October 24, 1943

S.W. Pacific

Oct. 24, 1943

Dear Mom & Dad-

Here it is Sunday – I just got back from church & will write a few lines before chow.

How’s everything at 4115 – fine as usual I hope. Spose by now you are just about in the middle of the leaf raking season. I can see you now, Daddy, pulling up (I should say coasting up as you usually did) to the garage after a game of golf at C.C., & at the same time sizing up the yard situation with a view to a session with the rake, right after dinner.

By the way when you write be sure to let me in on all the latest Minn. football dope. I heard from a friend that they won their first 2 games – is that right. Are you going to get together with the Harpers or Johnsons for an out of town game this year. I spose gas ration will make plans like that pretty remote.

Everything is going along quite smoothly so far in the Btry. However my duties thus far have been light. Life is much more endurable in a unit like this than it was as a casual, because I’m treated more like an officer should be. As a casual no one would take any interest in your personal comforts, but here in the 8th F.A. Bn. The men as well as the officers are really taken care of. Food, quarters, entertainment, & social life are all much better here. Of course I miss all my old pals back in the Casuals, but it won’t be long before I make some more good friends here.

I guess I forgot to tell you that my Btry. Commander, 1st Lt. D.L. Healy, is a St. Paul man. Can you just see us fighting out that age-old battle of which city is the suburb of the other.

The obstacle course at Snelling is very much the same as the one we had at Pittsburg however it would have to be a long one to beat that man-killer we had to sweat over 3 or 4 times a week.

Doubt if I’ll ever get near enough to that other theater of the war to see Major Geo. Steiner but I’ll keep it in mind just in case.

I hope you’re not worried about me over here so close to things. I’m perfectly safe & everything is quiet in this spot. As far as I know I have nothing to fear as far as action is concerned for quite a while. You’ll know what I mean later so don’t worry about me.

In a letter dated Oct. 2 Dorothy was telling me how sorry she was she couldn’t be at the shower you gave for Virgy. Gee that gas rationing is certainly a headache, isn’t it! She speaks of a Mrs. C – I s’pose that’s Bud’s mother, eh?

Say – I sure slipped up, Daddy! I forgot to wish you a happy birthday last Oct. 19th. Seems sorta dumb to wish it now but I sure hope you had a nice one. Hope the next one will see us digging divots together on some golf course. Sorry there’s nothing around here in the line of birthday gifts to send unless maybe you’d like me to wrap up a bunch of these slimy lizards that crawl around here for fish bait. They ought to be about as good as frogs.

Say if you’re intent on sending a Christmas present about the best thing I could think of would be a magazine subscription. The only two I can think of to suggest right now are The Readers Digest & Time. Life wouldn’t be a bad choice either.

Well I think four pages isn’t bad & covered about everything I wanted to say so I’ll end this thing for now. I miss you all & home very much & hope that everything is O.K. & continues that way back there. Say hello to everyone & write often. So long for now.

All my love, Dorance

P.S. Nancy still writes to me so my morale hasn’t sagged any yet.