Edward J. Thomas - World War II
Two Letters
Dear Mom & harry Thursday, Jul 8, 1943
I guess I was wrong thinking my last letter was to be the last from this camp. The schedule here isn’t working on all 8 cylinders. Our shipment has been postponed until 7:45 am tomorrow.
I received your letter yesterday and am sorry you weren’t able to secure a stateroom on your return trip from Cleveland. But if I had been put on alert Monday I wouldn’t have been allowed to leave camp. Those two movies “The Amazing Mrs. Holiday” and “Reap the Wild Wind” I believe were at Fort McClellan in Alabama but somehow I missed them. From your comments I don’t think I missed much. Just before writing my letter to you yesterday I saw “I Married a Witch”, a very good comedy. A couple of days ago I saw “Mr. Lucky with Cary Grant and Loraine Day, pretty fun also.
Your cold weather matched ours. It was 47° in Detroit and 46° in Pennsylvania. I managed to send my handbag to you this morning. When you receive it you should find the camera, flash light and batteries inside. If I’m allowed to have one where I go I’ll let you know. By the way how did the pictures come out we took by Pardice Inn in Sharon?
I’m returning the flashlight since I didn’t want to damage it and found no use for it the last couple of weeks. Those five bags youmade will come in handy. I hope they reach me before I leave.
Harry I notice in May “American Fur Breeder” that there is a book “The Basis of Breeding”. I believe this to be a very good book to add to my libraries.
With Love Eddie
P.S. I’m sending another of Stanley’s letters I received some time ago, but forgot to send.
2nd Letter – from Stanley he wrote on Sun. May 16, 1943
Dear Ed,
Your welcome letter was received a couple weeks ago. I couldn’t help smiling at your rifle training. I went hunting and got a deer and had to drag it 10 miles. A letter from Detroit today informs me, my brother Harry took basic training at Camp White, Oregon, went to Yokema, Washington for maneuvers and is now at Lexington, Kentucky going to radio school.
There’s lots of good news coming over the radio these days. A pleasant surprise to hear as I got home from work that axis resistance in Africa collapsed rather suddenly. Now the news commentators are shouting that the Japs haven’t many more days to spend on the island of Attu in the Aleutian group. I suppose Kiska will be next. The air field on Attu is large enough for bombers. That should come in handy.
Over a year ago I purchased a five gallon aquarium and a few tropical fish to brighten up the living room. I now have six aquariums. So be prepared to see guppies everywhere when you come to visit.
My job is going about the same as ever. I have placed an application for a civil service position as a welder at the Naval Base repair yard. Haven’t heard yet, but hope to.
So Long Stanley