Dear Folks and 828,

I pulled control tower duty officer tonight and now that things have calmed down and there being a typewritter handy thought this would be a good time to write to you. I received all of your letters today, Elaine and Stans of Apr. 3rd, Cleda’s of Match 28th and Dad’s of Apr. 3rd and March 14th so you can see how our mail runs. It really sounded as if Greenville had alot of excitement. I miss out on everything.

Elaine I was glad to hear about all the Sigma Mu’s, I knew all of them that you mentioned, if you get the chance you might ask her about Bud Spencer, he was my roommate and the last that I knew he was with some outfit in France. Jean Kelly went into the AC the same time that I did.

I hope everything has worked out O.K. for Stan, don’t forget to write me all about his setup. I’ll be looking forward to receiving your Easter pictures.

Cleda I was glad to hear that you and Dad had gotten to see Zoe and that she is O.K. She will probably be there when you receive this letter so if she is tell her hello for me (in a loving way).

I certainly hated to hear about Ben Brown and Mervin Wise.^[1]Mervin Wise was a friend of Tom’s from Greenville. He was killed in action on April 16, 1945 while serving with the Army. Benell Brown was also a friend of Tom’s from Greenville. He was … Continue reading

Dad, I have really been seeing France these last few days. I told you about the trip to Paris and yesterday Andy and I were in Reims. Enjoyed it even if I did about get knocked down by some Frenchman in a truck. I was standing on the corner waiting for Andy when this truck couldn’t make the corner, jumped the curb, knocked a chunk out of the building besides a few water drains and ended up just grazing me after I had ma a remarkable twenty foot jump. After looking at the chunk he had taken out of the stone wall right behind where I had been standing I decided I was pretty lucky, as it was I didn’t get a scratch but a damn good scare to remember Reims by.

To continue with the more enjoyable parts of the trip – went into the cathedral and even climbed the stairs all the way to the top of the thing. It looks alot older than Notre Dame, however, I don’t know when it was built but maybe the fact that it has been shot up alittle in two wars makes it show its age more. The town is alot cleaner than most of the French towns we have seen which made it pretty nice to go to. Andy and I tried to make it back to the base that night but weren’t able to and ended up in some little town that had an eleven oclock curfew so we just waited for the M.P.s to pick us up and they got us a room in the officers hotel there. Don’t have any visions of a Palmer House or Statler but it was a place to sleep. However on my days off now I think I’ll stay in camp and forget about this sight seeing and let my feet recouperate.

Hope everything is O.K. with all of you and I certainly enjoy all of your letters. I am so sleepy I am going to have to get up and walk around to keep from going to sleep.

Love,

Tom