Fort Douglas, Utah
Dearest Sisters,
I received the letters from you also the money from Mary and Charlotte. I sure was glad to hear from you. I am glad to hear about the little baby. I will be very glad to see it. I sure do like little Frank. I hope Marion and Frank are all right.
I am getting along all right. I received a letter from Gerda yesterday also. I still keep her every night but I look forward every night for mail. They sure keep us busy. The last 3 days we have been shooting at targets. I will get a medal for being a good shot. I have been in camp 3 weeks yesterday at 6 A.M. It will take about 3 more weeks from last Saturday I believe before we will be sent from here. I like most of the fellows. There is a lot from Oklahoma, some Mexicans and Indians in camp. There is a special part in camp that there is a Negro company.
The weather here is not so bad but it hasn’t been warm since I left home. It has barely froze here but it is a damp cold. I have a good place to stay at night and I like the fellow I bunk with.
I received a nice book of Mormon from Gerda for my birthday. It was some thoughtful of her and I guess she wants me to read it. She is a very nice girl. I hope I will soon be out so I can see her. We don’t seem to get much news of the outside world here. It all seems like a lost world.
I listen to a little reports on the radio some of them are more or less encouraging. Also some pieces that I enjoy. We get Salt Lake papers and the thing Marshfield has a crowd costing perhaps K.O.O.S. The city is a pretty little place with a lot of different kinds of evergreen trees and flowers and shrubs. Most of them seem so old that it would take years to learn them.
Last Sunday I went to a Protestant night service and liked it very much. The minister sure gave the people a going over for not coming to church and for smoking and drinking.
Quite differently to the two Catholic fathers that both smoked right in the church the night I went to the church supper. Most of the men smoke quite heavy and at the service they usually light up the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.
Last night we had a USO show and free smoke passed around. I love to hear from all you girls. And hope Helen is behaving all right. If she isn’t I suppose she should have brains enough to act all right.
I will write more tomorrow night after I see if I get any mail in the morning. I just wrote part of a letter to Gerda. I sure hope I don’t have to make her wait too long.
I guess the little family is all right. I sure will be glad to see them. I suppose the little baby will be quite cute in a month or so. One sure gets hungry to see other people when he has been away from them for a while.
Well I guess I will close for tonight and go to bed. I guess you have heard of all the pigs. You can help feed this summer also your lamb being sold. I sure hope I can get out to help things along.
This is Thursday and no more news so I guess I will sign off.
With love,
William
