLASS [strikethrough] GOING OR NOT. THE FLAG NOW ABOARD THE SHIP IS SUPPOSED TO SECURE OPERATIONS AT ULITHI OCTOBER FIRST SO THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE WE MAY LEAVE HERE SOMETIME NEXT MONTH. FOR HOME I HOPE.
BEFORE I FORGET. I SENT A MONEY ORDER ABOUT THE TIME THE CLAN WENT TO TEMAG AND HAVEN'T HEARD WHETHER YOU RECEIVED IT OR NOT. IT WAS FOR 75 DOLLARS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU GOT IT. I'M SENDING SOME MORE HOME VERY SOON, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT THE OTHER IS SAFE FIRST. SO FAR THIS YEAR I HAVE SENT YOU 750 DOLLARS. PRETTY GOOD,HUH?
SO FALL IS SETTING IN AT GOOD OLE CLEVELAND. FOR THE LAST [strikethrough] APPRECIATE A COLD CLIMATE. WHEN I GET HOME I'M BUYING ME A FOUR HUNDRED POUND CAKE OF ICE ON THE COLDEST DAY OF THE YEAR AND AM GOING TO SIT ON IT NAKED WITH A FAN BLOWING DOWN MY BACK IN A COLD STORAGE ROOM. . I'LL BET I'VE SWEATED INSIDE OUT COMPLETELY.
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DAD, I HAVE A LOT OF TIME FOR THINKING OUT HERE, AND I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT COLLEGE A GOOD DEAL OF IT- ALONG WITH DISCUSSIONS WITH SHIPMATES ETC. IF I WAS EVER CONFUSED ABOUT ANYTHING, COLLEGE IS IT. MY POSITION, THOUGH, IS NO DIFFERENT FROM ANY BODY ELSES MY AGE. THE GREATEST PROBLEM WE ARE TRYING [strikethrough] PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR A GREAT MANY FELLOWS IN DECIDING TO FORGO A COLLEGE EDUCATION. IT IS HARD TO DISREGARD THE FACT THAT WHEN WE ENTER COLLEGE WE'LL BE FRESHMEN WHEN WE SHOULD BE SENIORS. AND THAT OUR CLASSMATES WILL BE A BUNCH OF GIGGLING GIRLS AND SLAP-HAPPY FELLAS- WHO ARE AFTER A GOOD TIME- AT LEAST NINETY PERCENT OF THEM. MOST OF US ARE REALLY AFTER AN EDUCATION, BUT CRACKING THE BOOKS AFTER TWO OR THREE YEARS OF CODE AND MORE CODE (FOR ME,ANYWAY) AND NOT MUCH CHANCE FOR LEARNING IS GOING TO BE TOUGH. I SPEND A LOT OF SPARE TIME READING- MY OWN BOOKS OR THOSE OF MATES- MANY LITERATURE BOOKS FROM COLLEGES I FIND IN THE LIBRARY OR THE FORMER SOURCE. [strikethrough] MANAGE TO BENEFIT TO A GREAT EXTENT BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUED INTERUPTIONS, AND THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF BEING ABLE TO KEEP AT IT DAY AFTER DAY. AND THEN MOST OF THE READING IS DONE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE TO KEEP FROM GOING HAYWIRE IN THIS MONOTONY.
I'VE TRIED A HUNDRED TIMES AT LEAST, TO DECIDE WHAT I WANT TO STUDY AT COLLEGE- FOR IT'S A CINCH I'M GOING- HOOK OR CROOK. MUSIC? ALL I HAVE DONE IS PLAY. ANYTHING ELSE I DONT KNOW
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IN THAT LINE. I'M TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR WITH CHORDS, PROGRESSIONS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. ANYWAY MUSIC DOESN'T APPEAL TO ME AS A LIFETIME CAREER- ONLY AS A LAST RESORT. /YOU KNOW I'M NO MATHEMATICIAN- WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE ENGINEERING OR ANY COURSE WHICH COUNTED TOO MUCH ON MATH. I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED ENGLISH LITERATURE, HISTORY AND SOMETHING WHICH HAS BACKGROUND AND LIFE AND MEANING TO IT. I CAN SIT FOR HOURS READING RIGHT FROM CHAUCER DOWN THE LINE. I'M CRAZY ABOUT HISTORY IN ANY FORM- OF ANY NATION. I PRIDE MYSELF IN MY KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICAN HISTORY. I SPEND A LOT OF TIME WRITING LITTLE NOTES OR ESSAYS OR WHAT HAVE YOU FOR MY OWN BENEFIT AND PLEASURE. MY LOCKER IS FULL OF SUCH TRASH- MOST OF IT I RE-READ AND [strikethrough] AWAY ONE FIELD DAY. BUT I SAY AGAIN, MOST OF THAT IS PROPOGATED BY THIS MONOTONY.
AS YOU SUGGEST, I FEEL IT WOULD BE BETTER IF FOR THE FIRST YEAR AT LEAST, I TOOK A PLAIN, GENERAL COURSE, WHICH HAS NO PARTICULAR VOCATION ATTACHED. BUT JUST BROAD EDUCATION PRINCIPLES, AND DECIDE FROM THERE IF POSSIBLE OR JUST GO ON AND MAKE A STRAIGHT 'CULTURAL' COURSE.
AS TO THE COLLEGE ITSELF. I DID WORK UP QUITE AN ATTACHMENT FOR NORTHWESTERN, AND CHICAGO, WHEN I WAS AROUND THERE AND COULD SEE FOR MYSELF WHAT THEY WERE LIKE. I THINK YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I THAT ANY ATTACHMENT FOR INDIANA WAS MOSTLY BECAUSE INDIANA WAS ALL I EVER HEARD FROM THE FAMILY. I WAS ONLY AT I.U. ONCE- SO MANY YEARS AGO I CAN HARDLY REMEMBER. - I SAW A NICE COLLEGE-
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[strikethrough] BECAUSE IT IS SO FAR FROM CLEVELAND. AS TO SOMEPLACE LIKE PRINCETON- WELL, THAT WOULD BE NICE- SWELL. IF I COULD MAKE IT, BUT I DOUBT IF I COULD MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS, OR IF THAT ONCE GAINED, KEEP UP WITH THE GENIUSES THERE. AND AS TO THE SCHOOLS AROUND HOME- WELL, I JUST DONT KNOW.
YOU'D THINK THAT AFTER TWO YEARS I'D HAVE MY MIND DEFINATELY MADE UP- BUT ALL THOSE YEARS HAVE DONE IS TO INCREASE THE DOUBT AND SURROUND MY MIND IN A HAZE. IT HAS GIVEN ME ONE THING, THOUGH, THAT CONTINUING MY EDUCATION IS OF [crossed out] PRIME IMPORTANCE-TO BE HANDLED FIRST. I'M SO ANXIOUS TO DO THIS RIGHT AND NOT RUSH BLINDLY INTO SOMETHING THAT I CANT CONTEND WITH. ALL MY BUDDIES AGREE- ALL WE CAN DO IS SIT TIGHT- WAIT FOR THE TIME TO COME AND TAKE IT FROM THERE. WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?
LOTS OF LOVE,
[Signature: "Bud"]