Army Life – To Dad – A Little Ribbing – April 22, 1044

 

Marian (Irwin) Guion (Mrs. Lad)

The following note from Marian is in direct response to the section of a letter written by Grandpa on Easter day, 1944. I will quote;
“And Marian sent me a little Easter card which arrived in Saturday’s mail. I’m quite jealous though because both Aunt Betty and Jean got pink handkerchiefs with sachet bags enclosed which were omitted in my envelope.”
Marian sent the following note on April 22, 1944 in response.

4/22/1944
Dear Dad,

In the letter we received last week
there was a certain reference,
made to the fact that we had shown
a very distinct preference!

We didn’t know – (we’ve been away
from Trumbull quite a spell.)
That Dad had reached the well-known stage
that even “best friends won’t tell”!

He seems to think that a sweet sachet
will help his cause a bit.
But frankly, Dad, we think you’ll find
that there is something you forgot !

So we are sending with this note
the things we think you need,
we know your friends will all return
if only you take heed.

And use a little every day
of each and every one.
With best regards from daughter-in-law
and ever loving son.

Tomorrow, a short (for Grandpa) letter,  On Friday, another letter from Rusty (Huerlin). in Nome, Alaska, traveling with Gov.Gruening and Major Marston, who are evaluating locations and the people who could help defend Alaska. He writes to Ced with a request.

Judy Guion. 

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Army Life – Easter Greetings From Dave And The U.S.O. – April 9, 1944

 

Dave sends Easter greetings to Grandpa and gives him a glimpse of the U.S.O. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Service_Organizations ) with a description of the one closest to him in Carthage, Missouri.

David Peabody Guion

Sunday, April 9, 1944

Dear Dad:

If the U. S. O. in Carthage is typical of all or most of them, then we in the service owe much to the people who started and are running and supporting them.

The Carthage U. S. O. is the only one I really know, so I will tell you about it. Let’s take a rookie from far away … the life he leads is new, the land he sees is new… everything is so different from what he has been used to.

On his first weekend he leaves camp and goes out into a new town … he’s on his own. Leaving camp and the regimental mess makes him feel very strange… in a strange place. Where does he go (if he doesn’t drink)? Straight to the U. S. O. where he knows he can see kind faces and friendly people.

He is met at the door by a lady that could so easily be his mother. Immediately she assesses his plight and informs him of the things that are available at the U. S. O.  – She tells him of the points of interest in the town. She tells him he may have a snack at the counter for a small fee, or maybe he just wants a piece of cake or one of the apples that sit on the table for the taking. He may sit and read, write letters or maybe he’d like to listen to the radio or phonograph – they’re all at his disposal. Maybe when he feels a little more at home he will go upstairs and dance with some of the local girls. About now he will begin to feel at ease in the “home away from home”, which is what the U. S. O. calls itself—and rightly too.

Maybe now he has the courage to venture out into the town to see the sights, but he feels he would like to fix himself up a little. Well, again it’s the U.S.O. to the rescue. Shave? Yes. Shine? Yes. Towel and soap? Yes. Sewing equipment? Yes. Shower? Yes. Pants pressed? Yes, all this is for nothing. You may even get a bed and breakfast in the morning for 50 cents. Besides all this there are facilities for games, ping pong, shuffle board and the like; all sorts of information at your disposal, points of interest, bus schedules, and Church services – in fact almost anything you could think of. There are so many things that are provided, you just can’t sit down and name them all – just think of any service that might be provided – the U. S. O. will provide it.

But best of all it’s not the material things – it’s the kind faces and the kind spirit that goes with those faces, of the people who give up their spare time to (honor) the boys in the service – even on this Easter Sunday. God Bless the people who run and help run the U. S. O.

Happy Easter.

Dave

Tomorrow, a quick letter from Marian.

Judy Guion

Trumbull – Dear Trumbull’s Gift to the U.S. Army (2) – News From Lad, Marian and Ced – April 9, 1944

Thisis the second half of a letter Grandpa wrote to his sons – and daughter-in-law, Marian, on Easter Sunday.

 Lad celebrated his birthday eve by writing a welcome letter to us all. They have moved into a new apartment in a town called Ontario about 2 1/2 miles East of Pomona but retain their Pomona mail address (Box 491)). They’re keeping him pretty busy. He gets up at 4:30. Nine o’clock is his bedtime. Imagine that for Lad!

