August 25, 1942

Dear home folks,

First off, a weather report for father. It rained most of yesterday---no that was Sunday---The sun is shinning very brightly today and as one of the fellows said, we are having a day of October’s bright blue weather in Aug. It has been quite cool at night and we had a fire in the dorm last night and this morning too. Some of the sleepier guys complained about getting up in the cold. But me---I loved it. I arose at 5:30 and went out to meditate there were only 4 out this morning tho, it seemed that the weather affects peoples religion here the same as any where.

Paul J. Furness was in camp from fri. over the weekend. He is a very opptomistic man and he thought that C.P.S. men had nothing to worry about at the present, even tho the Am. Legion is trying to stir up a stink. He says Gen. Hershey doesn’t want to turn the camp over to the Gov’t. And if that was to happen there would be about two thirds of the fellows go to jail. Also there is still a good chance for detached service and there will be a lot more states open up after the election. Paul Furness is the head of all the Friend’s camps.

Col. Kosh was here too last Fri. he is the fellow that Hershey put in charge of all C.P.S. camps. He looks almost like the pictures of German army officers you see in the comic magazines, short hair-cut and everything. I guess he didn’t say much here tho, but Paul Furness told us that Kosh had bawled out some of the camps quite severly but they didn’t pay much attention. The way Furness put is Kosh was learning a lot about C.O.s and Quakers.

It won’t be long till the kids go back to school. I sort of envy them, but I guess this is my school here, there is plenty to learn too. I’m figuring on starting to go to the Old Testament class. It is taught by a refugee named Mosche’ Calner (Moa shay)

I’m still washing dishes. Not a bad job. We have a new Diettition and her standards of cleanliness are somewhat higher that what the boys were used to, so we have work a littler harder then we used to. You see, we have to scrub the kitchen and sweep the dinning room and that sort of stuff. I guess our official name is the kitchen cleanup crew. Diettician, is that the way you spell it? Well she has much better meals and all the fellows like it so much better that it is worth a little extra work.

Thanks for the addresses. I received the shirts and flashlight today. I still wish that I had that little blue notebook. I looked in my stuff here again and couldn’t find it besides I don’t think I packed it. It must be around there somewhere. The Library table or the bookcase, or some where. But I suppose you looked allover by now. Well, if you happen to find it stick it in an envelope.

E.J. Haines and her folks and two younger brothers were here Sat. and Sun. and I had a very enjoyable chat with her and met the family. They invited Ab and I to come home with Willard some time when he goes home over a weekend. Willard has his car here and his tires are good.

Say Toots, I’ll write you a personal letter some time but don’t look for it too soon, you ain’t much better than the rest of the family.

This is for Harry or Evelyn: If they saved those SS Times’ and stuff that kept coming to me at Penn, will one of you kids please send it to me. Maybe you brought it home or they threw it away. I have time to read them now any how. Thank you.

I’ve read two fiction books and I read the Bible more and my “Living Prayerfully” too. This is great to have time to read.

Work of National Importance? I guess so.

Yours,
Bernard