Dear Folks, (including 828)

As you can tell by the post mark I have not been wasting much time since I last wrote. We were the first to leave. Don’t say too much about getting any letters from me because once we left Hammer our where abouts isn’t suppose to be common knowledge. You can probably tell I am writing this on a train and I don’t know yet where I’ll be able to mail it. For awhile I thought we would come through Chicago but from what I hear that’s out. Our land and overseas destination is still a long ways off. I might even be able to use some of the language I had so much trouble with in high school.^[1]Tom studied French when he was in high school. This sentence was to tell his family that he was going to France, without compromising any secrecy, or so he thought. When you receive my address you might send me Warren’t address as I might like to drop him a line.

We got all new equipment and it is really swell stuff, alot better than we have had. I called Zoe the other night from Mort’s you might ask her about it.

This thing is certainly bouncing around alot and it’s making writing very difficult. There really isn’t much more that I can say, but I did want to let you know that everything is OK and hope that everything is going fine for all of you.

Elaine, Zoe is getting you your birthday present from us. I didn’t tell her till about the 14th. I wasn’t able to get anything but thought of you on the 16th. Many happy returns.

Goodnight –

With love,

Tom.