April 18, 1943
Camp, MacKall, NC

Dear Sis,
I’ve been intending to write you for over a week now, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. I have several letters to answer today if I get around to it.
Thanks for sending the money. I’ll send it back payday with a little interest, etc. A couple of the boys wanted to buy a car (’37- V8-85) and talkd me into helping them finance it. I would have bought it myself, but what’s the use if you can’t get gas to run around on. It’s their lookout now.
Say, I’ll bet I know twice as much about B.B. , her mood, etc. as you do just from correspondence. She sure writes good letters and of course I have to play up and do a little “snowing under”.
I haven’t heard from Alice for a couple of weeks, maybe because I haven’t written. I reckon she’s busy anyhow. I got a letter from Joe R. about every week, he must be getting used to writing letters now, though they’re still pretty short. He’ll do the same as I did and kind of work up to it gradually.
How do you like my stationary? I’m relieving one of the fellows, who wanted to go out, of CQ at the shed. I hadn’t intended to stay too long so I didn’t bring anything with me except my pen which I’m never without. (Note: CQ or Change of Qarters is typically to guard the front entrance to the barracks. In this case I assume he is at the Company HQ)
I read a letter that one of the fellows had here and decided to write some letters if I could find paper. I found the key to the field desk and got some typewriter paper out of it. There are also some war department envelopes, but I don’t think I’d better use them. I’ll carry this back to the barracks and use my own envelopes. Got more than I know what to do with anyhow.
It’s a nice spring morning. I have the doors on one side of the stakeout tower opened the whole side and the fresh air with the singing of the birds comes drifting in. Maybe that’s why I can seem to think faster than I can write today. And have to scribble so I can get it all down before I forget it, which is very unusual for me.
We have had all our chutes packed for a week or so, and I think we’ll start jumping again this coming week. We never did jump the first Bn last time or have that jump-master school for the line companies.
This Parker 51 seems to work OK now. I could never write with it before so I just kept it around and loaned it to one of the fellows to write a letter once in a while. I guess it just needed breaking in, but it tires my hand to keep it from slipping across the paper by itself.
I went to Charlotte North Carolina last weekend. I got tired of staying in camp and thought that a change might do me good. It’s about 87 miles but I hitchhiked down in two hours and back in three. I got one of the best rooms in the biggest hotel in Charlotte and made myself at home. Had a good time.
I had to take a 10 minute break between pages and my inspiration seems to have dissolved somewhere during that time. I got a letter from Mom last night and answered it. She sent my 1943 drivers license, I just hope I’ll have a chance to use it sometime this summer, though there isn’t much sign of anything like that happening as yet.
I bought a guitar a week or so ago. It is secondhand, but looks good and has a beautiful tone. It is a “tower” made in Elkhart Indiana. They are supposed to be a fairly good instrument. I’ll have to get an adjustable bridge and new strings for it as soon as I get to town again, though it still sounds pretty good.
I bought five books while I was in Charlotte; three westerns; a detective, and “Hygiene of Marriage”. Nope I’m not thinking of getting married, but there were a few facts I had forgotten and wanted to study upon. It’s a good thing for anyone to know something about.
Well,I reckon this is enough for a letter. I’ve got to save some of my strength for the next one.
Love,
Wayne.