Dear Mother,

I hit the jackpot today. Three letters from you and two from Dad. It made me feel good to get them. Your letters are certainly interesting. I guess that the first thing to do is answer your questions to the best of my ability.

Robert Putman came out to this place to visit me last Sunday. I enjoyed talking to him very much. He is a fine man. He had a hard time trying to understand that I couldn't go back to town with him, though. He wanted to take me in and show me a good time. I would have enjoyed going with him, but it was just out of the question.

You asked a question about Dick. The most that I can say now is that we are still together, but he expects to be shipped out of here any day now. As I told you before, Dick has been grounded because of a chronic sinus condition. Mother, don't worry about my health. I am in the best condition now that I have ever been in my life. Since I have been here, I haven't had a sign of a headache, cold or anything. They keep us so busy that I don't have time to be homesick or anything like that. Don't think that I don't want to be home, but I haven't developed any terrible urgent longing to get home that I could not overcome. Quite naturally I miss you very much, and would much rather be home, but I do like it here and find it very easy to be happy. They treat us swell, the food is fine and the fellows that I am with are tops. It is not like the Army. You do not find the usual vulgarity and stuff like that here at San Antonio. So don't worry about me.

In one of your letters you asked me if I need anything. There are a couple of things that would come in handy. One thing would be an electric razor. My beard is developing rapidly and I don't find time to shave every morning with an ordinary razor. As you know, we have to be cleanly shaven at all times. I would appreciate it very much if you would use some of my money and buy a good razor. It would be useful to me during the rest of my training and would not be a waste of money. Wow, that sure was some oration, wasn't it?

The next thing on the list is some sunglasses. As you most probably know, the sun down here is plenty strong and there is a rush on sunglasses. For a pair that would cost 50 cents in Cincinnati, they charge $5.00 down here - that's the truth! The people that run the Post Exchange make a "fortune" on everything they sell. I still have $35.00 left and will be paid in about 10 days, so I have no money worries. $10.00 of the $15.00 that I have spent was used to purchase my physical training clothes. We are not issued these by the government, but are required to buy them on our own. That includes gym shoes, sweat shirt, sweat pants, two "T" shirts, sox and supporter. The supporter is rather "cheesy" and I would appreciate your sending me two supporters from home.

I live in a barracks that houses 90 men. There are two floors to our barracks and I'm on the second floor in the front. Each floor is divided into bays, with four men to each bay. I'm in a bay with three other fine fellows. Ours is considered the best bay in the barracks - always the cleanest and the first finished with cleaning up in the morning. We're very proud and work like the devil to retain our "rep." I'm not permitted to say how many men are located here - however, I can assure you that there are "plenty."

I wish you would contact Dr. Simmons, as it is practically impossible for me to do such. Ask him to write to me and I might be able to get into town to see him. I would enjoy doing that for various reasons - you know them - for they're quite obvious.

Evidently Ralph "washed out" as a pilot and has returned to the classification center at Memphis to be reclassified as a navigator. This means that he will have to start all over and is now on the same level that I am except he is starting on the road of navigation, while I hope to be a pilot. His course is going to be a bit shorter than mine. I imagine he is what we cadets call an "E.P.," which means an eliminated pilot. As you know, if a fellow classifies for more than one thing in his tests, he may fall back on a second or third choice if he is eliminated in one field during his training in that field. The word "field" refers to pilot, navigator, or bombardier.

Well it's getting late and I will have to go to bed, so...

Love,
Jack

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