December 5, 1944

Tues. Dec. 5, 1944

So. Pacific

Dear Mom & Dad –

Just spent a very enjoyable evening reading “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn” which Elaine sent me for Christmas. It’s very good – I’ve got about fifty pages left to read & find it quite hard to put down. However it’s just thirty minutes prior to lights out, and I hope, time enough to write you a short letter.

We’ve been taking some long 4 hour hikes lately as conditioners. They’re not bad because we keep a pretty slow pace. It certainly is a boring way to get exercise though if you ask me. Must admit though that I feel great these days, because of them. My appetite is good and I sleep like a log at night. Maybe you wonder what kind of hours we actually keep around here – in bed around ten o’clock and up at 5 A.M. That’s a good seven hours and on top o’ that we usually take an hour or two of shut eye in the afternoons. Our present training schedule only lasts ‘till noon, & the time after that is our own to spend as we please. I usually do one of three things: read, play volleyball or sleep. Great life, eh!

Some of my buddies are behind me playing bridge like mad tonight. I was going to play too, but the book was just too inviting. It’s been a little while since I’ve read a book that has held my interest as well as this one.

I’ve had no mail now for over a week – just can’t understand it. Lt. Serrianna, my good friend & fellow Btry. officer, and I made a crazy agreement the other day. We spotted the mail orderly coming toward our tent & on the spur of the moment agreed (don’t ask me why) that neither of us would read our mail unless the other also got some. It so happened that he got a letter from the galfriend & Alquist got nothing. So now he has to sweat out my mail with me – he can’t read his letter (which I have in my possession) ‘till I get some too. Is he a sad-sack! That’s the way you get when you’ve been overseas too long.

I’m anxious to hear how your Thanksgiving was. Did you get together with the Johnsons and Wicklunds – I’d like to think so, cuz it’s the only way I can picture a Thanksgiving at home. A lot of us naturally can’t be there, but you know we would be if we were home.

Gee, I feel great tonight – believe I could write for hours yet, but for the fact that the lights are going out in about two minutes. They go out at taps & tattoo has sounded only ten minutes ago. There it goes now. Eh gads –

Goodnight, Love, Dorance