Oct. 30, 1943

Dear Ward:

I read your letter today and was very happy to hear from you. I saw a picture of you in one of the papers I get some time ago and of course cut it out and sent it home for the scrap book I hope to make someday. I believe it was taken while you were at Lee. I wrote a letter to the dept asking for the addresses of the boys and the other day read a reply. Maybe they got the idea from my suggesting. If they did I should get an award. Well I will skip that for now and try to give you a rough picture of which I have been doing since I last saw you.

Going way back, you know I left Endicott in February, and that seems like years ago. I stayed at Niagara until the 5^th and was put on a train headed for T l. Levis, Washington. They sure did a fine job on me to the tune of about 3500 miles. Levis is about 50 miles from Seattle, Washington. I wasn’t too pleased when I found out I was to be an M.P. but as you know, you do as you are told. There were 58 who came from Niagara, but at this time I didn’t know any of them, but it didn’t take long to get acquainted. We had about twelve weeks training at Levis and during that time I was sent out three or four weekends on town duty but that is all of that duty I have done. I really don’t care too much for that. On May 18^th we were moved to the Boeing Plant in Seattle where we are now but our address still remains T.L. Levis. One of our many jobs is the guarding of vital installations. When I reached Levis, I went with Company C, but was assigned to Company A. At the time A company was here doing guard duty and in March came back to Levis for more training. The 58 trained together and in March we went to our respective Companies. There were several boys from Binghamton but I didn’t happen to know any of them.

This is really a pretty good job. I think I could nearly fly one of their 17s by now we have been around them so much. We are very close to town too. It is about a half hour ride by bus and they are running all hours. There are all kinds of women here but they don’t bother me any. I still have the best back home and will wait. I have called on the IBM sales office in Seattle several times and Sept. 15^th was invited to a luncheon honoring T.J. Watson. Yes I shook hands with him so I should feel pretty big. We had a very nice dinner and by this time you have probably seen my picture in the IBM paper. We enlisted men were sort of out ranked, but the officers were very nice. Schrader in the picture standing to my left is from Endicott. He is stationed at T.L. Lacoton. That is just outside Seattle. I must give him a ring on my next pass and take in a show with him. He was very friendly and I had a long talk with him.

On June 1^st I got my first stripe and expected that to be the last. Our promotions don’t come very fast in an outfit like this, but the 22^nd of the month they surprised me and make me a Corporal. I was very surprised. I have been on a post most of the time but since I was made Corporal I am directing traffic. That is sort of fun telling these dumb civilians where to go. I have to go out tonight at 12:30 for about a half hour and then I am there until Monday morning at 7:00. Suppose they will put me on as Corporal of the guard next week. They say we will be on that for a week and then go back on traffic for a week. The reliefs are on four hour off right on four and off twelve. In other words we are on duty three days and off one.

I really have written quite a book here, Ward. It seemed when I got started I couldn’t stop. I hope my talk has proved interesting to you. I haven’t had a furlough as yet and I have been in 9 months Nov. 2^nd. I guess I am getting to the top of the list now and hope to get home soon. I dread the trip though. It will take me 3 and a half days to cross the country.

Well it is after ten now and I must get in my O.D.’s and leggings and get ready for work. Write me again when you find time and tell me the news. Thanks again for writing and hope to hear from you again real soon.

Sincerely,

Dana