 

Mighty glad to wish you, Dad

An Easter Day

that’s bright and glad,

And all the happiness that’s due you,

Because you have it comin’ to you!

And that’s putting it mildly.

Love from

Lad and Marian

And Marian sends me a little Easter card which arrived in Saturday’s mail. I’m quite jealous though because both Aunt Betty and Jean got pink handkerchiefs with sachet bags included which were omitted in my envelope.

Ced wrote a nice long letter about his doings. He says he has heard nothing new from the local draft board, but Art (Woodley) told him he would not be left in the 1-AO classification. Art is acquiring several new planes with additional pilots to run them, so perhaps Ced’s job to the draft board will be considered more essential than ever. Rumor also has it that their biggest competitor, Alaska Air Lines, is deep in financial difficulties and may go into the hands of a receiver.

In a letter to Catherine, Red (Sirene) says: “I am now back in Louisiana where I started last September. I ended up my stay in Alabama with a big bang. We drained the next county of beer, actually. The last weekend after we left, some of the fellows combed the entire area (about 200 miles) and found six bottles of beer, with a bottle of Hiram Walker and a bottle of rum. We hired a “push it”, then a big pail, filled it with ice and put two cases of beer in the back, picked up our dates who provided  two fried chickens, dozens of sandwiches, etc., and we had ourselves one hell of a picnic. It was swell, except when we were going to leave (at 2 AM ) we found we had a flat tire. I lost a flip of a coin and had to walk several miles to civilization, get the garage men out of bed and get a spare tire. I’m now in the Engineer Utility Detachment. Our training will take about three months and then  —  overseas. We follow the front line troops and clean up the cities after them. I hope the front line doesn’t bend back as it did in Cassino where a utility outfit got wiped out when the front collapsed. We aren’t heavily armed so will be at a disadvantage in a fight”.

Aunt Betty is waiting for me to finish this for a light supper which I wish you were all here to share, so with best Easter greetings to you all, I’ll sign off the same as always, just

DAD

Tomorrow we hear from Dave and on Friday, Marian.

Judy Guion

Army Life – Marian Writes to Grandpa – Tongue in Cheek – April 22, 1944

The following note from Marian is in direct response to the section of a letter written by Grandpa on Easter Sunday, 1944. I will quote;
“And Marian sent me a little Easter card which arrived in Saturday’s mail. I’m quite jealous though because both Aunt Betty and Jean got pink handkerchiefs with sachet bags enclosed which were omitted in my envelope.”
Marian sent the following note on April 22, 1944 in response.

4/22/1944
Dear Dad,

In the letter we received last week
there was a certain reference,
made to the fact that we had shown
a very distinct preference!

We didn’t know – (we’ve been away
from Trumbull quite a spell.)
That Dad had reached the well-known stage
that even “best friends won’t tell”!

He seems to think that a sweet sachet
will help his cause a bit.
But frankly, Dad, we think you’ll find
that there is something you forgot !

So we are sending with this note
the things we think you need,
we know your friends will all return
if only you take heed.

And use a little every day
of each and every one.
With best regards from daughter-in-law
and ever loving son.

Tomorrow, a short (for Grandpa) letter, and on Friday, another letter from Rusty to Ced.

Judy Guion

Army Life – Dave’s Tribute to the U. S. O. – April 9, 1944

Dave sends Easter greetings to Grandpa and gives him a glimpse of the U.S.O.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Service_Organizations ) with a description of the one closest to him in Carthage, Missouri.

Sunday, April 9, 1944

Dear Dad:

If the U. S. O. in Carthage is typical of all or most of them, then we in the service owe much to the people who started and are running and supporting them.

The Carthage U. S. O. is the only one I really know, so I will tell you about it. Let’s take a rookie from far away … the life he leads is new, the land he sees is new… everything is so different from what he has been used to.

On his first weekend he leaves camp and goes out into a new town … he’s on his own. Leaving camp and the regimental mess makes him feel very strange… in a strange place. Where does he go (if he doesn’t drink)? Straight to the U. S. O. where he knows he can see kind faces and friendly people.

He is met at the door by a lady that could so easily be his mother. Immediately she assesses his plight and informs him of the things that are available at the U. S. O.  – She tells him of the points of interest in the town. She tells him he may have a snack at the counter for a small fee, or maybe he just wants a piece of cake or one of the apples that sit on the table for the taking. He may sit and read, write letters or maybe he’d like to listen to the radio or phonograph – they’re all at his disposal. Maybe when he feels a little more at home he will go upstairs and dance with some of the local girls. About now he will begin to feel at ease in the “home away from home”, which is what the U. S. O. calls itself—and rightly too.

