Letters To Home

The last few days have seen some important changes for me. Things have happened very much as I expected and as I explained in letters that I wrote home.

I started working in the office yesterday afternoon. It looks like a good job to me, very good and one that I will enjoy. It certainly beats what I’ve been doing. I should get regular meals and a good night’s sleep every night from now on.

Everyone has been telling me how lucky I am to get the new job. Luck was only part of it, but I hope it continues. I never like to be too definite about things where the army is concerned. It doesn’t pay.

Of course, I’m in an entirely different organization now. There are several changes in my address. My new unit is called “Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron” or “Hq. & Hq. Sq.”. The next part of my address shows that I now have something in common with Dad. Although I’m still in the same camp, I have a new Army Post Office number – 636.

Early this morning I packed up my things and moved down the street to my new barracks. A fellow doesn’t realize how much stuff he has accumulated until he starts to move with it. I didn’t have time to do anything but dump it on an empty bund and leave it there because Sunday is a working day for me. I will get a weekday as my day off.

Tonight I have been trying to whip everything into shape and have just about succeeded. I am taking a little time to write this post to say that I’m getting along fine.

I feel kind of lost in my new home, surrounded with more or less strange fellows, but it won’t take one long to get over that. Since I entered the service, I’ve made and lost friends so often that I’m getting used to it. Besides I see my old buddies at the mess hall and theater so I don’t feel too much out of place.

I wrote home and enclosed a money order for $30.00. The mail is so slow I still haven’t heard if Mom and Dad got last month’s M.O. I suppose they did.

Please excuse the way I’ve written this.

[letterstohome copyright 2008]

I’ve got big news tonight. Tomorrow may be my last day as an M.P. If everything works out according to plan, I am going to be transferred from my present company to the Headquarters Squadron at this same base.

I can’t tell very much about my new job right now because I know very little about it myself. But I can say that it is office work and looks like a good thing from where I stand.

I found out about it when I came back from dinner this noon, and have had a more or less hollow feeling in my stomach ever since. Eating doesn’t help. It reminds me of how I felt just before the curtain went up on our Junior and Senior Plays! Know what I mean?

The news didn’t come as a complete surprise to me though. About a week ago I was called before an officer at headquarters and interviewed for the work, along with several other boys. I suppose the interview was satisfactory, but I wasn’t very optimistic about my chances. Most of the boys had had experience in army office work. Nothing more was said about it and I had just about given up. All I want to do now is go to work on it and see what the deal is.

I’m not in the mood to write a long post tonight, so will cut this short. I will keep you posted on new developments as best I can.

P.S. My sister Bonnie’s package came yesterday. I wish I could tell her “Thanks!”

[letterstohome copyright 2008]