March 27, 1943

C. P. S. #59
Elkton, Oregon
Mar. 27, 1943

Dear folks,

Time sure does skitter by doesn’t it. Here is is the last of March.

Guess I’ll stick to the bare facts this time. That was a nice fat letter I got from youns. I think it was Fri. that’s yesterday.

I’m not certain about getting home yet. We don’t know much about the surveying yet. We do know that some men have been picked from some of the eastern camps to work in Texas. We out here figure that by the time they get out here with their picking they will be ready to go to Alaska. I’m getting a little doubtful as to whether I have enough on the ball to get in. There are quite a few that are interested go to Alaska. Because we had a hard time to get a carload to come out here. But I have a lot of confidence in myself and have had some experience which a lot of these College guys haven’t. You’d be supprised what a bluffer I turned but to be when it comes to getting jobs. I just barge in and keep my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut. The usually nobody finds out how little I know. I havn’t yet found anything I couldn’t do ( I recon there are some tho) I suppose I’m at little conceited. Say what would you think of my going to China? Don’t get excited, I’m not ready to go yet. Beside there are a lot of more qualified men than I. But China is a long way off and if they should want a lot of men they might have a hard time getting them, that’s where I’d come in. It isn’t actually cinched yet but we got confidental news from AFSC about a month ago that 70 men would be sent to do transport work. I’m not jumping anywhere till I know what I’m getting into tho. That goes for surveying too.

I got the check but havn’t done anthing yet. I’ll have to get it chashed first. That much would scare the agent at drain. I don’t suppose they would take a check anyway. I was a little surprised too at the amount. I don’t expect to spend it all tho. I recon that I had just as well use your money as to have it spent on bonds, of course there is a posibility that you will get that back but I’m a little skeptical. Maybe I’m getting so I don’t trust the Gov’t like I should.

Don’t worry about Ab guying any furlough. Nobody could get by with it. If he hadn’t earned it, he might have been granted an emergency furlough. That is supposed to be only used in case of a death or severe illness in the family. They might have thought that it was necessary if there was a possibility of his getting out. That’s one possibility of getting extra time. Or this might be what happened. He works in the laundry and that is on CPS overhead. Overhead men can get by with working on Sunday and then taking leave if the director approves. Ab might have worked a couple of Sundays and the added that to another Sunday that would give him three days. He could hire someone to work overtime in his place if the director didn’t mind putting a fib on the records. I don’t think that very much of that would be allowed by any camp office because there would have to be at least three or four men, that would have to find it out and it would be taking a chance of giving the CPS setup a bad rep. The regulations that we have state that no man shall take more than 30 day furlough per year and that the director may take any of that away if he chooses for disciplinary purposes. Leaves are supposed to start from the lose of the work day on Sat and end on Midnight Sun. but Overhead men that have to work on Sunday are allows by consent of the director to take leave in the middle of the week and if it seems a worthy cause they have been allowed to pile up as many days as three that I have known of, and taken them in the middle of the week. That is not according to the regulations that Selective Services has set up for us but was done when the director saw fit. Ab may not have used up quite all his furlough when he was home the other time and he would have earned about 3 or 4 days since. He could have gotten some one to worked for him on the last half day and started a little early that is done some times but isn’t exactly according to regulation either. Well the point is I don’t think Ab could have bought any furlough cause there are reports of us and what each man does every day that have to be filled out and the office help is picked pretty carefully and wouldn’t let it by. Also I wouldn’t stand a ghost of a chance getting any extra time and I would buy any if I could cause it isn’t fair to the rest or fair to the CPS system or my ideas of the way to get along with the Gov’t.

I suppose that everyone is pretty well over the mumps by now. Now don’t go and work too much. Take time to enjoy your work and you’ll live longer and be happier too. You know who I’m talking to now. I’m more impressed all the time with how little we really know about what will happen tomorrow. We just flatter ourselves don’t we. It seems to be the natural thing to wory, and sometimes I have to talk pretty loud to myself to keep from stewing cause CPS is so uncertain. But the best thing I have found is to let the guy that made us and lets us breathe take care of all the arrangements. He’s the only one that can see ahead of today and knows what to do about it. I mean God.

As ever,
Bernard

Attached: pamplet entitled “Me” and “Which”