Maybe now he has the courage to venture out into the town to see the sights, but he feels he would like to fix himself up a little. Well, again it’s the U.S.O. to the rescue. Shave? Yes. Shine? Yes. Towel and soap? Yes. Sewing equipment? Yes. Shower? Yes. Pants pressed? Yes, all this is for nothing. You may even get a bed and breakfast in the morning for 50 cents. Besides all this there are facilities for games, ping pong, shuffle board and the like; all sorts of information at your disposal, points of interest, bus schedules, and Church services – in fact almost anything you could think of. There are so many things that are provided, you just can’t sit down and name them all – just think of any service that might be provided – the U. S. O. will provide it.

But best of all it’s not the material things – it’s the kind faces and the kind spirit that goes with those faces, of the people who give up their spare time to the boys in the service – even on this Easter Sunday. God Bless the people who run and help run the U. S. O.

Happy Easter.

Dave

Tomorrow, a quick note from Marian. On Saturday, a new series detailing  the journey of John Jackson Lewis from New York to Santa Clara, California in 1851. On Sunday, another ancestor from Nantucket, Massachusetts. 

 Judy Guion

Trumbull – To My Dear Little Easter Bunnies (1) – Fond Memories – April, 1943

It’s Easter and Grandpa is remembering the happy times when all his children and his wife were at the Trumbull house with him. He sounds quite nostalgic, doesn’t he?

Trumbull, Conn. Easter Sunday   April 25, 1943

To my dear little Easter bunnies:

With all my brood away, except one, and no jellybeans, it hasn’t seemed a bit like Easter today. However, in another sense you all almost rang the gong this week because the mail brought letters from Dan and Ced and even Dick. I hoped up till yesterday afternoon that one would arrive from Lad to complete the lineup but was doomed to disappointment on that score.

Needless to say I missed all you boys (this especially so on holidays or special occasions). I recalled past Easter’s when you were little tykes and the family all got together and the children hunted for Easter eggs, jelly beans, etc.; I recalled the sunrise service in Stratford that Ced used to get such a kick out of attending; the colored eggs, new clothes, bright sunshine and all the rest that makes up a composite Easter memory and wondering how you all spent the day under Uncle Sam’s wing. I got quite a thrill driving home the other day in the car up North Main Street, approaching the bus terminal up near the Log Cabin. In the distance coming toward me, walking, was a great tall lanky long-legged rascal that looked and walked for all the world just like Ced. The resemblance was so strong that I almost lost control of the car for a second, but for just one instant it was a great thrill. Of course, on nearer inspection, it was not anyone nearly so nice as Ced, but then, you’ll say, and I’d have to admit, I’m prejudiced.

Dick, bless his heart, is getting along splendidly. He writes that Uncle Sam seems well enough pleased with what he has been doing to award him two noncom stripes and a T.

Richard (Dick) Peabody Guion

I may be wrong but it seems that Dick got this recognition in shorter order in either of my other corporals. Dick has charge of the morning reports and the sick book which, along with the calisthenics, has enabled him to maintain a sound body and mind? (the “?”  is his). When they get properly organized he expects to be clerk in the investigations branch of their outfit which will give him a good background for enrollment in the intelligence. O. C. S. Oh well, I’m sure he passed because he was always intelligent. As the washerwoman said of her son, who took the civil service examination, he was sure to pass because he was never rude to anybody. Dick says soon they expect to be transferred to a staging area (whatever that is) to which he is looking forward with relish. No news as to when Jean returns.

Daniel (Dan) Beck Guion

Dan tersely describes the training period of three days duration as consisting primarily of picking up cigarette butts between rain showers in preparation for the arrival of the colonel. He hopes to be able to get home again for a visit sometime next month. Somehow spring (and the bushes are now really putting out little green leaves, and we had daffodils on the table from our own yard today), spring, I say, really hasn’t officially arrived until Dan’s handiwork is visible in garden and grounds that you all know so well and that has taken on, I suppose, a certain mantel of extra attractiveness on account of its being so far away from most of you right now.

