August 10, 1943, Santa Ana, California

Tom responds to a letter written to him by Zoe’s parents. He acknowledges some problems, but discusses his plans to marry Zoe some day…with their permission. He has not told any of this to his father, and isn’t sure how best to broach the subject. He fears his father will disapprove because of Tom and Zoe’s young age.
Mon. night.

Dear Folks,

August 10, 1943, Santa Ana, California, Page 1
August 10, 1943, Santa Ana, California, Page 1

You can really feel honored, this is the first time that I have answered a letter on the same day that I received one. I certainly enjoyed your letter and it seems that things are gradually getting straightened out in my mind. I knew that Zoe had been going with John and that it had been pretty steady. I couldn’t really blame her a great deal because if you count back the times we have seen one another in the last two years you can just about count them on your fingers. At the present I don’t know exactly how things stand with Zoe and me, but I do know that someday I hope to marry her, that is with the approval of her Mother and Father. This is the first time I have told anyone of my plans but things are moving so fast now that everyone has to move fast to keep up. I know that perhaps alot of people would think we are too young, my Dad might be one of these as I haven’t told him a thing as yet, and I am ashamed to say that I don’t exactly know how to tell him or discuss it with him. At the present I am just sitting tight to see how things work out because it will be next April before my training is over, and even then there might not be much of a furlough.

August 10, 1943, Santa Ana, California, Page 2
August 10, 1943, Santa Ana, California, Page 2

I was classified about two weeks ago and have been in pilot school for about a week and a half now. They keep us plenty busy, get up at 5:00 A.M. and have calesthenics and drill in the morning till 11:00 A.M. At 12:00 go to a class in Code, 1:00 Gunnery, 2:00 Chemical Warfare, 3:00 Math, 4:00 Naval and aircraft identification. Have our evenings for study but just about everyone writes letters during that time. They keep the pressure on us all the time, it seems like there are more officers around here than cadets and they are always ready to hop on you for something. This is all part of the game but after the flying we had in C.T.D. everyone is anxious to go on to more, however, we have about 6 weeks of school yet before going on the primary.

Zoe never did tell me when graduation was. Do you happen to know? I certainly hope that she will be able to come out here after graduation, by then we will probably be in primary and have alittle more free time. We can’t even get off the post here until we have been here 42 days – what a life.

I should do alittle studying tonight and there isn’t much time before taps. I am looking forward to hearing from you again.

Yours sincerely,

Tom

August 10, 1943, Santa Ana, California
August 10, 1943, Santa Ana, California

A Young Man Went Off to War