Saturday night  August 22 – 1942

Dear Folks

I received your letter today so will try to answer it.  I got letters from you and Josephine and a card from Aunt Mabel.  Josephine had written her letter the twelfth and sent it to the Lakes.  I got it today.  So you see that it is just as well that you didn’t write and send it to the Lakes.  I wish we would have some cool weather as it is hot and sultry here.  I’m getting used to my hot room so that it isn’t too awfully bad.  Its nice that Josephine and Kenneth were able to visit Melvin though I was quite surprised since Mabel has just returned.

You said that dad and Wallace were helping Ross to thresh.  It seems pretty late to still be threshing, isn’t it?  I saw a few small fields of oats still in the shock on the trip back here.  Yes, this has seemed like a long week though I don’t mind my work.  In fact, I don’t have to do a great deal of work.

I get up at 0530, clean up, eat breakfast at 0615 and go over to the sail locker and stay until six or seven at night.  I work from eight until ten and from one until three-thirty in the afternoon.  We whip ropes and make eye splices in ropes and take care of the hammocks that the boys turn in after they scrub them.  We take care of the hammocks all day long, whenever they bring them in.  There are lots of dirty hammocks that are sent in from the barracks that no one claims so boys with extra-duty have to wash them.  They wash about two hammocks apiece.  One boy got into trouble of some kind and he has to scrub 52 of them.  I’m sure glad I’m not in his shoes.

James Hedgepath has been quite fortunate in getting furloughs, hasn’t he?  It seems that he has been home several times.  Yes most of us are in good shape but I don’t know just where the credit should go.

It is surely too bad about Mr. Stewart and for the rest of the family too.  I’ll try to write to him soon.  I had been thinking about writing to Leslie but don’t have much to write about yet.  Is Norma in Denver now?  I suppose Carrie enjoyed her trip.  It seems like there is lots of travel now.

Sunday night, August 23

I didn’t get to finish this last night so will finish it tonight.  I went to church this morning and have been in the sail locker the rest of the time.  Did you happen to listen to “We, the People” tonight?  One of the fellows knows the three sisters who were first on the program so it was quite interesting to us.

My friend’s name is Haring.  You see we were picked alphabetically for our jobs.  He is on mess cook duty so I’m eating pretty good.  He gave me an extra slice of ice cream today for dinner.

I will send Paul a picture folder as soon as I get a stamp.  Must close now.

 

 

Love to all

Lester