Ced has let his imagination have a free rein and publishes for us, this time, a newspaper of which he is a reporter and editor. His first item concerns Rusty

Cedric (Ced) Duryee Guion

who is all excited over arrangements which have just been completed for him to accompany Gov. Gruening of Alaska on a far North journey into the territory covering a period of three weeks in which he expects to accumulate material to serve as a basis for paintings. He speaks of the possibility of an upcoming ski trip. Incidentally, the season must be quite advanced up there because, while the envelope was postmarked April 16, Ced’s letter is dated May 15.

 

Now that Grandpa has brought us up to date on his three sons in Alaska, he will continue with more news of family and friends tomorrow.

Judy Guion

Army Life – Easter Greetings From Dave And The U.S.O. – April, 1944

Dave sends Easter greetings to Grandpa and gives him a glimpse of the U.S.O. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Service_Organizations ) with a description of the one closest to him in Carthage, Missouri.

If the U. S. O. in Carthage is typical of all or most of them, then we in the service owe much to the people who started and are running and supporting them.

The Carthage U. S. O. is the only one I really know, so I will tell you about it. Let’s take a rookie from far away … the life he leads is new, the land he sees is new… everything is so different from what he has been used to.

On his first weekend he leaves camp and goes out into a new town … he’s on his own. Leaving camp and the regimental mess makes him feel very strange… in a strange place. Where does he go (if he doesn’t drink)? Straight to the U. S. O. where he knows he can see kind faces and friendly people.

He is met at the door by a lady that could so easily be his mother. Immediately she assesses his plight and informs him of the things that are available at the U. S. O.  – She tells him of the points of interest in the town. She tells him he may have a snack at the counter for a small fee, or maybe he just wants a piece of cake or one of the apples that sit on the table for the taking. He may sit and read, write letters or maybe he’d like to listen to the radio or phonograph – they’re all at his disposal. Maybe when he feels a little more at home he will go upstairs and dance with some of the local girls. About now he will begin to feel at ease in the “home away from home”, which is what the U. S. O. calls itself—and rightly too.

Maybe now he has the courage to venture out into the town to see the sights, but he feels he would like to fix himself up a little. Well, again it’s the U.S.O. to the rescue. Shave? Yes. Shine? Yes. Towel and soap? Yes. Sewing equipment? Yes. Shower? Yes. Pants pressed? Yes, all this is for nothing. You may even get a bed and breakfast in the morning for 50 cents. Besides all this there are facilities for games, ping pong, shuffle board and the like; all sorts of information at your disposal, points of interest, bus schedules, and Church services – in fact almost anything you could think of. There are so many things that are provided, you just can’t sit down and name them all – just think of any service that might be provided – the U. S. O. will provide it.

But best of all it’s not the material things – it’s the kind faces and the kind spirit that goes with those faces, of the people who give up their spare time to (honor) the boys in the service – even on this Easter Sunday. God Bless the people who run and help run the U. S. O.

Happy Easter.

Tomorrow, a quick note from Marian, on Thursday a letter from Ced and Grandpa rounds out the week with another chronicle of life in Trumbull.

Judy Guion

Easter Greetings From Grandpa And His Sister – April, 1944

We’ve moved forward to 1944 when Lad and his new wife are in California, Dan is in London but travels to Paris, Ced is in Alaska searching, rescuing and repairing planes, Dick is in Brazil in the liaison office of the local town and Dave os at Camp Crowder, Missouri, completing basic training.

Trumbull, Conn.  Easter Day, 1944

Dear “Trumbull’s Gift to the U.S. Army”:

Introducing a visiting layman, who will now do her stuff:

Hello, folks! The setting Sun is looking in the alcove window as I sit down to write. I am a little too early to see the “explosion of spring” in the case of the lilac trees. It won’t take but a few warm days to burst them open and I’m sorry to miss it.

The Grand Central Station is a very busy place these days. More goes on there than we ever hear of. Famous people, tragedies, joys and a multitude of other things are constantly happening and sometimes we read about them, because we don’t actually see more than what’s in front of our noses.

We see columns of inductees going by and occasionally we hear a band of music honoring some celebrity, but for the most part the station is full of just people and lots of uniforms hustling hither and yon, where ever that may be.

Our busy Easter season is over and we are settling down now to the spring and summer needs. I haven’t had much time to take in many shows. At last I saw “Life with Father” and it justifies its long run. Also I saw “Arsenic and Old Lace” which I liked immensely. And some movies. I’ve taken up too much space already, so, so long folks!

