May 12, 1942
Camp Livingston, LA

Dear Mom,
I got your letter and was glad to hear from you. It seemed to have more news in it than any I’ve gotten in quite a while.
I was glad to hear that Bernadine is feeling better. I’ll bet she’s ugly when she doesn’t feel good.
Jay must be taking quite an interest in agriculture. I never could get too interested unless it was shop, etc. I don’t like feed identification or insects and diseases.
That sugar ration doesn’t affect us, or if it does, we don’t notice it. It wouldn’t bother me much anyhow.
What I wonder is, will that gas station ration affect soldiers? We have heard quite a lot about it. They say whether it’s so or not, that a man in uniform can get gas and it is counted as a commercial vehicle. Gas isn’t going to be rationed in this state at all as they are so near the source of supply.
I took my plate over to the dental clinic yesterday and asked them to fix it. It is supposed to be ready next Monday. They also filled three back ones on the upper jaw.
The dentist drilled out that old temporary filling right down to the nerve. Then had to poke it to see if it really was the nerve (it was!). He refilled it with another temporary and said they would leave it about six weeks to see if the tooth would grow around the nerve again.
He was afraid that if he filled it open, it would abscess. He says that if it don’t grow around, he’ll have to take the nerve out and that would cause wear and tear on both of us. (I don’t see how it’ll hurt him).
I was taken back to hear of Pa being in the hospital. Hope he’s OK and can stay cheerful, that helps a lot.
Tell Wanda she can quit worrying about Dan coming to see her, his furlough has been canceled and —censored.
I’m glad to know that somebody is cool. It is so hot here when it isn’t raining that when you spit it evaporates before it hits the ground.
Haners, Chas, and I sang for the Mother’s Day service Sunday. We hadn’t sang that particular song in a long while so it wasn’t too good, but the chaplain thought it was and wants us to sing again in the Emmanuel Baptist at town next Sunday. He and his wife and daughter invited us to come to supper with them and says he’ll come get us with his car Sunday. Whoopie!!
Leland wanted me to go to town with him last Sunday night and so we did. We were all over town, but couldn’t find anything going on, so went to a show.
The night classes are over. We took an exam, but I don’t think I did very good on it. I don’t believe any of us will get a chance to go to officer school as there are no openings left in the M.A.C. field. Will get credit for what we did though.
I smoke pipes and cigarettes now. I bought three cartons of cig’s and a pound can of tobacco. It will last me about six weeks at the rate I smoke now.
I haven’t answered that letter from Grandma yet. I suppose I should write some thing but it’s hard to figure out what to write about.
I’m glad Wanda and Joe still get along. I just hope they keep on and show those nosy damn relatives that they run the whole show.
Well, I have to close and go to choir practice tonight.
Love to all,
Wayne