Feb 17th 1944

 

Dear “Ollie”

            Many thanks for your letter read today.  Also thank you for your Christmas card & letter read here. OK!

            We are glad to read that everything your way is going along fine. 

            As for our home, it has seen many changes since the last time you were at our home in Maywood.  Raymond is at present in the Navy Air Corps training to be a pilot.  He has been in the service one year the 3rd of this month.  Up to the present he has been to three Colleges (DePauw Uni. Greencastle 2nd.-Ball State College-Muncie 2nd & the Iowa State College Iowa City Iowa).  He is now at a base for his primary flying which will last 12 weeks & then he goes to his next base for 12 wks of adv. flying after which if he makes the grade he will get his commission.

            He likes it very much but does find it a pretty tough grind.  This is the base where most of the wash outs occur so Ray says he is going around these days with his fingers crossed.

            Leslie joined the Army Air Corps and went into service on the [of] 22nd February last year, just three weeks after Ray had left.  He was sent to California for several weeks & then came back to Utah.

            Unfortunately at Utah Leslie got a cold that settled in his kidneys and was in the Army (had to change pens) hospital for six weeks and was then released from the Army with a medical discharge.

P.S. Leslie was in the service 7 months.

A few months before going into the Army, Leslie got quietly married and is now the proud father of a very fine daughter 7 months old who has just cut her first tooth.

            And as for Wilbur he was of for Army service late last year but was rejected because of a hernia.  So Wilbur felt bad as he was anxious to go.  Well he was operated on last December and was released from hospital these days before Christmas.  He is now well on his way to being O.K. again and about July is going to try for the Marines.  Mother is still at Marshall Fields and is fine.  I have quit the State Sr Stones for almost 1 ½ years and am now in the defense work in a shop in Oak. Pk.  I am back at my old line the electrical work and am the electrician & maintenance man in a shop that has about 70 Electric Motors & plenty of machinery to be taken care of.  Also we have a large garage on [the] 1st floor that I also have to take care of

            I like the work immensely as it is forever changing.  [There are] never two jobs alike.

            As you can see “Ollie” from the above there has been many changes in our home.  At this writing we are all well & hope this finds you the same.  We will forward Ray’s membership card to him at our next writing.  His present address is

an/c Ray Gillinsfie U.S.N.R.

            U.S.N.A.S. 1B-2-208

                        BITS.1

            OTTUMWA

                                    IOWA.

As this about covers all the news will now close as ever.

                                                                                    S.  Gillesfie