Roscoe’s regular routine was to write his letter and then leave a little space at the bottom. Since he normally wrote in the evenings, the letter would be brought to the censors the following morning. If there was any additional news to include in the letter, he would do so before dropping the letter off. In a previous letter, he apologized (in advance) if he had ever forgotten to sign a letter. Up to that point, he had not. This appears to be the first letter in which he did not sign it and add a closing. For some reason or another, he got distracted and dropped the letter off with the censors before finishing it.

Letter transcription:

Nov. 2, 1942

Dear Mother,

Things looked up again today – got 2 letters from you and one from Ruth M. They were all dated around the First of Oct. – 6^th – 8^th Gradually the things I ask about are coming in. You told me you understood what I asked you to do about the lawn so that is something. I suppose from the way yours and Ruth letters sound there have been a few frosty nights there. Ruth said they had a pretty good snow storm. I guess it was a lack of mail that made me more or less down in the dumps yesterday for I feel better today. Then too we had something else to do. We again did some changing on our tent. In fact we got a new one our old one was rather rotten and after continuous rain it would seep thru in some spots.

I got a letter from the Bureau of Something today asking for some other data before I could get the uniform money. So I sent that in and asked if they would send the check to you. So you can look for it but I still don’t believe they will send it to you. There may be two checks of 100 & 150 so it’s OK if it comes that way. Or if just one comes – wait on the next. They are sometimes sent out like that.

All the folk that wrote to me told me of Henry S. [Steiner] so he must be in pretty bad condition. Some one of them wrote that he was in the hospital at Terre Haute.

Just this minute got a box of candy from Boonie. That is the funny thing mail might come any time of day or night. Last night it was about 9:30 when those four letters came and the others came this morning and then the box of candy came about 5:00 PM. I’ll have to write to Boonie now also. I’m really going to get behind if I’m not careful, because now I’ll have to write Clarence. Mom sent me

[page 2] seven air mail stamps, Clarence 4 and Ruth 4. And I have about 35 on hand, but they won’t spoil unless it gets to hot and moist. I’m still waiting on the stationary as you will note from the kind I’m now using.

If I were home I’d write Mead Johnson and have them supply David with his food but I hardly think it would be the thing for me to write them from here. You should have no trouble with the food since John used that kind also. I’d be a little careful about keeping the milk upstairs too long it might get too warm unless you can put it between the window & storm window. You might be a little sensitive to liver shots since it has been so long since you took one so if you haven’t taken one yet I’d be a little careful. You might be like Irene S. [Staton] when I gave her the Vit B., but if you have taken one and it didn’t bother you should be OK on the next.

The Clay City Paper just came and I had to stop and read it a bit. Mom said she was having it sent. It didn’t have much in it but it made pretty good reading. It was the Oct 2^nd issue.

Boonie had a guess on the outside of his box of candy as to where I was and the guess was right – Maybe you have been talking to him. I wouldn’t tell too many people about that but if they guess right it isn’t your fault. There is still some mail coming in so maybe I’ll have more to report a little later.

©2013, copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney

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