Hi there Bill,

Hell, here we are another summer gone and we are still in service. I am sure glad that this war is so far over. I am looking in the paper every day to see if I can find your name on the return list. Geo DeBrey is back in the states. He is stationed in Kentucky. He sure is looking good. He was up here to see me the other day. Ray came back to San Francisco and is home on a furlough for seven days. He was here yesterday with his mother. He is looking fine and said he was trying to find you down there in the islands but without success. By what I read in the paper it won’t be long before all the boys will be back where they belong. I have not been out of this place for over four months, but the folks come in to see me quite often. They are all looking good. Al’s wife had a baby last week and Gene DeBrey expects one in a short time, so the baby business is good. I had my operation, that is one stage of it, that is four ribs and I think that’s all I can stand. It sure played hell with me. I was knocked out for about ten days but I am going along fine now. I lost about twelve pounds in those few days but gained eight pounds back since. They are having an investigation at this camp here and if we get decent food here I may be able to eat myself well. [content edited] Bill I hope you will be on your way home before this letter reaches you, being in this place I don’t know what to write about.

Good luck to you and God Bless you.

John