Margaret had stapled Bill's address to the top of the letter.
Jan 25, 1944
Dear Maggie
I guess I ought get out of this lazy spell (or is it tired) and answer your letter while I have a little time.
Well I didn't make cadets but from what I found out I must have been right on the border because they told me if they ever lowered the standards I would get a chance. I guess at the present I am a gunner I don't know what kind but will probable find out in a few days. Oh well I wanted to be gunner any way & I'll try to make the best damn gunner the army ever saw.
You ask where Wayne was stationed he is still in Maryland he has been there evey since he left Fort Bliss. You also ask If I knew where Bergy is the lat I heard from Wayne, Wayne saw him in Baltimore & I guess he was going to school there.
We went out last Sat night & no kidding you really should have been with us we really threw a big on. We rented 2 hotel rooms & had a gay time. From as near as we can recall it must have cost around $175 for the night but I think it was worth it. Evey time you opened the door the fumes would make you drunk all over a gain. All in all I got about 5 hours sleep in fact I am still tired from the thing.
Please don't remind me of the good old days of "Deep in the Heart of Texas." I was not just a kidding but it really makes me sort of home sick every time I hear it played. I think about all the good times we use to have but after this mess is over we will get together won't we?
I don't know if you have heard but Wayne has a new Flame that lives in Ind. I thought may be he had gotten married but he wrote & said he didn't but he did have me guessing for a little while.
So you like your job well that's swell but don't get mixed up in your work too much Just what do you do you never wrot just what you did.
You ask how I get along in the army with my talking well theres about 50 to the barracks so I can always corner some one to talk to so there too. If I ever get another chance I'll really talk both your arms off.
We have a new set up, we have been getting guard duty 2 hours a day for 2 days & on the 3rd we get 4 hours & a pass evey night. The only trouble is we don't make quite enough money to go in to town over once or twice a week so we just stay home & save our money for Sat night. Oh well at least we won't draw K.P. as long as we have it this way.
Say while I am thinking about it won't you please send me a picture or a snap shot or some thing on the order of your self. I really would like to have one so please do so.
I guess that's about all for the time being so please write Soon as we never know when we will be shipped
Love Bill
$175 for a party?! Wow! They spent the equivalent of $2664 today! What a bash!
Here's the letter where he tells Gram about the party. We learned a little more today!
Hmmmm....I wonder if "Deep in the Heart of Texas" was "their song."
Feb 7, 1944
Dear Maggie
I got your letter this morning so while I am trying to keep off detail I'll try to write you a letter. I may have to do like you mentioned in your letter only I won't stuff it in a draw & get busy. Me I'll just grab my shirt and run for the back door. It really is a hard job trying to keep off detail in the army but I have been pretty lucky so far. A fellow told me about my future this morning & told me I would get into some kind of trouble the next 2 weeks, he also said I couldn't avoid so I'll just set here an see if he was correct or if he was just trying to score one.
He came over and told me all about my self last night while I was on my bunk. He also described several of my friends that I use to know & also told me what one of my sisters looked like. He also told me some girl I know has been going out with a sailor & I don't know who it could be is it you? I am trying to check to see how correct he is. He also told me I would be going over seas in Oct – that might be a guess, & that I would have one head injury but out side of that I would come out of it o.k. He also told me I would get married about 3 months after I was 21 but he thought I was about 19 so that may be a year off. Don't get me wrong I haven't fallen for a lot of mind reading & such but if the things he has told me turns out to be true I'll have a lot more fath in fortune telling than I have had.
So they really have been spending money on you – you ought to tell them not to spend so much that they go broke doing it. But more power to anyone who can get any one to loosen up and spend some money on them now. I sure can't get the government to spend any on me now. I guess they figure they have given me too much all ready. You know I have been paid by the Government for the last 3 years, N.Y.A. Navy yard and the dear old army.
Personally I would even take the N.Y.A. to the army any day of the week and twice on Sundays. at least you could tell them what you think in the N.Y.A. but not in the army. In army you aren't supposed to think & thats my trouble I try to think too much. At least I think I think – if you get what I mean.
You made cracks about me getting sick when I do out – I want you to know I haven't gotten sick for at least 2 years. I guess I just learned how much I could drink with out getting sick. The last time I went out with Louie he was the one to get sick & little me I had to drive him home and did I laff at him. He was always bragging that I was the one to get sick so I showed him. No I haven't been on any partys since the last one, one reason because I didn't get a pass this week & didn't go out last week. I can't afford very many partys like that from now on though. I got paid last week, & belive it or not I'll be getting $16 a month from now on. Its hard to take after making that much on one day of over time. Oh well may be some day I'll get some strips and a little more pay. If I make gunner Ill get a corp rating after I get out of armor school & then make sgt after I get out of gunners school. Then when I go over seas I'll make at least S/sgt. Thats thats what they tell me any way.
So you are going to get another dog I don't know about that, if you remember about the last one & how much trouble it was. I guess you were the one to take care of her at that werent you.
That reminds me Malc. is planning on going back & seeing Wayne in the near future & Wayne just got throug fixing it up with the Indiana girl about a blond in N.Y. I imagine he will have some more explaining to do. That guy will never learn about women will he?
Say where is your bro. been stationed latley you never did say & I am wondering. You allso say you hope he never hopes to fight the Jap's well heres another Joe who hopes he doesn't have too either, When they ask me what theater of war I wanted to fight in I said European & Ill stick with it. I have heard too much about the japs from the sailors who have seen action
You ask about Waynes car it is still parked in the barn at home. He had a chance to sell it but wouldn't said he would keep it till after the war so may be we can go out in it agin.
He & I also plan on building a house after the war is over we haven't quite decided where we want it but it will be out in the mountains where we can have peace & quite. I really think it's a good idea what about you? It will be a duplex (I guess that the way you spell it) and will be on the on the spanish style.
You ask about a picture I think I have some in my foot locker & will send you one if I rember it when I get back. I forgot to tell but the barracks got to hot & I had to leave – I was afraid that they would want me for some detail so I left in a hurry. They came in & got about 8 fellows just befor I left.
They didn't give us passes Sat because we are suppose to be on the alert. They are shipping a bunch out & we have to be ready, I sure hope I ship from here even though it's only to Lavery, thats only 5 miles from here but they have permanent barrack. He we have to go about a 1/2 block when we have to go & have to carry coal the same distance. Also the food is poor as I may have said befor.
The last few days we have had wonderful spring weather infact it made every thing muddy Sat. We had to go out on parade Sat afternoon & it sure was nice mud ankle deep & we had our O.D.s on. When we got back we were coverd with mud from head to foot & the marching looked wonderful. No one could keep his footing although no one fell down we couldn't have gotten much mudder if we had of.
Well I guess Ill close now so write soon.
Love
Bill
P.S. I'll send you this picture of Florence & me Hope you like it
the address is 769 – I think you had it 761 or something because the letter did get her on tine & had a bunch of writing on face of it.
Whew! For what Jack lacks in frequency, he makes up in volume in his letters to Maggie! Chatty!
Postcard postmarked DENVER FEB 12 1944
Dear Maggie,
I am just droping you a line to let you know of a change of address We moved again & evey tine we move our mail get about 2 weeks behind. It has been cold here & it tried to snow the other day – while we were moving & I darn near froze to death. I guess I have been out in colder weather but I don't know when. We havent been doing any thing since we moved but lay around. which I like to do best. We will start our basic Mon so may be I'll need the rest, but in doing it I am getting lazyer than ever. Well I have run out of space so will close
Bill
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