March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona

Although it warms up during the day, the nights in Tempe are still cold, particularly since Tom’s dorm room is a screened-in porch. He describes his methods for dealing with the cold. He asks his parents for some swimming trunks, size 32.

Wed. night.

March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 1
March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 1

Dear Folks,

I thought I had better send you as many letters now as possible. We have been having it pretty easy so far but starting Mon. we go on a 17 hr. day schedule with one hour of free time and I imagine you would like to spend that one hour drinking a coke. The days are are beginning to get warmer but the nights get plenty cold. We use our heavy overcoats as bath robes and then put them on the bed to help keep warm. We sleep on a screened-in porch. The food is still plenty good and I still like the idea of the coeds serving it to us. It is all cafeteria but they work behind the counter like I did in Lunt last summer.

Today we had an all day G.I. party which is cleaning the whole place from top to bottom. We wash everything with G.I. soap and brush and believe me the soap is not much more than pure lye. You can’t wash any clothes with it are they are liable to disolve in a solution of it. However, this place is really clean but still has alot of roaches running around. As long as they stay out of my bed I’ll be O.K.

March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 2
March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 2

There is something I wish you would send me. If you can’t find my swimming trunks get me a size 32. I have gained wt. so it might be that my old ones wouldn’t fit. Uncle Sam furnishes us with everything else in the line of gym wear but no swimming suits. We are suppose to get to go swimming soon and it is hard to get a pair of shorts in this town.

March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 3
March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona, Page 3

As yet I haven’t been able to have any pictures taken. I was planning on having it done last weekend in Fresno but then we weren’t there long enough.

They hold retreat here everynight. I think there must be about 400 on the post so you can see it is more like a family than an army post.

I am going to a concert tonight that will be something different. The worse part of this here is that you never do any thinking for yourself and you march every where you go. You march to dinner, you march to get a hair cut you march here and there, not worrying where you are going or when you will get there.

My address has changed alittle so use the one on this letter. If you have already used the other I will get it but use this one from now on.

We have to fall out in 10 min. so will close.

With love,

Tom

March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona
March 25, 1943, Tempe, Arizona

A Young Man Went Off to War