A model big brother, Lester kept in touch with all of his siblings. In this letter to his teenage brother, he chats casually about some of his activities in Michigan. Zoo and a movie–something every Kansas farm boy would enjoy. He must have purchased a few post cards at the Zoological Park. Though no photos of his own still exist, his family kept the post cards.

Lester also encouraged his brother’s interest in radio technology, even offering to help pay for training with radio equipment after Wallace graduated from high school. Brothers can’t get much better than that.

Wednesday evening

Dear Wallace,

I received your letter so will try to get it answered this evening. You’re welcome to the magazines but you don’t need to send me any Popular Science as we have them in our reading room here. We have magazines of all kinds but I don’t have time to read many of them. It keeps me busy washing and pressing my white clothes. I may go to the show later this evening, “Riders of the Timberline.” Did Paul get my card? We went to the zoological Park Sunday and saw nearlyevery kind of animal and bird. We took some pictures, hope they turn out good. The park is quite large so we didn’t get to see all of it.

We are having a blackout drill tonight at 10:15. That means we will have to get out of bed for it. This will be the third drill since I have been here.

How is the radio work progressing? If you want to take the NRI Course, I think I could help you with monthly payments. How much are they per month? I think it would be a good idea to learn a trade if you can do so while at home. I like my Diesel work very  much. Three of us put in requests for special liberty this Saturday to go with our instructor to work on a Diesel engine out on a lake somewhere. Hope I get to go. I spent two days on a locomotive Diesel but didn’t do much work on it. Today our class went on a tugboat here in the canal and saw the Diesel engines on it. The whole engine room was cleaner than most folks’ kitchens or dining rooms and that isn’t an exaggeration. It was spotless. In fact so clean than I’m afraid that may be my job when I get on board ship—running a rag. Suppose? One of the big ships was in but she was ready to leave again so we didn’t get to board her.

Our pay bill passed but don’t know when we will start drawing it.

Hope everyone is well.

Love to all