Noon

Hello Folks,

Here it is one of those real lazy Sunday afternoons. Good music on the radio and a good time to write a letter. I just finished eating with a bunch of the fellows that got in from Lemoore. Some of the boys we left there when we came here. Needless to say, they are glad to be here.

John Erickson and I came back from Morts’ Fri. afternoon because we supposedly had to go to a gunnery meeting Sat. morning. We went down there Sat. and they told us to report at 8:00 Mon. morning. It is little things like this that makes a person dislike the army. Mort is coming back this afternoon, his mother is coming with him and I am suppose to have dinner with them here at the club this evening. We really had a nice time at Morts’. The three of us had a 5 day leave.

We got into San Francisco Mon. night about 11:00 P.M. and went out to the Blaisdell’s home. Tues. I went with Mort to do some visiting around Berkeley. Stopped in at the Campbells, Kaye and the baby were asleep but talked to Larry and everything is OK. Wed. night we went to the Claremont Hotel. I wish all of you could have been with us. The Blaisdells went with us, Russ Morgan is playing there.

https://youtu.be/MkbS4NZQNcE

I’ll send you a picture that we had taken. Thurs. Mort and his girl, John, I and Barbara all went to San Francisco and —– in the ——. Had lunch at the Cliff House. I sent a package to you folks, I hope they weren’t broken in the mail. We then went to Chinatown and had dinner at the Cathay House, really a swell Chinese dinner. Chinatown isn’t like it was when we were there in ’39, that is the stores weren’t stocked like they were then. We were able to get 5 gal. of gas apiece for the B’s car with our leave papers which made it nice in getting around. By the way before I forget it, Mr. Blaisdell is going through Chicago sometime in Oct., he has your telephone no. and address. I don’t know how long he will be there but I wrote Dad and you folks could see him or get him to come out. He is really a very interesting person to talk with. I think I told you that he was President of the International House out at the Univ. in Berkeley.^[1]Tom has several dates with Barbara Price. Barbara’s father, Ernest B. Price, was President of the International House at the University of Chicago. The fact that Mort Blaisdell’s father … Continue reading

I hope Karen and Tom are OK. Have you been able to find any help. Mrs. B doesn’t see how you can do it all by yourself but I imagine Stan is a big help, and that isn’t a wise crack.

Dad, did you receive the matches? I guess you still have your collection. About the rocks you may send me a list of some of the kinds you need and after them put the section of the country or world that they are found in.

The weather is really turning warm here, these hot weather just starts about now, however the nights are still cold. We start our gunnery Mon. but most of it will be in the day but we do get a couple night straffing missions. We have to start wearing our May Wests now, I really don’t see how we can get much more on. We have to wear shoulder straps here because there isn’t a crash panel on the instrument panel. It is a good thing that you have a crew chief to help you get everything on. You feel like a canned sardine when you get all set to go. I saw some P38 boys from C class that graduated a month before me. They were on a 5 day leave before going across. If I get that I’ll fly home because we get a #4 priority, but I’m hoping that it is alittle more than 5 days.

Enough for now –

With love,

Tom