Sat. night.

Hello, –

What a way to spend your last weekend at SAAAB ^[1]Santa Ana Army Air Base. The Pacific Electric Lines ^[2]The Los Angeles area metropolitan transportation system of commuter trains, street cars and busesare having a big strike out here and have tied things up in a big way. All military personnel are restricted to their bases. Consequently we are sitting around here trying to amuse ourselves. As for myself I am going to bed pretty quick and spend most of tomorrow there.

No doubt you wonder what the money is for. Anyway here’s my problem: Not only don’t I have a chance to get Zoe a graduation present but I don’t have the least idea what a girl would want for graduation. As you can see I am pushing my troubles off on someone else. Anyway I hope this isn’t too much trouble but really it was the only thing that I could think of. We leave this next Fri. so we won’t get out anymore while here and then we will be confined to the post for 2 weeks after going to Primary. I wrote Zoe and told her the gift might be alittle late so there isn’t too big a rush. Really Elaine I haven’t any ideas and whatever you folks decide on will be O.K. with me. If you don’t need all the money the three of you go out to dinner and think of me. If you need any more let me know but it doesn’t need to be too elaborate. I really hate to ask you to do this for me but I didn’t know what else to do with Zoe graduating around the 4th.

I received the Advocates ^[3]his home town newspaper, The Greenville Advocate and it was really good to find out more about the home town news.

We have heard that they expected trouble on the west coast this weekend. Our C.O. told us there might be an alert tonight but I think it is just a rumor. However, there has been alot more air activity around today than there has been.

Well I’ll let you know where we are going as soon as I find out. But the way Zoe is back at the sorority house. The address is 706 S. Mathews, Urbana. Let me know if you are able to get something and I’ll send her a letter explaining things. Thanks alot.

Give Karen a kiss for me –

With love,

Tom