October 21, 1945 envelope
Letter transcription:
October 21, 1945, p. 1
Oct. 21, 1945
Dear Mother,
I missed writing last yesterday but called you instead and then when I called you I was so surprised, etc. I couldn’t think of what allwas all I wanted to talk about. Early in the eve I stopped at the telephone center and they told me they were not placing anymore calls. That was right at 6. Then later in the eve, I went to the pay phone and they told me it would be 3-4 hours delay. Then at 10:00 the (jg) who has duty with me on my ward came in and asked if I would mind taking his night duty for a short time while he went to meet his wife. She was coming in from Chicago Heights, and I also loaned him $20 because he only had a little over a dollar. He paid me back this a.m. but to get on with the story. The senior OD had to leave so that left me in charge of the desk. So I just stepped around in the hall and thought I’d see how the call situation was and the operator said one moment please and right there you were. It “flabbergasted” me and I didn’t have things organized. I think I got out the main things about the furnace. The auger won’t cost much and we can change it
October 21, 1945, p. 2
[page 2] anytime we wish and possibly get more out of the stoker if it is in good working condition.
The Captain came back this eve so I don’t know what affect that will have on our papers. I’m afraid he might think we are necessary since we have so many patients. This past week our census has jumped from about 300 to almost 3,000 with more coming, but they won’t be here long if transportation can get them out. I still have hope of being there by the middle of Nov., possibly sooner than that to Great Lakes. With all the drafts going out I might have to take more but not to the Lakes unless it looks as if it’s going to be longer than the 1st. I don’t mind a 2-3 day trip but I want to be on hand here when “them thar” papers come around.
Well, I’m about all run down and a little tired with all the duty I’ve had this past week plus a slight cold so
Lots of Love,
Daddy
©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/07/14/the-call-situation-roscoe/
Genealogy Lady 
Page one certainly is a reminder of how different life was in the 1940s. It was a big deal to get a telephone connection between CA and IN!
“This past week our census has jumped from about 300 to almost 3,000 with more coming, but they won’t be here long if transportation can get them out.” Quite a flow of people coming home!