Wed. night.

Dear Folks,

I can’t seem to remember just when I wrote you last but I hope it wasn’t too long ago. I received the Advocates ^[1]The Greenville Advocate was his home town newspaper.and thanks alot. It is interesting to find just what is going on at home.

From what I gather from your last letter (27th May) Karen is really beginning to express herself, saying “Bye Bye” etc.

I am glad you liked the picture, however, I had noticed the wrinkle in the shirt. That can be blamed on the G.I. laundry. They certainly do ruin clothes but they do get them clean which is important. We can send all we want to for $1.50 a month which comes out of our pay if we send any laundry or not. That is plenty cheap when I look back and think of the times I would pay $2.00 a week for it in Evanston. ^[2]Evanston, Illinois, is where Northwestern University is located. Tom attended Northwestern for two years before joining the Army.

The war news sounds pretty good, but the coal strikes don’t seem to help matters any. I think those fellows would change their ideas alot if they were in the army a short time. Here if we don’t like something we can complain but there isn’t nothing to do but go ahead and do as told.

In calesthenics we are devoting about 45 min. of the period to the art of “judo” which to me isn’t anything other than dirty fighting. Wrestling is tame compared to it.

We have an expert from the west coast teaching it. I haven’t figured out how we are to practice yet because when you start fighting the main object is to kill the person as quick as possible. We have been practicing so far on just how to jump on a person and dig in your heels and also where to kick in order to break the back. It certainly seems funny being taught this after having been taught sportsmanship all the early part of your life. Yes, alot of ideas are being changed or destroyed. However, we all act like a bunch of kids yet.

You can probably tell from the letter that I am tired and not in a very good mood. Mon. night we had a G.I. party ^[3]general cleaning of the common spaceswhich lasted till 10:30 and meant we got 6 hrs. sleep. Last night we had a compulsory military film which lasted till 11:00 and that meant about 5 1/2 hrs sleep. Near the end of the week everyone gets feeling lazy so it isn’t just me.

I am glad you told Bob not to get the slide rule, $14 is to much. The movie camera I told you about isn’t what I wanted. I have been looking around for a Bell and Howel but they aren’t being made any more. I would like to have a record of the things I have been going through but for the present I guess I will have to keep them in my mind.

Stan you will have to take in a couple of those night football games next year out at Dyche. ^[4]Dyche Stadium is the Northwestern University football field. I imagine that was quite a lighting project.^[5]Dyche stadium hosted the Chicago College All-Star Game in 1943 and 1944, at night, with the use of temporary lights. If I remember right there weren’t any lights before.

Have you played any golf yet? I might play a little this Sat. but my trouble is that by the time Sat. comes I don’t feel like doing much walking. They have a nice 18 hold course near the Perkins home. We have stayed there every weekend so far.

I believe Dad is planning on coming out here next weekend. I haven’t heard yet for certain but I imagine he will if he can get tickets.

I haven’t heard from Steve for a couple of weeks but I believe he is still at Norfolk. From the sound of his letter he didn’t care for it very much. I guess there are so many of them there that they get pushed around even if they are officers. Bob Lake is in Hawaii and has seen Bill Fichthorne. He seems to like it O.K. ^[6]I can’t identify Bob Lake, or Bill Fichthorne.