Elsie

There you see I sprung an Easter surprise on you first crack out-of-the-box. With spring well on its way I and thousands of others are waiting for the Allies to spring a surprise on me with news of the long awaited invasion. The broadcasters theme repeatedly today has been “This we hope will be the last Easter our boys will spend at war”, to which I breathed a sincere Amen. Elsie was with us today, as you may have surmised already, and needless to say, at dinner today we wondered what each of you were doing as we at home set around the little kitchen table you know so well.

Friday I took advantage of the fact that the banks, etc., were closed, to declare a personal holiday and devote the time to doing some of the neglected chores around the house, getting in here and there a lick of work reminiscent of each of you, saying, “Well, this is what Dan would be doing to the yard, or Lad would be busy at this, or Dick or Ced or Dave probably would be helping at this, so I had an invisible gang of helpers, which didn’t however prevent my back being sore at the unaccustomed tasks. While I did accomplish quite a bit it was just a drop compared with what there was to do and very modest in accomplishments measured by what we all would have been able to finish together.

Dave writes he is working at low speed radio. He found on being interviewed for a cadre job that 18 is to young. Last Sunday he went to a Palm Sunday service at a Presbyterian Church at Carthage and thereafter was taken to the home of one of the congregation for dinner and in the afternoon spent an interesting hour at the Granite Quarries.

Lad celebrated his birthday eve by writing a welcome letter to us all. They have moved into a new apartment in a town called Ontario about 2 1/2 miles East of Pomona but retain their Pomona mail address (Box 491)). They’re keeping him pretty busy. He gets up at 430. Nine o’clock is his bedtime. Imagine that for Lad!

Ced wrote a nice long letter about his doings. He says he has heard nothing new from the local draft board, but Art (Woodley) told him he would not be left in the 1-AO classification. Art is acquiring several new planes with additional pilots to run them, so perhaps Ced’s job to the draft board will be considered more essential than ever. Rumor also has it that their biggest competitor, Alaska Air Lines, is deep in financial difficulties and may go into the hands of a receiver.

And Marian sends me a little Easter card which arrived in Saturday’s mail. I’m quite jealous though because both Aunt Betty and Jean got pink handkerchiefs with sachet bags include which were omitted in my envelope.

In a letter to Catherine, Red says: “I am now back in Louisiana where I started last September. I ended up my stay in Alabama with a big bang. We drained the next county of beer, actually. The last weekend after we left, some of the fellows combed the entire area (about 200 miles) and found six bottles of beer, with a bottle of Hiram Walker and a bottle of rum. We hired a “push it”, then a big pail, filled it with ice and put two cases of beer in the back, picked up our dates who provided  two fried chickens, dozens of sandwiches, etc., and we had ourselves one hell of a picnic. It was swell, except when we were going to leave (at 2 AM ) we found we had a flat tire. I lost a flip of a coin and had to walk several miles to civilization, get the garage men out of bed and get a spare tire. I’m now in the Engineer Utility Detachment. Our training will take about three months and then  —  overseas. We follow the front line troops and clean up the cities after them. I hope the front line doesn’t bend back as it did in Cassino where a utility outfit got wiped out when the front collapsed. We aren’t heavily armed so will be at a disadvantage in a fight”.

Aunt Betty is waiting for me to finish this for a light supper which I wish you were all here to share, so with best Easter greetings to you all, I’ll sign off the same as always, just

DAD

Later in the week, I‘ll be posting letters from Dave, Marian, Ced and Grandpa. Stay tuned for the latest developments in the continuing saga of the Guion family.

Judy Guion

 

Army Life – Easter, 1943

It’s Easter and Grandpa is remembering the happy times when all his children and his wife were at the Trumbull house with him. He sounds quite nostalgic, doesn’t he?

Trumbull, Conn.

Easter Sunday

April 25, 1943

To my dear little Easter bunnies:

With all my brood away, except one, and no jellybeans, it hasn’t seemed a bit like Easter today. However, in another sense you all almost rang the gong this week because the mail brought letters from Dan and Ced and even Dick. I hoped up till yesterday afternoon that one would arrive from Lad to complete the lineup but was doomed to disappointment on that score.

