September 10, 1943

Friday evening

Dear Marty,

It’s a long way from Texas, because here I sit and almost shiver. One of these days they may let us traipse into New York for the evening + most of the night. Or they may not.
They have kept us fairly busy today with "processing”- that is having our teeth looked at again, having our pictures taken again, checking equipment, filling out questionnaires, etc., etc. And those who have been helping with the administration have been working day + night almost. When this is over we may be able to get out once in a while or we may not.
We have a fairly decent mess here with regular Army prices (70 cents a day). They greeted us on arrival with a wonderful dinner of steaks + everything including ice cream for dessert, + since then the meals have been tolerable to good. There’s nothing wrong with our appetites in this bracing eastern air.
I sure did sleep the first night here. You know how I usually turn off the alarm practically as soon as it starts. But that morning, the first thing I knew Oscar Turner, who lives a couple of rooms away, was holding the clock by my ear asking me how to turn the damn thing off.
My roommate until tonight was your old friend Maj. Barrett, who is very entertaining until you get tired of him (which I wasn’t). But they moved him up to live with the high command + sent down Capt. Minder, a new one that nobody likes. Apparently he doesn’t like us much either, because he dropped his stuff in here + we haven’t seen him since. Half of the majors are in this barrack, along with Lt. Janson, Barreras, Borzilleri, Calabrese, + Matthews. It’s all purely accidental including the collection of troops, who don’t associate with each other any more than with others. Altogether, except for Minder, it’s a very congenial group.
Maj. Charley Hoffman is next door. He lives in Plainfield + is planning to go there if + when possible, and I hope to go with him if + when he does. It might not workout though, because those who live in “the immediate area” will get first crack at passes. I don’t know just where the area ends, however.
The scenery here is very pretty, especially after the Texas mesquite. They have real trees and they are wonderful. And you can walk through the weeds and not worry about chiggers or ticks, or rattlesnakes, or coral snakes, or copperheads, or scorpions or anything else. Also there aren’t mosquitos, apparently, which surprises me. And the only people who talk Texan are in the Army.
This APO number is temporary but you use it. If we leave here I think mail will be forwarded with very little delay. At any rate it won’t have to go to Texas and back. Regards to your Ma + Pa + Toots + Willy.


Love B