30^th May 1945

Dear Mom,

Well, Mom, this may be a fairly interesting letter, I hope! That is, if I can think of anything that I can write about. I don’t suppose that you would care to hear that I intend to have a new rear wheel on the bike. Sure, and the amazing thing about it is as far as this buddy of mine tells me it isn’t going to cost any more than about $6. Which isn’t too much if it is any good at all, because when you stop to think that the darn thing cost almost $50 to begin with and the back wheel is quite a lot of the bike! It is going to have a coaster brake on it to and I didn’t think that they had anything as modern as all that over here. Well, it is true, it does seem that the old bike has cost a lot of money, but a fellow just seems to have something to do over here, and I chose a bike to fool around with instead of these women and the pubs (beer parlors).

But, let’s talk about something more interesting, huh? What has been going on on the home front lately? Can you manage to get those flowers down to Barbie, I hope, I hope, I hope!!

In your last letter I remember your asking something if you wonder if I might be on my way to the Pacific yet. Well, they must be keeping you rather in the dark about it back home, but even though I know practically nothing about just what is going to happen myself, well, I can’t see myself going to the Pacific just as fast as that! Shucks, don’t wish anything like that on me so sudden, Mom. When and if they want me, they can just come and get me, they know just where they are keeping me and I will say, “Gee, it sure is about time that you got around to sending me, I’m getting tired of living here in England.” Sure, you believe that and I will tell you another one. No, Mom, I learned long ago to take it just as it comes and try to like it, no matter how hard it seems; it could always be worse, you know.

What’s the latest on Paul!? I tried to encourage him to try to write me more often last time I wrote, but I guess he figures just like I do that it is easiest and best to wait to answer one from the other. But he has an answer coming to me now, I hope. Besides he is doing something that should be interesting to talk about right now, what with being in San Fransisco, or whereever he is, if they will let him tell. I told him that if he should find it convenient to write me last time that I would appreciated it if he would and that I would do my very possible best to answer him the same day that I got his.

Well, I do hope that those pictures I told you all about won’t take too long to get across. I sent them about a week ago. I hope that you like them.

I had my second three day pass in the Army a couple of days ago. I was broke and couldn’t go anywhere and didn’t know just where I might like to go the most anyhow, not ever having much money and being able to get around much. But, I’m not complaining, there’ll come a day, I’m thinking when this little kid will be glad he stowed away that little nest egg.

Well, mom, I hate to sign off so soon, but that just simply seems to be just about all there is to talk about. I wish that I could see you all again, and then we couldn’t stop talking. Please give everyone my love.

Yours lovingly,

Chuck