July 2, 1944

S.W. Pacific

July 2, 1944

Dear Mom & Dad:

Well, finally we are back again at home base after a grueling 6-day maneuver. And was it a wet one! We had 3 straight days & nights of it. It’s quite a treat to get back to a shower, dry clothes & a square meal. We live on K&C rations when we’re out there you know – strictly a canned diet.

By the way before I go on – this paper is just some GI second – sheet typing paper. Hope you don’t mind – it ought to cut down on that costly weight. It works pretty good too, because I can use a sheet of lined paper beneath to keep my pen from going up-hill. That’s one habit you & I have in common, mom.

On this problem I spent most of my time as aerial observer. The job consists of flying around in the “grasshopper” & observing & adjusting fires on various targets. This will probably be one of my jobs in the actual “show” but don’t worry about it. To you it might sound dangerous but really it hasn’t proven out that way in actual combat. These liaison planes only fly directly over the battery positions not over the enemy.

Things look pretty good over in the European theatre now, don’t they. Wonder if Bob Coll is participating in the push? Now that we have Cherbourgh there ought to be some real action, because now they have a good sea port to land their equipment, supplies, & men. This fooling around with small landing crafts & “ducks” takes too much time. By the way did you know it was our “ex-25th Div. Cmdr.” Gen. Lawton J. Collins who took Cherbough with the 7th Corps. He left us back on New Zealand.

My Life magazines & also the Digests are coming thru regularly. I get them sooner than most of the other officers here.

No – the thief that made me look like a sorry O.D. that time was never cornered, nor has anything else ever been stolen. It’s just one of those things that has been forgotten.

No – when we go into battle I’ll stay right in Hdqs. unless I’m transferred into a firing battery before. Actually I’d like to get back to good old “C” btry. – I was much happier there. Denny was a swell B.C. & we got along very well together. Can’t say the same for the one I have now: there’s no comparison between the two. In fact Denny is trying to get me back to C. This BC I’ve got now is an undependable so & so – the type that will slap you on the back one minute & kick you in the pants the next; a weak character. We don’t hit it off too well.

Glad May & Elwood got such a pleasure out of my V-mail. I had no idea it would be their first. Elmer & Esther surely must have had a nice anniversary party – yup, I’m sorry too that I couldn’t attend.

I hope you got away on that weeks vacation with Elmer & Esther. Who’s going to drive & where will you get enough gas? Or shouldn’t I ask embarrassing questions? I’m glad to hear that you can still get away to one of those restful Minn. northwoods vacations.

You certainly have changed the yard around. I won’t recognize the place when I get back.

So you’ve had a lot of rain lately, well so have we. For a couple of months we had dry sunny weather, but just lately we’ve been getting our share of the rain. It was especially mean on this last field problem.

Thanks for Dorothy’s new address she hadn’t sent it to me as yet & I have been waiting for it. I have several of her letters to answer but didn’t know where to send ‘em.

I got a V-mail from Micky the other day in answer to one I wrote her. She says that you & her really keep the telephone lines hot. She certainly is a great girl – don’t you agree. Hope someday I can pick out a wife as nice as she.

Well I guess I’ll get busy on a letter to Dot, so I’ll say good night. Hello to everyone.

Love, Dorance