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ARMY AIR BASE – LINCOLN, NEBRASKA POSTMARKED: 5-19-43
Dear mom,
Hope this will find everyone allright. I am feeling pretty bad tonite so instead of going to school I am going on sick call and get some thing for my cold. I guess it is because I didn’t have any sleep over the weekend. Golly I’d rather die than go to the darn old hospital here. They keep you in 14 days before they let you out. I am trying my best to stay out. I only have 9 days of school left to go and boy am I glad. I don’t know where I’ll go from here. Maybe another school. Maybe a specialist school. Maybe not. I am tired of schools for a while. I would like to get in a squadron for about 2 or 3 months.
I recd. the money you sent and thanks a million until I pay it back. I had enough until I bought an engagement ring, $92.87, for my girl. Golly I wish I had never seen Lincoln, Nebraska. My girl wants to get married before I leave but I told her she’d have to meet my mom first. I guess I’ve really found the girl I love but I am not going to get hitched till I’m sure.
Did I tell you that am about to be busted to a Pvt. again because I was caught walking on the grass. Ha! Ha! These guys are crazy enough to do it too. I told my C.O. that if they did that I was going to write my C.O. of my old outfit & have him put in a complaint at Washington D.C. about these guys being so strict here and he’ll possibly do it for me.
Well mom will close for now. Hoping to hear from you soon.
Lots of love,
Earl D.
P.S. Am enclosing a letter from miss Leola Brinkhoff’s dad. She wrote him & told him about me & here’s his answer. It’s a nice letter isn’t it.
ADDENDUM
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INCLUDED LETTER
Dear Marvelous,
Your letter came this morning. And by it I received the impression that you wanted advice. That is the one thing that is easy to give. But first I want you to know I appreciate your writing and telling me of things young folks usually keep to themselves. I have a good memory and can remember the times in my youth when such an affair was very serious to me. Had I listened to someone who had been over the same road a good deal of sorry and disappointment could have been avoided. Yet all that is worth while in this life is happiness and I shall never attempt to influence you in any choice you make to attain it. You must use your conscience and you know there will be no doubt of your doing the right thing if it is clear.
However these are hellish times for youth and hasty decisions are none too good when most everyone has the jitters of some kind. But you must remember there is a great deal of pleasure in waiting and working for what you want. There would be lots of grief in being separated perhaps for a long time from a husband and if you are both sincere there could be lots of happiness in waiting and working so you could enjoy a real lasting marriage when this thing is over.
Anyway I am fond of you and it is only for your happiness I care. If you get a man who cares for you as much as I did for your mother you can be happy without a lot of other things.
So remember whatever you do, I am for you and will not blame or censure you. But to tell you to do one thing or another definitely or that it is my right to would be something I would be afraid to do for I might be wrong as hell.
Well enough of that. Youth is a grand age and I am glad you are having some fun and I am pretty sure you will not have to look back at it with regrets.
Again, thanks for the frankness of your letter. I know how serious you feel even if it is forty years ago or more that the same thing had never happened to anyone but myself.
Your dad