Dear Robert, Elizabeth, Anne, Bobby and Mary Alice:
I expect all of you think that I have forgotten you. But I assure you that Leo had been a very busy man. But due to my being very busy I will pin a pair of gold bars on me this Saturday morning at 11:30. At 1:30 pm attend a luncheon at the officers club and report to duty at 0800 Monday morning at the Tank Battalion. The Major has already told me that I have been selected to be on the staff of the tank battalion and what I mean that is a headache as they have made me intelligence officer and that involves a great deal more of burning the midnight oil and finding out what the Jap’s & German’s use on both offensive & defensive. But, if my little bit will help to win the war I am quite willing to sacrifice a few hours sleep plus plenty more.
Am now in the last stretch although it had been plenty fugged never have I felt better in my life. Wish you could see me my face is plenty tan and my muscles are as hard as a rock.
The expenses involved at first is going to be a little heavy but I will weather the storm O.K. and if the new pay bill goes through it will be mighty fine.
Anne I suppose you are about through with school for this year. Bobby, you will be starting next and you will have a high record to shoot at to keep pace with your sister. Suppose that Mary Alice has grown so much I wouldn’t know her. By the wayk when was she born?
To bad all of you can’t be out to the graduation ceremony. No doubt it will be one of the greatest thrills of my life to know that I have been able to work my way up through the ranks and say I was among the first selected out of the division to attend the school on the west coast.
I must put my bucket of water on the kerosene stove shove and go to bed as I know the next tow and 1/2 days are going to be terrific.
All of you remember I think of you and miss you a great deal.
Do you think you will be able to get out this summer? I probably will be here for two or three more months before shoving of for an unknown destination.
Oh: and by the way I am the only single officer in the tank battalion,
Well this Saturday morning June 5, 1942 at 11:30 am your son will be commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the United States Marines. Golly! How I wish all of you could be present to see me receive my commission. They moved the graduation date up from the 10th to the 5th. I got my assignment. I will return to the tank battalion on the staff for at least the present. The tank battalion is no longer at Camp Elliott they are out in the hills living in tents the same as we are out here.
Have been getting your mail and I am always glad to hear from you. Dad, I also enjoy the church magazines and the Pathfinder.
It is now almost ten pm and we didn’t finish classes until 8 pm this evening. They really are putting us through the paces but I am learning something.
Tell the kids & the Aunts I will write them when all this school is over.
After graduation we are to attend a luncheon at the Officers Club where we will be presented a set of shoulder bars by the officers of the 2d Marine Division.
The name of the town that Larry lives at is La Jolla.
I have a picture of the camp I will send you to keep for me. It is an aerial view of my alma mater. I won’t be able to send it until I can get to the post office.
Has been rather chilly the past few mornings taking physical exercise at 5:30 am.
I will try and look up Loxley Eckles boy as soon as I get situated & sort of rested a little after this awful strain and grind.
My Bunkie got quite a kick out of the last Pathfinder because it had quite an article Kansas in it.
I want all of you to know I miss you.
Last Wednesday we attended the Eddie Cantor broadcast from Elliott. Did you happen to hear it? I am enclosing a ticket of the seat I had what I mean the Candidates Class had ring side seats.
I must now close and get some sleep at 5:30 rolls around awful fast.
