The Sandwiches Didn’t Taste Of Soap

Someday you’ll get a real letter maybe. Anyway this gives you a brief idea of the situation.

 

Thurs. Sept. 16, 1943

12:25

 

Dear folks,

I have about 10 minutes or so to write before we go to class. After I finished your letter last night I started on Chem. and read that until lights out at 9:30 when I went to bed. I was up at 5:30 and dressed and out for reveille at 5:45. When we came in I started to sleep but decided to work instead so I finished skimming through my Chem. before going to breakfast. I had an egg, toast, butter, oatmeal, milk, grapes and an orange. After breakfast I swept and made my bed and then swept the hall and stairway and helped clean the latrine. We went to Analytics at 8. Then at 9 we had Physics Drill but he went on with his lectures on wave motion. At 10 we had Chem. lecture. Chemistry is suddenly getting tough. We have to do problems now to hand in. I’m just about at the end of my old knowledge and I haven’t the time to study & learn it here like I did at home. At 11 we had study. I did some Analyt. and Chem. We had dinner at noon – stew, beans, raw carrots, bread, butter, milk, and banana pudding. Now here I am at 12:35. I’ve got to get going on my work tonight. Otherwise I’ll have to spend my weekend studying. I want to keep from that if I can. Irving Berlin’s picture “This is the Army” is on Sat. and I want to see it if I can. Now to your Sat.-Sun. letter as long as I have time – The ceiling wasn’t too high where I was either but I guess its something none of us can do much about. I didn’t want to come back. I hope your pen gets broken in so it will flow steadily. The sandwiches didn’t taste of soap. They just tasted good. We are supposed to get 15 days every 6 mos. or 30 days a year. We will get ours 7 days at a time, 4 times a year. I’m still due 15 days which I’ll never get. I think you know how I felt about coming home and having to leave again. I was getting back into my old groove. That sort of answers your Sat. part of the letter. I haven’t mentioned everything in it but I’ve got it all and I know what you mean all right. I’ll have to quit now at 12:48. See you later.

Back at 9:20. Boy this Analytics is getting me down. I spend all my time on it without getting anything else done. I’m going to have to quit doing so many problems and hope I know how or I’ll be so lost in Chem. & physics I’ll never catch up. At 1 we went to History. At 2 we came back for P.T. and played volleyball. At 3 we had English. We got a rugged teacher and wrote themes in class today – “My Hometown.” Boy he gives out assignments too. You’d think we had only English. At 4 we had a demonstration on interior guard. We came back at 5 and at 5:30 had supper – spaghet., peas & carrots, salad, corn, bread, muffins, milk, custard pie and graham crackers. After supper I tried to get my shoes & see about a jacket but supply was closed. Some of the fellows wanted me to play tennis but I didn’t. I started Analyt. at about 6:30 and I’ve been on it up to now. Yi. You see I go through all the exercises in the book. It’s good practice but takes too much time. I’ll have to quit it I guess. The work this term is really rugged and I mean it. There won’t be any 5 A’s this time I’m thinking. I got your Mon. letter & a card from Edna today. This is a heck of a letter but lights go out in a couple minutes. I don’t know when I’ll do some of this other work as we are still studying in barracks & lights go out at 9:30. I hate to cut this so doggone short but that’s it I guess for tonight.

So long everybody.

Love,

Sonny