Letter transcription:

Dec. 17, 1942

Dear Mother,

Not much change in temperature or anything else. Had a few slight sprinkles and a better breeze than ordinary. Got one letter this A.M. from Lentz was glad to get it but that didn’t help much. Dr. Porterfield got two packages and Fred got his home town paper. There were lots of packages but I guess mine must be on the bottom of the sack. I’d like to get the packages of course but I’d much prefer letters from home. Skip the mail situation you probably are tired of hearing that.

Our show last night was Joe Penner in something was pretty good for Joe Penner and it didn’t rain all thru the show. It was an old picture had to be for he has been dead for some time if I remember

[page 2] correctly.

We had very good pork for dinner – really was unusually good – mashed sweet potatoes – asparagus tips and a jello salad along with gravy on the meat and soup. Was a little better today than for the past few, but that is the way things go – good poor – good poor etc.

I wrote Bart last night hope he don’t get a fool notion to publish the letter. I was a little afraid he might so I was vague in everything. Couldn’t have been otherwise if I would have wanted to. I’m going to write the boys again one of these days but I was hoping I’d hear from them about their money I sent. John really has written since I wrote them. Guess he is more apt to write than Mark or maybe Mark has written and they just haven’t

[page 3] come thru as yet.

Dr. Porterfield was figuring today how many days he has been out here – about 150 days – That is from the time we were ordered from Norfolk. It seems longer in some ways and in other ways not so long. Guess there isn’t much one can do about the swiftness or slowness of time. Just let it pass and make the best of the whole think and keep the proper prop under the chin.

No doubt all things are getting set up for Christmas but I just happened to think – You’ll be reading this probably a few days after Christmas. Did you have the lights around the front door? And the Christmas tree lights – etc – ? The kind of tree all those things will provide subject

[page 4] matter for a few letters.

We tried printing some more pictures but there are too many variable elements which we are not able to control so haven’t done much good. I think we’ll take them into town and have them printed there and try our own luck later. Wish we had that stuff from home but don’t send it for it would probably be 3-4 years in getting here.

Well, I’ll try to add more later. No mail this Eve – Show was just so so. Shirley Temple in something. We have heard rumors that our mail in that direction might not be so good. So if you don’t get the letters regular don’t worry. Hope your service isn’t as poor as ours

Love Daddy

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney

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