March 19, 1942

Dear Folks

I received your letter today so will try to get a letter off by tomorrow morning.  No there isn’t any special history connected with the handkerchief, just a little souvenir from Canada.  Nearly all the stores were closed so we didn’t have much of a choice.  I don’t know whether I will go on liberty this week or not.

I expect to be here about another month.  We are supposed to leave here April 24^th.  My last weeks grades averaged 3.6 which a little above average.  4.0 is equal to 100.

I will try to write to Nelson Parrish soon.  Not much chance of us seeing each other.

Glad to know that dad has got the crops started.  Did you sow the lespedza out west of the garden?  I didn’t realize that St. Patricks day was this week until I heard some of the boys talking about planting potatoes.  Mr. Ford is starting to send his ships out this week & they say that Spring is here when he does that.  A little tug boat is used to pull the ships out of the canal.  Two of the largest ships are still here.

Is Merle going to Calif. too?  I didn’t know that Roy was in the service.  Did Ola have a job?  Rymans probably won’t hear from Ernest very often cause the ships don’t go into port very often.

If Nelson is in a barracks close to the water then they certainly are expanding rapidly cause I never was close enough to see the water.

I’ll try to write the first of the week.