Nov 21, 1941
Ft. Bragg, NC

Dear Mom,
Received the package and it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. It’s so happened that we were on C rations (hash in tin cans and hard tack) the day it came so the fellows all appreciated it. Wish you could hear the compliments.

I wrote a letter to Greensboro, one to Ruth and cards to Jr and Peg this week and I figured it was time I wrote home. I’ll bum a stamp, I always have had pretty good luck at it anyhow.

We are in reserve today after a strenuous week ha ha of mostly sleeping. One of the fellows mentioned the fact that we were a horizontal army, spending most of our time in that position, and it’s true all right. I sleep so much that I even hate to get up to eat.

This isn’t writing it’s just scribbling but maybe you can wade through it.
We have been in this place two days having pulled in just to get off the road a few minutes. That’s the way it always is, or has been so far. Three times we’ve pulled into clear the road and stayed two or three days and a great many more times we picked out a bivouac area, moved in intending to stay a couple of days and they’re actually there about one and a half to four hours.

I haven’t heard from Ruth but the ones since I’ve been down here and I haven’t heard from Peg, lately. That reminds me, I have never answered Aunt Carrie’s last card.

11/25/41
I guess this isn’t weekly installments. I don’t remember just got interrupted me it being four days ago but that doesn’t matter anyhow.
I got the letter with the box of the book of stamps yesterday so I can cross out one line from the first part of this.

We have been in this place since Saturday morning. Hillman and I pitched a tent together. Three other times were Pittston square and we have had a fire in the center ever since we got here. We put one comforter on and one blanket on the ground, had a blanket a piece for a pillow and a blanket each and another comforter to cover us up pretty comfy.

The blues won the last big maneuver by shoving the red back 45 miles into their own territory and we also intend to win the one this week even though the 28th is in reserve. We don’t leave the Field until December 3, we have from then until the ninth to tear down our tents and pack to go to the gap. We’ll probably get to the gap around the 12th or 15th. Newline everyone is a post to get a furlough when we get back. 75% for Christmas and the rest for new year so probably won’t be home until then. New line we had our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday here in the field.

It is dark and cloudy here now but it’s getting colder. It has rained a little every night since we stopped here but it hasn’t been too cold yet. We got the box from the ATC and I got my share all right. Red said he would write to them and thank them for us. It wasn’t pretty good shape but had dried out a lot more in a big box than it does in a smaller one. Maybe it wasn’t as airtight.

Hell pardon me I meant tell but I got the wrong letter. Tell the kids hello for me I’d like to see Bernadine. I’ll bet she’s grown some since I saw her last.
Has Junior mentioned getting a card or haven’t you seen him?

Tell Jay I wish I was there for hunting, I miss that more than anything else.
Another interruption but only for a minute. Sergeant Cures hollered ice cream and we made a grand rush. I got almost to the front of the line by jumping across the garbage pit instead of going around it. We get ice cream every day and they give it out when they get it as there’s no place to keep it.
Well, I guess I will close for now and sleep some more.

Love to all, Wayne
P. S. Thanks for the stamps.
Did you get the picture and pennant I sent?