October 10, 1942

Leesville, LA

Dear Mom,

Well, I reckon I’ll start answering the questions asked in your letter I got this afternoon. By the time I finish that it should be quite a letter. Ha ha.

As to how I am – I have a darn good cold. I’m tired of the way this outfit is run and if it wasn’t for having certain friends I hate to leave, I’d be on my way to the parachute battalion right now.

I have had a couple of letters from Alice since she’s been at Bert’s, so I reckon she has my address. Ruth R is the one I haven’t heard from for 2 to 3 weeks.

I got a letter from Ruth Ward the other day. Alice sent her my address and told her that she should write. Larry has left the country and she hasn’t heard from him for two weeks. Hell of a way to start married life if you ask me.

I got the butterfly(?) OK and thanks a lot. I haven’t written to Fern yet, as I’m still waiting for an answer to my last letter.

I got another letter from Wanda a couple of days ago and answered it yesterday. Jerry was sitting in my ambulance when I read it and asked who it was from. I told him and suggested that he write to her. He had his pen and paper with him and immediately took me up on it. I read the letter he wrote and laughed till I cried.

I got a letter from Peg about 2 1/2 weeks ago and started one in return, but didn’t finish it until last night. I lost what I had started when I had the accident and didn’t find it until yesterday, so I started again where I left off.

We really eat better on maneuvers than we do in basecamp. We have plenty of oranges and apples, meat, potatoes, eggs(have 80 dozen on hand now, and can’t get rid of them, almost a full crate every day), greens, peas, corn, and beans. We always have fresh coffee and ice water or lemon aid and once in a while, beer or soda brought with the men’s fund. We don’t get any baking as they can’t bake on the type of field ranges we have.

Junior Bryant is First HS (headquarters service) in this battalion. I saw him last night and he’s OK and likes his place.

Chuck hasn’t cracked any nuts on the cab yet. He quit driving quite a while ago. Back in camp they made drivers stand inspection with the company and also on the trucks, and he suddenly developed a bad kidney. They can’t even find him anymore except at mess and mail call.

My hair is about half an inch long already and still growing, thank God. I have more trouble now keeping my mustache trimmed then I do my hair.

I hadn’t heard about them filling the mosquito’s with gas. Maybe that explains why that one blew up last night when he flew by my cigarette. The other night I felt my truck rocking and got out to investigate. Maybe you won’t believe this, but I found two of those mosquitoes holding one wheel off the ground while another one was taking the tire off.

I hope you can read this, I can’t see what I’m writing. I write a while, then shine my flashlight on the paper to see where I am. This problem started night before last and ends tomorrow and we’re only allowed to use blackout flashlights with a red bulb that shines about as much as a huckleberry on a pigs ~~~. The part that went under the fence last.

Well, I reckon this is enough for one letter, I want to save some for next time.

Love to all,

Wayne