May 18, 1942  Tucson, AZ

Dear Donna,

I was really please, in fact I was more than glad to hear from you, and I hope that we may continue the correspondence until the time does come that this is all over, which I hope isn’t far off.  But no one knows anything that can answer that question.

I wouldn’t mind doing a little more soldiering under the peace time regime.  During the eight months and 2 days, to be exact, of peace time away that I’ve experienced, I can truthfully say that I had more fun in all my civilian life. Maybe I didn’t know what to look for as a civilian, or maybe I didn’t know where to go to find enjoyment.  But I started to have real fun from the day we left Salt Lake for Spokane until war was declared.  But that is all passed now, and I doubt that I will do too much to try to live those days over, at least until this is all over.

I don’t think I will have to do much worrying about getting another ticket for quite some time, unless they pass a law on walking fast, and I never did feel like moving very fast, if I had to rely onto my own two feet  So I think for the time being, I feel that I am pretty safe from everyone, except the military police who are constantly on your tail for one thing or another.  It is almost impossible to talk your way out of anything with them.  They know all the answers.

Another fellow and I took last Saturday night and all day Sunday off.  We walked all over the town at night, and then got a hotel room with the intentions of going to church in the morning, but my old habit of sleeping overcame me, so we just slept until 11:45, then we had a dinner, (still living like civilized people) then we came out to the field to get my camera, which I forgot the night before and also to have a shave, then we went back to town and walked to the University of Arizona and walked all over the campus taking pictures.  I had almost 20 pictures left to take but I wanted to get them all done because we have been told that we can no longer have any photographing equipment in out possession, and I’ll be damned if I’ll leave my camera with the ? so I wanted to get them all taken and send the works home for the duration.  But I still have about 5 or 6 left to take.  So I guess I’ll have to send it as is before they take it away from me.

Just got through driving up to base headquarters in a “jeep”.  I sure wish I had one of them for my own use.  They are more fun to ride around in.  It would be something to take a girl out in one of the, wouldn’t it.

So much for what I am doing, or what I have done, or what I hope to do.  Sorry to hear that you were unable to have a good time at the dance.  It seems like when anyone gets out of high school, he always thinks he has the world by the tail.  But it don’t seem to take very long before we all look back upon our school days with a bit of remorse and wish that we could relive them time and time again.  But that is an impossibility because no one grows any younger.  But it is nice to get together with those who are still at that peculiar age in life.  I don’t mean by that that I think we are growing old.  Instead we are just entering into another phase of life or something. 

Yes, Donna, I am still working in the office.  It appears that I washed  out as an officer candidate.  They sent back my application with the endorsement in it to the office to the effect that I was excluded, but after hearing the way they are running the boys around base, thereby giving KP and guard duty, I am not sorry that I was rejected.  I think I will try out for aircorps administration.  I wanted to get out of offices for good, but no luck.

Maybe some day I will be able to make something higher than buck sergeant as an enlisted man, then there is still aviation cadet to think about, but I am still undecided whether I want to fly or not.  It would have its advantages and all the thrills that could be given to anyone, but I am afraid that I will have to let it ride for a while. 

Here I got back to writing about myself and didn’t want to.

It was rather warm walking around Sunday, but the nights are swell to walk or ride around in, however.  However, I do think it could be a little cooler for comfort.  It has finally got to where a sheet is plenty if not too much over you.  We do have air conditioning, but they aren’t so pleasant to have going either.  So we have to stand in the heat and it hasn’t even started to get warm yet.

I really do hope that someday in the very near future we will be able to get better acquainted, and that out acquaintance will live long.

I’m afraid that this letter is getting to be a little too long, and I hadn’t better tire our new found friendship, so I’ll close for now and hope to hear from you in the very near future. 

Love,

Wayne