Field Artillery School
Ft. Sill, Okla.
April 4, 1943 Dear Mother, Dad, + Grandma,
I've received 2 letters from you, so I shall try to answer them before I go on with the recent news of Ft. Sill.
I too am sorry my stay at home could not be longer. After 7mo in the army, home was heaven -- and no one ever told me angels could Cook! I should be in line for 10 or 15 days again in the beginning of October, but pretty definitely not before then. Some of the boys have been here a year without a leave.
I was also glad you could come to Harrisburg to see me off. It made the parting much easier. I thought of you in the blackout and wondered where you were. I was in the movies and stayed their throughout.
Oklakoma weather has been delightful -- almost too warm for woolen shirts, however. No one wears a coat anymore -- but it is cool enough in the evening for blankets on the bed, The trees are green and grass is ready for mowing. I haven't seen any abundance of flowers, however.
The main post is particularly nice this time of year. It is all permanent structure -- well planned and constructed and it reminds me a a great deal of a college campus -- except that it is bigger -- almost on Worlds Fair proportions with buses moving to permit getting from one point to another, In lots of ways I would enjoy teaching over there -- but on the other hand my background is much more suited for the Officer Canidate Course -- even though O.C. has much more the appearance + flavor of an Army camp.
My two boxes I mailed before I left arrived only yesterday - so I suppose your box with the cookies will arrive sometime in the middle of the week.
I wear stockings size 11½ or 12 -- and I can wear nothing but O.D. or tan shades. If you want to send me some for my B-day, make them light weight summer stockings -- I have more than enough heavy ones.
My new sweater is a slip-on -- and please don't get me one with sleeves, for I haven't worn the one I have yet, and probably won't if this weather continues. There's not much new since Thursday evening, when I last wrote. I finished my instructors course Friday noon and spent Friday afternoon and Saturday morning refreshing my memory on small arms -- the carbine, 50 cal. machine gun, pistol + revolver.
The more I think of it, the funnier it appears to me, Mother. You would never even leave me look at a gun, and here I am taking apart and handling, and supposedly teaching others the most accuarate & deadly weapons yet developed. They are realle quite complicated mechanisms -- put together with clockork precision. You would appreciate the way they work, Dad.
Yesterday afternoon I wrote a few letters, got dressed, met Wells Henderson. and went into town. My roommate (adjoining) Shay, went with us. We had a long wait in line to get a cab, but we finally made it We had a good meal and then went to see "Hello, Frisco, Hello.” It was very colorful and full of gay 90's songs & costumes. I believe you folks. would enfing it.
I don't believe I told you that Shay was married while he was home. His wife's coming out this summer. She's a school teacher in a little town near Altoona.
Tomorrow I start my week of work on the refresher course. I'll have to really do some studying, for I have to know this material very well so that I can teach it.
Officer Candidate School is being cut down. The average class up until now (our's was comparitively small) has been about 450 to 500 within the next 2mo., however, classes are to be cut down to 210. Evidently they are beginning to catch up a bit on the quantity of officers. needed.
Yours,John