Edward J. Thomas - World War II
Dear Mom, Harry & Issy, Wednesday, Jun 30, 1943
Glad to know you made the Cleveland boat on time, with the storm, gas difficulty and the fire and got to Detroit safely. To bad you couldn’t have stayed till Monday, but I didn’t know.
Monday was a very easy day for me. Our bunks had to be taken out and aired and sunned, so I laid down on it and read Reader’s Digest.
Detail work was assigned to almost all except me. First time the sergeant didn’t see me or care. In the afternoon the sergeant found me. I was given a shovel and had to work in mud to help make a new sidewalk. This job didn’t last long however because the boys I worked with had to go on guard duty and that is why I was able to leave the job at 3:15 pm.
I washed some clothes with the Rinso soap you bought me. I find that powder soap is easier to wash with.
During early hours Tuesday a strange thing happened. The lights in our hut were put on and I heard someone shouting that we should get up and get our pay. I looked at my window and it was still dark. I thought I was dreaming. My watch in my pants said 3:30 am. We got our pay and I went back to bed. Go figure.
Tuesday was another easy day. I was chosen hut guard. All I had to do was to sweep out the aisle way in my hut after the boys left. The rest of the day I just read papers and magazines.
Today, Wednesday the sergeant walked in after breakfast and asked for five men to work on a special detail I tried to avoid by pretending not to hear. However, I got picked. We had to go theatre No. 3 for police-up work. Sweeping took only 45 minutes and then cancelled tickets to burn. The theatre officer gave me three tickets. He told me that he dropped some good ones, but tell anyone. The cook looked them over and found half dozen good ones and gave me one. After sweeping we were told to come back at 3:30 pm.
Hope I continue to get those short and easy jobs. I better use my free ticket and see “The Crime Doctor” with Warren Baxler and Margaret Lindsay.
With Love, Eddie
P.S. Tell everyone to use my barrack number on envelopes to me.
