October 18, 1943. A letter to Dad from his friend Stanley Miskiewicz who is stationed at the Hospital at Seymour Johnson Field in North Carolina. He has some free time to write while he is on CQ duty. He mentions that he “received a card and letter form Stanley. I guess he is expecting to go overseas, if he already hasn’t. I seriously hope he doesn’t but I pray to God if he should that God would give him the courage to face whatever may come. He’s really aces. I’m glad he made Staff. I’m certain you’ll never really catch up to him, because just before you make Staff, he’s going to jump ahead and make Tech. You’ve both got the brains and that is all that is necessary.”
As far as life at Seymour Johnson Field, he writes, “This field of ours is split up. Guess there are almost as many cadets as enlisted men. We’ve had more music and more racket then ever since they’ve arrived. If you’ve any important bit of work to do, and you want peace and quiet, you’ll have to wait until midnight to get it. The noise stops about then.”
He writes that he was back in Albany on furlough and reports, “I had a wonderful time at home. Believe it or not, I almost got married too. Guess maybe I’m lucky I did not. There’s too much responsibility in these times. If I get another furlough, I may possibly get married, and really, I’d prefer to wait until this mess is over with.”
Miskiewicz writes that he did “a lot of visiting” while he was home on furlough. He brings Dad up to speed on a few things that are going on back home in Albany:
- Movie actor “Burt Lytell was in Albany, on the Strand and Palace stages selling war bonds. He looks much better in the movies than in real life. Guess they all do.”
- St. Joseph’s Academy, where they went to high school, has a new principal. “Her name is Sr. Genevieve.”
There have also been a few additions to the Miskiewicz family. “My younger sister… had a baby boy while I was home. This past week my older sister gave birth to a boy also. My family certainly is growing. I have two nieces and four nephews.”
Before wrapping up the letter he mentions that he saw the movie Flesh and Fantasy (“It was an odd picture. I wasn’t crazy about it”) and that he is reading Dragon Seed (“It’s a good book, should you find occasion to read it do so.”)
He signs off, “Good night and write again”.
Poster art for the 1943 movie Flesh and Fantasy. Image credit: www.thelastdrivein.com