Training in the USA

Friday
[possibly April 7, 1944]

Dear Lou,

There was nothing to worry about - the package arrived on schedule today & is really swell. Thanks awfully.

By the way Lou - we discussed the matter of insurance here and the Insurance Offices & I decided it would be just as well to let mine stand at the $5,000 figure since the darned stuff doesn’t pay a lump sum but pittances each month and the $5,000 will provide about $20.00 per month to you for life should anything happen to me. There is $3,000 in commercial insurance so all in all it should take care of my participation in Mom’s finances.

GI's looking at a car by some bombed-out buildings,

somewhere in Europe

There is one thing I’d like you to do - I’ll want a Savings Account to which I can make allotments of my pay when I am overseas - the thing for you to do is take out an account Harold J. and/or Lucy Dahl - then you can control it and everything will run smoothly. I’ll have to close out my checking account since we will not be allowed them for reasons of secrecy. I’ll send you a check & then too I think I’ll be getting one from the government on a bond adjustment arrangement. As far as the allotment is concerned I think it will amount to about $30 per month when it starts - of course I won’t do anything definite about that until the 20% increase is definite too - perhaps not until after a month after we sail because we may be in England for awhile in which case a little cash will come in handy.

Another thing - see to it, even if you have to explain it to whoever reports news from Towaco, that nothing gets in the paper if and when we leave. And you & Mother & the others must take it as part of your burden not to so much as tell anyone that I have gone until we get there and mail comes back to you. And then, if you get an idea where I am, don’t tell anyone, no matter who. This thing we are doing might be suspected it it gets out that the 603rd is gone - we must be simply forgotten - until after our job is done. It really can be terribly important in the war and we have to be more than ordinarily careful. I’m sure you understand.

Now they say it may be about 3 weeks - but most likely it will be somewhat more -

Love,
​Harold