January 18, 1942

9:00 P.M. Mon. 1/18/41

Dear Mom & Dad:

Gee, I sure hope you’ll forgive me for getting so lax in my correspondence. I’ve no excuse to offer except that I just quit writing all-together for about a week. For awhile I was keeping right up to snuff & answering every letter I received. Then all of a sudden the mailman snowed me under with about 10 letters in 3 or 4 days. Well I just got in a hole & gave up. I’m going back to work now tho & see if I can’t get caught up again. I’m on C.Q. tomorrow night at Regimental Hdqts., so that’ll be an excellent chance to start in. I’m going to get out one of those carbon-copy letters to some of my Kinsmen.

Thanks for the speedy action in sending me my tripod & lens. Have already knocked out a roll of films with them. As soon as I get a chance to make the prints I’ll send them home. I have a reservation to use the U.S.O. darkroom next Wed. from 6 to 8. Hope nothing comes up.

One can’t depend on anything down here anymore. Just last week the order came thru depriving us of our free Saturday afternoons. From now on we work six days a week. I don’t mind that so much but it’s only the beginning. I think it’s only a matter of a month or two before we go on a “7 day week” basis & that really will be “ruff.” It’ll mean the end of those pleasant weekend jaunts to Raleigh & Durham, etc.

This weekend we stayed here in camp & just layed around & caught up on some rest, but a week ago four of us fellows went to Raleigh. We ran smack dab right into some more of that southern hospitality you hear so much about. As soon as we hit town we headed for the Y.M.C.A. to register for a room. There they gave us the name & address of a family living on the outskirts of Raleigh that had offered to take 4 soldiers in over the weekend. It turned out to be a very nice new home in Forest Hills (the Country Club district of Raleigh). Caudle, was the name – a large family of about 6 or 7 children including, ahem an eighteen year old daughter, Nancy. They were very lovely people (inc. Nancy – whom I intend to write & date up one of these very short weekends) and we really enjoyed being exposed once again to all of the wonderful comforts of home. We were treated to a very swelligant breakfast & dinner. They really made up feel as tho we were real humans again instead of just another guy in a uniform.

We did a little bowling while in Raleigh too. However it didn’t seem like real bowling to us, because all they play down here is duck-pins. The balls are so small that it seems more like a ladies game – no exercise at all. It’s so hard to have any control on such a small ball too, that there isn’t much skill connected with it. I’ll take real ten-pins like the play up in the rugged North.

The weather down here has been really wild lately – just like springtime in Minnesota. Yesterday we were strolling around camp with our shirt-sleeves rolled up & our necks open – that’s just how baking it was. Today we had some thunder showers just like we’re used to having in April up there. Temp 65°±

Today I got a box from Dot. Boy is she the swell sister – best on I’ve got, without a doubt. She sent a can of cookies & one of candy (fudge) also some soap too, so was I ever happy to get some. The fellows all raved about those cookies & the fudge, so I must write tomorrow eve. & let her know.

Thanks for taking care of my Income Tax this year it certainly will be a shame if you have to pay anything on it this year. Thanks also for taking care of my Moneys & Credits tax I insist on remunerating you tho when I get home on furlough. Then I’ll wear off 82¢ worth of rubber on the tires. Seems if you just can’t win.

I’m still going to try for that furlough in Feb. But don’t depend on it too much because everything is just too uncertain down here.

I have a new job at the office now. I like it fine because so far it’s kept me really busy. My other job didn’t keep me busy enough after I got my new filing system a goin’. I’m now the assistant officer’s clerk, & we have to do all of the clerical work connected with the 150 odd officers in the regiment. No raise in salary or rank as yet but maybe soon – who knows?

It’s now the next day & I have to close in a hurry so as to get this in the mail before it’s too late. So long.

Love Dorance

P.S. I’m still getting the newspaper every Tues.