20 November 41
Dear Folks:
Well here it is Thanksgiving. It surely doesn’t seem like it to me with the sun shinning and none of the family here.
This morning I got up at 7:30. Went over and got the mail, sorted it and returned to my tent as today is Holiday routine in the camp.
Although we are not together today I realize more than ever that we have a great deal to be thankful for. I know that I have the swellest family in the entire world. We can also be thankful that God has spared us the death, destruction and greed that is now going on in the European Continent.
Mother, I received your letter with the dollar in it and I want to thank you very much for it. It makes tears come to my eyes when I get little gifts like that and the stamps Dad sends to me.
My Bunkie and the fellow who works with me in the office got a letter with a dollar in it from his mother this morning.
Am sending you some pictures. Hope you will like them. The one in the helmet with the goggles is what I wear when I go out in the tanks. The one with the rifle and trench helmet is the prone position we use when firing the rifle. The one with me setting on the locker box in my tent shows you the box we keep our clothes in. This box we use as a chair & also as a writing desk at times. The other is a picture of the other fellow who works with me in the office. Before his entry into the service h was a photographer for the Des Moines, Iowa newspaper. Later on I will have some snaps made of me in my other uniforms.
Mother, you ask me how much weight I have lost. Well I expect I have lost about twenty pounds.
The reason I need my college transcript is that they are now planning on sending me the first of March to Philadelphia, Pa to the quartermaster school to finish up my training and then leave me in the quartermaster department. But they change their minds so often you don’t know until about two hours before you go. If I do get to go I am going to plan on stopping off at home either on the way out or the way back. The school lasts for four months. I hope they do send me as I believe I would like it very much.
Dad, have you been notified yet that you are the beneficiary on my government insurance policy?
Bobby doesn’t think any more of his Uncle than his Uncle thinks of him. I also think Robert has one swell family.
You haven’t told me what you folds want for Christmas. As for me you & the rest of the family can just pool your interest and send me the money as what I need I can buy at the camp post exchange so much more cheaper than you can buy on the outside. Such as shaving soap, tooth paste, cigars and etc.
I am also enclosing a match folder for you to give to Wilda to give to Donald.
Hope all of you are feeling fine and I surely do miss all of you.
After I eat dinner today I am going to the movie.
Love to all,
Leo
P.S. As I can’t mail this letter until tomorrow I am also sending you our menu we had at eleven this morning. On top of that Phillip Morris gave each one of us a package of cigarettes, Baby Ruth candy bar and also a sack filled with nuts and hard candy. The meal was really good and we had a large variety of food as you can see from the menu. Save the menu as I’ll want to put it in a scrap book I am starting. Show the pictures & menu to the rest of the family.
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