February 10, 11 & 13, 1943. Dad is sending home some photos that were taken of him around camp. He notes that they were taken in the sun, so he is squinting a little bit. He also introduces us to Joe Demusis, a Lithuanian fellow that he met from Brooklyn who, like Dad is in the church choir. He notes that no one he knows from Albany is in the camp with him, but that he did meet a few guys from Albany along the way.
Dad in Miami Beach during a break from Basic Training, February, 1943.
He apologizes that he hasn’t written in a few days, noting that he had guard duty and that it is tough to write when you have to run the elevator. He also mentions that they’ve been on the firing range as well. He says that they have four more days of basic training. Responding to the recent rumors, he simply says, “I hope Hitler is dead.”
He also says that they had extended order drill, “This is battlefield fighting in squads of 12. You spread around in certain orders and advance in spurts and hit the dirt. We were divided and pretended to attack the others. It wasn’t bad.”
On the 11th he sends a short (one page) letter with the news, “I am saying good-bye to Miami Beach as I am on shipping list and will have a new address.“
On the 13th, another one page letter. Again anticipating his departure from Miami Beach to a new post, “I am doing fine and this I believe will be the letter before I write another from elsewhere. I you don t hear from me, don’t worry. I am being sent to a school and perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised to land nearer to home than Stanley.” He also notes, “My O.D. (Officer of the Day) outfit is pretty wrinkled except for the pants,” And that “I am restricted in hotel as I am on shipment.
He closes, “I hope Theresa-Marie is resting up and feeling better and I wish all the good for all of you.”