Lester said a lot in one short sentence. Now that Josephine was nearby, the liberties he previously had not even bothered to take no longer seemed frequent or long enough. What does a young couple do in wartime Dearborn? Take long walks, evidently.

 

Wednesday noon.

June 3 – 1942

 

Dear Folks

I’ll try to answer your letter which I received from you today.  I didn’t write last week because Josephine said that she was going to write to you and I am sure her letter would be more interesting than mine.  Besides there wasn’t any need for both of us to write about the same thing.

I had liberty last night so she met me down at Dearborn and we went out to the Ford Rotunda and walked around on the grounds there.  The Rotunda is closed but there are some pretty walks on the grounds.  We went back to town and ate supper then went to the park for the evening.  Nearly everything closes at 5:30 except the shows and we didn’t care about going to a show.

We don’t have time to go very far because I have to be back on the station by midnight.  Usually I am pretty lucky about getting rides but last night I had to take a bus.  I left her at a quarter til eleven and was in the barracks at eleven – thirty.   I get liberty every second week-end and one night each week.  It doesn’t seem very often since I want to go out now.  Until Josephine came I didn’t often go out during the week because there isn’t anything to do.  The Ford trade school and the service school are holding a picnic at Bob-Lo Island this Saturday so I expect that we will go to it.

All of us on the station changed into our white clothes this evening.  They are nice and cool after our woolen blues but they are going to be hard to keep clean.  Another boy and I are going to buy an electric iron so we can press them ourselves.  Probably have to wash them three or four times a week.  I’ve been busy this evening.   Washed my hammock this evening, got a haircut, called Josephine, went to the show and am writing this.

I would sure enjoy helping you eat that fried chicken and the fish.  We have both of them here but they aren’t good.  I never eat the chicken but usually manage to get rid of my fish.  We had strawberry shortcake and ice cream last Saturday as a holiday dinner for the parade we had that morning.  I didn’t go on it because I had been on guard duty.  The boys marched seven miles and were simply drenched with sweat when they returned.  It was hot that morning and they had to wear dress blues and leggings.

Josephine told me tonight that Leslie Rutledge was being inducted into the army soon.  I was surprised at that. I supposed he would be deferred.

I just have time to get ready for bed so will close for this time.  Glad to get the letters from all of you.

 

Love to all

 

Lester