Letter #12
February 26th 1943
To Mrs. Carl B. Thomas
Miami, Florida
Dear Mother
That was sure a funny one last week; we get put on “shipment” and sit around for 3 days not allowed to do anything at all. (not even write letters) except when you sneaked out or something. Suddenly they, for no reason that we can see, take us off and we go back to exercising, drilling and listening to lectures harder then ever. We made up the 3 days we lost in the next 3 days so we are officially on the 13th day of basic training. Tomorrow we are back on shipment but don’t stop writing this time cause we might not leave.
You don’t know a darn thing in this mans army until it happens you don’t even know when you eat until you get there. Or when you are getting your “Shots” until you are shot. That needle sur e does give me the duce. The last one (last Sunday) was the first one that didn’t knock me for a loop (chills and sweating alternately).
Yesterday I had more fun then I have had since I have been here. We went out to the rifle range and finally actually shot out rifles. They are called “infields”
I have been having some fun on time of since I got rid of that gripps or flu or whatever it was. I went to the “5 o’clock club” where it is quite a drive. I have book-matches of that at home. I went to several others but they weren’t as nice. They soldiers sure can get around cheaper that everyone else. I still am not broke. We stay in about 4 nites a week to do wash, shine shoes, write, clean rooms, and do “extra duty.”
We have been issued our O.D.’s (winter olive drab) they look better than our “suntans” (Summer uniforms) but mine need altering by the tailor. I am afraid to do that here we are too likely to be shipped out without them.
I am sending a couple of snaps Johnnie and I took out at the breach Sunday. They aren’t to good but they show the palms and the 3 of us some what plainly. The girl is Nancy Schwartz of New York. The picture does not flatter her. She was the first good-looking girl I had seen here so I went to town. Johnnie is like Dick, he makes me do all the work and get everything under control then he joins me. She is NOT Jewish. She was very nice and everything was perfect except I was on shipment Sunday and she was going home Tuesday anyway so all I have is her N.Y. Address.
It was such a beautiful day Sunday we whipped up an excuse and talked the “sarg” into a pass. A married could I met (at church) said we should use them. At first the “sarg” said, “ no, none at all to anyone” I gave him the old story about being invited by this family to dinner etc. Finally he agreed to let us go if we called back every hour to see if our shipping order had come in. So we did. Only 3 other guys in our flight got passes.
By the way! If any serious thing happens in our family or near relations (Serious sickness or death, not births) I can get a furlough, if you send me a telegram telling what has happened and get in touch with the Local Red Cross so they can notify the one neat my post to verify the telegram so they will belive me.
Thanks a lot mom and pop for the swell card and cabbages they were both enjoyed very much.
It is 9 o’clock and the CQ just gave me “it” for not being in bed.
Good Night, Son Dave
P.S.
Give Nancy one of these snaps if she wants it. Do you think Steve would want a polo shirt with the AAF etc on it I can buy them down here quite cheap. I have a stirring rod with the name of 5 o’clock Club on it if Nancy wants it. The club got its name because at 5am and pm (if you anrnt in the army) the drinks are on the house. Uncle Sams boys it lights out at 9 sharp, asleep by 10 – isn’t that something!
Love to all Dave
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