March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois

Little insights into every day life for him. His band has been practicing so much he’s concerned his lip (he’s a coronet player) won’t hold up.
Wed. night
11:30

March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois, Page 1
March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois, Page 1

Dearest,

By the grace of God and one finger I am typing you a letter. I received you letter this morning but Agnes didn’t give it to me until tonight we had a round about it, it really sounded alot better than the one before that. You didn’t spare any words in it, did you. I was in apretty good mood when I got it. (thank goodness)

Bill Buchmiller is staying all night with me tonight we had band practice till 8:00 it started at 6:30 we have been studying for an Eng. test tomorrow (the paper in this thing is slipping) we are going to take a shower and go to bed as soon as we finish these letters he is writting a letter to Bill McCracken.

Tom Cartmell in the Band, 1941
Tom Cartmell in the Band, 1941
March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois, Page 2
March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois, Page 2

The band is beginning to sound better and Mac is going crazy with the rehersals, morniing, noon, and night. You write him and tell him to take it easier or my lip won’t be fit for anything by Easter. (I mean playing my horn—-or do I, thats up to you)

This year the senior don’t get out of exams unless they are making a B, its the biggest hook that I ever heard of Iam going to have to bring my English up and hold the rest right where they are.

March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois, Page 3
March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois, Page 3

How is your Trig coming I hope better than mine we are just finishing the Chapt. on half angles and that stuff. Bill is having atime with it he’s only two days behind now but he was about two weeks. Some of that I just don’t understand as well as I should but nobody else does so why should I worry. (I’m NOT

Iam going to get up at 7:00 in the morning so I had better get to bed, write soon but no more catty ones like that one was, Because Gene hasn’t been any piker about going out with you.

With LOVE,

This is Tom’s last letter to Zoe until August of 1941. When interviewed by his high school yearbook, Tom indicated: “Tom Cartmell was rather vague about some things, but on the other hand, very definite about others. Tom isn’t going to stay in Greenville this summer. This wanderlust evidently has hold of Tom, for he doesn’t know where he’s going, but he’s going! Other than that he doesn’t want to be a doctor, he doesn’t know what he is going to do when he grows up. “Probably end up in the army,” he said. Tom would like two years at Northwestern before he joins the army.”
March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois
March 28, 1941, Greenville, Illinois

A Young Man Went Off to War