Training in the USA

U.S. Army
Ft. Geo. G. Meade, Md.
[Sunday]
3/14/43

Dear Mom & Lou,

Busy little fellow I am - here it is Sunday morning 9:30 - I’ve been up for 3 hours already. I’m C.O. today and am also working on various projects, the Btn. Newspaper, the Book and I’ve been assigned an article to write for a company book which is a report of our findings on camouflage and if accepted will be published to the Army as a whole. My topic is “Dummy & Decoy Flat-tops”.

Cleo Hovel

The uke arrived in fine shape - just now the PX has none of those bags that I’ll get one as soon as I can. One of the fellows plays the uke very well and also is in our quartet so I’m trying to get him into the First Platoon. It would be swell if it worked.

There is a possibility that I may see you for a while next week-end. [3/20/43] Hovel and I may come up to go out Saturday night with Jeannie & another girl. We’d bunk at Jeannie's and then Hovel & I would come down to Towaco for what was left of Sunday. He is being transferred to the First Platoon which is perfectly swell with all of us - it means he will get Dal’s job since he is my senior in the Company, but my turn will come & I’m glad to see him get it.

Glad to hear Eddie Smith wasn’t badly hurt. That gives him a rest & probably his mother feels greatly relieved after all the tension.

From the way it looks D Company is going to get the honor of serving the Nation’s Capital and we will not get much farther away from home than Norfolk, Va. (They could at least send us as far as Elizabeth City). But if our platoon goes to Norfolk I may take a run over to Eliz. City to see boys some week-end. We’ll have every week end to ourselves but may have to stick around where ever we are.

Glad to hear about Walter's commission. I’ll bet he is one proud cookie with those bars - & I’ll bet he’ll strut them plenty, too.

I’m mailing this before the mail comes in so I don’t know if the package will get here today or tomorrow. Hope it comes today - sounds good.

Yesterday [3/13/43] Capt. Stack spent about an hour talking to me while I was on CQ - funny guy - he roasts heck out of us & then tells us we are the best men in the army -

Our next door neighbors moved yesterday [3/13/43] & left us a radio (console) and gobs of coat hangers. It looks like a deserted village without them, but no doubt there will be someone to take their place.

Oh Lou, will you see if you can pick me up a Gem razor somewhere? Before we go I’ll have a clothing check & will have to show a G.I. razor - mine got “lost”. I’ll have to leave my Rolls here or send it home.

Well, guess I’d better get back to work -

Love
Harold