Fort Lewis, Washington
March 30, 1943
Dear Howie,
I am finally going to find a little time to write. The reason I didn’t write was that I thought I might have had my furlough by now too. I was ready to come twice now and still haven’t made it. I was supposed to leave the first part of March and then they were cut down from fifteen percent to five percent. Then I was to come the 25th, but all furloughs have been cancelled in our regiment until after we go on the range. They say it will be about a month, so all we can do is to wait patiently you know.
Well, the day I was to leave on my furlough, which was Monday, the word came for me to pack up and that five of us were leaving. I got this word about a half an hour after the word came of cancelling all furloughs. Of course when it rains it pours they say. Anyhow we are over here at the Main Bat now. There were so many picked from each company from each regiment and we are over here doing Post Guard duty. We relieved the 33rd Division here, as they are moving out.
It is really nice over here. We did live in the brick barrack for a while, but had to move out and are living in wood barracks now. We have a swell theater here, the post station, dry cleaners, tailor shops, etc. It is about like living in town here. I believe there are more girls here than soldiers. Back in the Post Bat, where we are stationed, about all you see is soldiers. I had a letter from Willard the other day. He is still in Atlantic City waiting to be shipped out to school. He said him and Hal are working in the office. Harry has been shipped out to school and is corporal now. I had a letter from Millie the other day too. She is in S. C. now.
How is the weather back there now? All it does out here now is rain, rain, and then rain some more. It has been raining steady the last week here. The weather is lots warmer here now though and the grass is nice and green. Of course it stays that way all winter here, although it does get pretty cold. The ground seldom freezes here during the winter though.
Well I’ll bet “Swede” does have a pleasant life now, with his mother-in-law living with them. Give me the good old Army life before I’ll take that. How about you? Even if it is the Infantry. They say it is the backbone of the Army, but if you ask me it is hard on the backbone. (Ha, ha). I would like to get a transfer, but it is hard. Well, Howie, I thought I would be seeing you before this, but you know how it is. If I don’t get my furlough soon I’m afraid I’ll have to go “over the hump.” Plenty of them do it here. We have a lot of prisoners here. All I want out of the Army is an honorable discharge and a clean record. So far it is clean.
I will close for now and hoping to be able to see you sometime soon. Drop me a line when you find time and don’t wait as long as I did. I’ll try to do better next time. Are you still going to Lease mine? I hear Huff finally got his car fixed. Best of luck and write soon.
Yours loving pal,
Norman
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