October 7, 1941

Tues. 6:00 P.M. 10/7/41

Hello Mom & Dad:

It’s your buck private soldier son again. Everythings fine with me down here & I’m counting the days ‘till the 18th. It surely isn’t far away is it – just a week & about 4 days. Seems like a year since I’ve been home. ‘Tis going to be a real treat to be back in good ol’ Mpls. again. I miss those days when I used to be a civilian.

I want you to know that I received your money order for $30 bucks & certainly thank you for it. The special delivery letter got to me in two days & was delivered to me right in ranks. That’s what I call real service. Hope it didn’t put you out any to rush it so much, cuz as things turned out, I didn’t need it in such a hurry as I expected. I imagine by now you got my letter telling about the change of date from the 11th to the 18th.

You seem to think that I should take a bus. Well here’s the thing – the station wagon will beat the bus time by about 8 hrs. & those hours are more precious to me than money. And another thing – we have a swell bunch of guys going along on the wagon & I think we’ll have a good time on the trip. You can’t tell what you might run into on those chartered buses – probably a lot of drinking.

The trains would be even slower than the bus, because all of them go from here, straight up to Washington & then over to Chicago. That’s an awful round about way although it would probably be the cheapest. I’m looking forward to that little train ride from Mil. to Mpls. on the Zephyr. I’ve never been on an air conditioned streamliner and they say it’s a pleasant way to travel.

I went over to Bob Coll’s barracks to see him & eat chow with him last Sunday. We had a lot of fun just sitting on his bunk & chatting – mostly about our coming furloughs. He is coming home on the 18th too so naturally we are plenty happy about the whole thing. He’s not going to drive his car back because I don’t think the Capt. will allow it. Don’t know for sure just how he’s coming home but I think he’s also working on a station wagon deal or sumpin.

As soon as we get back here in camp after our furloughs we will be shipped to our regular outfits. I’m afraid we won’t know where we will be sent until the morning we leave. That’s the way they work things around here – everythings a military secret. If the outfit we are being sent to are on maneuvers, it means that we will go right from here into maneuvers with them – wherever they are. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. That is the reason that Bob can’t bring his car back with him. I’ve heard that a new camp (McCoy) is being formed in Wis. & it’s a field artillery outfit. Wouldn’t it be swell if we were sent there? I could almost come home on weekends.

I should leave here with a pretty fair record. I am classified as a gunner on the 155 cal. Howitzers & will soon be a licensed driver of military vehicles. Yesterday I qualified on the big Diamond J. truck & this morning I qualified on the Dodge truck. Now all I have to do is take a cinch written exam. & I’ll get my qualified driver’s permit. Hate to brag but am I a wizz at driving trucks. The 3rd time I drove a D.J. I qualified, & this morning was the first time I was ever behind the Dodge wheel. I didn’t even know the gear shift pattern before today. Course I hate to Bragg.

Say, by the way, what’s this stuff about me becoming an uncle? Can it be possible? Why I could hardly believe my eyes when I read that! I surely was surprised & I mean thrilled to hear that news. I can just imagine how you must feel about it. In April eh? Boy that’s really looking into the future! Too bad I’ll still be a stooge to Uncle Sam, for I’d like to be on hand for the big event. Wonder if I’ll be an uncle or an aunt?

Well I guess I’ll end this now & try to start another letter to one of my office friends. He wrote me a couple of weeks ago & he was just inducted at that time so I guess he needs a letter. I’ll try to write you again before I leave for home to let you know the details. See you soon & thanks again for the speedy cash. Keep the home fires burning & a candle in the window.

With love

Dorance