24 January 1942
Dear Folks:
- I expect that you were rather surprised to get the wire from me. Well I am enclosing a letter which should be self explanatory as to why I need the birth certificate. I surely will be surprised if I do get the Commission. I would just as soon be a Sergeant. Oh well I will just have to wait and see what happens. I am rather proud of the letter that the Major wrote and I was more surprised when he called me in and ask me if I would like to become an officer. You see one copy of the letter went in my service record book and that is something. The grade of 4.9 means this: They grade 1-2-3-4-5, so you see my grade is almost perfect or a 5 in all my grades.
- I am again spending the day with the Whitemans. I rode down with Johnie Key who came down to visit his friend. They gave us the week end off as we start in training new recruits this coming Monday.
- This week we were down in Mexico and all over the southern half of California on maneuvers. Surely did have a great time. We parked out evenings and had all our food out in the field. We also fired all week long and now for the great surprise.
- The Presidents son James who is a Captain in the Marine Corps came out to watch us fire the 37mm gun from the Tanks. With him was General Feagan and Colonel Holcomb. Your son had the honor of explaining the functioning of the weapons plus taking Captain Roosevelt, Captain Swenceski (our Company Officer), and the General for a ride in the Mountain where we fired. Captain James did the firing and the pay off was him firing on our own tanks which were parked at the bottom of the mountain. If the Captain and the General hadn’t of been along I would have gotten his autograph for you Dad as I know that you would be glad to have a Roosevelts autograph.
- It looks as if the Japs are putting all their eggs in one basket. One of these fine days they will fine themselves annilhated by the U.S. Marines.
- You don’t need to mention anything about the above incident except to the immediate family and also nothing about the Commission until I get it. I’ll bet some of the people in Monmouth will be surprised to know that by hard work and no pull one can succeed.
- Believe it or not I got sunburned on the maneuvers this week. My nose is even peeling.
- Sara tells me that her Mother is coming out. Golly how I would like to see all of you.
- I see that the politics is getting hot in the old home town again for the primary this spring. Dad, find out if I can vote.
- Sara wants to write a receipt for Libby on the bottom so I will close for this time by saying that I miss all of you and I only hope that all of you are as in good a health as I am.
Love to all,
Leo
Sara says that I can type the receipt on a card, and that you folks also better come out. Would I ever like that. Oh yes I got a letter from Anne telling me about the cookies and I also got the cookies yesterday and I also got your letters this week and do write often.
Save the copy of the letter written by the Major so I can put it in my scrap book.
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