Letter transcription:

Dec. 3, 1942

Dear Mother,

Just before chow and before the last mail delivery for the day so don’t know what if anything might come. There hasn’t been any mail come into camp for the past two days neither air nor otherwise so one of these days things should break loose with a big bang we hope. My latest has been around the 15^th of Nov. Some have gotten some mail as late as Nov. 18^th.

I’ve just about finished the candy mom sent so by the time yours gets here will have a fresh supply only I’m afraid it won’t be very fresh unless it’s wrapped in paper because all other kinds seem to get soft and sticky and you said something about removing it as soon as it gets here and that doesn’t sound good.

The Pit and the Pendulum (Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons) Illustration by Harry Clarke, 1919.

The ax has again fallen for now there are only about 10 of our original bunch here. It reminds one of the story by Poe (I believe). The Pit and the Pendulum. If you haven’t read it you won’t get what I mean. It’s a short story I read in H.S. years ago. Anyway that’s the way we feel now, but it wouldn’t be so bad to be sent on to where some of the rest of our bunch have gone. It would be a kind of an old time get together. I don’t know if the good or the bad ones are remaining here. Who knows?

Did my washing and ironing today – we now have

[page 2] an iron of our own and we can make shirts and pants look half way presentable. Only there is no starch for the shirts, but at that I believe they look about as good as when I had them done the last time I was home – you remember.

Our home is in the back of the dental office. There are two chairs and we can hear someone grinding ever so often. I’ve had mine partially cleaned but it seems I can’t them finished and I have one small filling to be done.

Have been to the P.O. got two Christmas greetings. One from Schlagel’s at C.C. and one from George McCray. I’ll try to get an answer back to each of them possibly a V-mail letter. Those were both mailed with regular 3¢ stamps so it didn’t take them so long as they were mail the last day of Oct.

I just happened to be reading one of your old letters today and in it you said David didn’t like orange juice from the bottle. Many is the time I’ve told women they were lazy for giving their babies orange juice that way. You have the right idea about the spoon business and if it isn’t too much trouble start him on the cup before long. I can give good advice when I can’t be there to help – don’t you think?

Well, it’s about time to go to work. Then the movie – maybe I can add a little tomorrow, but in case I forget –

Lots of Love
Daddy

P.S. Fri A.M. no new developments

©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney

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