Needless to say I missed all you boys (this especially so on holidays or special occasions). I recalled past Easter’s when you were little tykes and the family all got together and the children hunted for Easter eggs, jelly beans, etc.; I recalled the sunrise service in Stratford that Ced used to get such a kick out of attending; the colored eggs, new clothes, bright sunshine and all the rest that makes up a composite Easter memory and wondering how you all spent the day under Uncle Sam’s wing. I got quite a thrill driving home the other day in the car up North Main Street, approaching the bus terminal up near the Log Cabin. In the distance coming toward me, walking, was a great tall lanky long-legged rascal that looked and walked for all the world just like Ced. The resemblance was so strong that I almost lost control of the car for a second, but for just one instant it was a great thrill. Of course, on nearer inspection, it was not anyone nearly so nice as Ced, but then, you’ll say, and I’d have to admit, I’m prejudiced.

Dick, bless his heart, is getting along splendidly. He writes that Uncle Sam seems well enough pleased with what he has been doing to award him two noncom stripes and a T. I

Richard (Dick) Peabody Guion

may be wrong but it seems that Dick got this recognition in shorter order in either of my other corporals. Dick has charge of the morning reports and the sick book which, along with the calisthenics, has enabled him to maintain a sound body and mind? (the “?”  is his). When they get properly organized he expects to be clerk in the investigations branch of their outfit which will give him a good background for enrollment in the intelligence. O. C. S. Oh well, I’m sure he passed because he was always intelligent. As the washerwoman said of her son, who took the civil service examination, he was sure to pass because he was never rude to anybody. Dick says soon they expect to be transferred to a staging area (whatever that is) to which he is looking forward with relish. No news as to when Jean returns.

Daniel (Dan) Beck Guion

Dan tersely describes the training period of three days duration as consisting primarily of picking up cigarette butts between rain showers in preparation for the arrival of the colonel. He hopes to be able to get home again for a visit sometime next month. Somehow spring (and the bushes are now really putting out little green leaves, and we had daffodils on the table from our own yard today), spring, I say, really hasn’t officially arrived until Dan’s handiwork is visible in garden and grounds that you all know so well and that has taken on, I suppose, a certain mantel of extra attractiveness on account of its being so far away from most of you right now.

Ced has let his imagination have a free rein and publishes for us, this time, a newspaper of which he is a reporter and editor. His first item concerns Rusty

Cedric (Ced) Duryee Guion

who is all excited over arrangements which have just been completed for him to accompany Gov. Gruening of Alaska on a far North journey into the territory covering a period of three weeks in which he expects to accumulate material to serve as a basis for paintings. He speaks of the possibility of an upcoming ski trip. Incidentally, the season must be quite advanced up there because, while the envelope was postmarked April 16, Ced’s letter is dated May 15.

Ice pool tickets are in and all you folks are in line for one date or another. Keep your fingers crossed. He says Rusty, with the change in heart of America towards Russia, is getting a bit out of hand. I hope you won’t get in too bad with the governor and spoil his future prospects. Whatever else happens, Ced “earnestly desires one real change in international policies, and that is that each individual in the world, regardless of race, has a fair and unbegrudged chance to live a decent, self-respecting life. This will entail sacrifices from all of us perhaps, but in the long run, will save lives as well as money, and eventually evolve into a world brotherhood of goodwill and honorable relations among all peoples and nations. And it isn’t impossible at all. If the powers that be arrange the peace in the proper way, it is likely to meet with enough general public support to work out as it should.”

A nice long letter from Jean revealed that she is having a real vacation, is getting a real Florida tan, sees Dick every evening and doesn’t know when she will be home.

Paul has sought and received permission from Mrs. Ives to use the back part of their lot for a Victory garden. He has gotten Mr. Reynolds to plow it. Victory Gardens around here are quite the rage. Howland’s has rented a separate store to sell garden supplies of all kinds. The lumber companies are making a specialty of prefabricated chicken Coop’s and tool houses. (I know for I am handling the advertising of some of them.)

Red goes Thursday for induction and then has about a week before he actually gets into the swim. Dave is bemoaning the fact that all the young fellows here are in the service and he is champing at the bit and would away. “Joseph, being 17 years old was feeding the flock with his brethren. Now Israel loved Joseph because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors”.

Oh, well, good night.

DAD

Grandpa has brought everyone up to date on what everyone else is doing. He held the family together during a very trying time for each of them, for various reasons. I wonder if the boys realized how much these weekly letters meant to them and if they ever told their father.

Judy Guion