July 8, 1943

Thus. Night. July 8

Dear Folks,

Your letter came today so I will dash off an answer right away before I forget what you’ns wrote and have to read it again.
Yes Dad, the Buick driver would be glad to use another coupon. He has used a couple of coupons from our boss and some from a preacher in Portland already. You see, this guy, his name is Al Howe, and some of the fellows went to Portland on weekend. One of the guys has a girl up there and she arranged a couple of other dates so Al drove up. Well our boss has a wife and 11 month old boy there, so he was eager [to] go too. So we worked a little harder and got off from work at noon Sat. and the boys went to Portland. That is how Al came to use some of the bosses coupons and while there a friends preacher that they were talking to asked Al if he had to use coupons to get gas All said he sure did. Well, the preacher said he hadn’t been using all his and so he gave Al a couple. So send us a coupon and we will see that it is put to a good use. We have averaged about one show a week by some method or another. A couple of time we managed to have an excuse to take one of the Gov’t trucks. The boss went along once and we went to Elkton to see “Air Force.” I didn’t particularly like it but it was a good picture. That trip was on the Gov’t. But we have to have a good excuse or we can’t egt by with using the Gov’t cars.
Today it started to rain along in the middle of the forenoon and so we came in. We were close to camp so we only got damp. The boss had to have his picture taken soon for an identification card that certain Gov’t men seem to have to have so that called for a trip to Eugene. Since we couldn’t work we all went along and went to a show. It was a double feature. “ The Ox Bow Incident” and “Corregidor.” The Ox Bow show was really good. A good moral, about a mob in the west that hung 3 innocent men for a murder that didn’t even happen. Very good and thought provoking. Mom probably wouldn’t like it. The Corregedor one was a typical war show. Not so hot.
Keep on with the farm news Dad. I haven’t made much of a reply to it but I’m still interested. Seems I[‘m] just a farmer at heart yet. I hope your thumb is better by now.
Next Monday we will leave this camp and got to another township northwest of Eugene to finish up 8 miles that are left there then back to this one again. We figure on that taking about 2 weeks. I’ll write from there. I don’t know but I suspect we will have some of our mail forwarded as the cook will stay here to watch the stuff. I might mention about the cook. We don’t like him too well now. He turned out to not to like to spend enough time on his work. He has some dumb ideas too that don’t work so good. Tonight we came home late and the gravy had gotten terribly thick like it will so what did he do but try to thin it with sweet pickle juice. Don’t ever try that mom. It’s terrible.
We are trying to get a better cook from the main camp but haven’t yet.
I’ll tell you about Dick Henly this time. He is a Quaker too from Colorado Denver meeting. A very fine guy. One of the nicest fellows I have know. He is 23 yrs old about 160 lbs. slightly taller then I. Brown hair and eyes. (for Mom) He has two slightly visible scars on he forehead from going through a car windshield once. He doesn’t smoke or have any bad habits. (Buck Guthrie smokes) and he and I agree on a lot of things. Dick and I will probably get to be pretty good friends. Most all the fellows I work with are good fellows but Dick seems to stand out. His father was a C.O. doing non-combatant work in the other war. He farms in Kansas now. Before the draft, Dick was working for “Kanteen” company. Those candy selling machines, he refilled them with candy. As for Buck Guthrie’s smoking, I suspect it can be charged to a “preacher kid complex.”
Say Mom, I read that Christian’s Herald too. Did you read in the one before last “God’s Life-Line”? It is about Kingsley’s Preacher from Des Moines.
Love,
Bernard
P.S. Do you know anything about Dale W.? Who did he marry? I’m getting so I write on the top of the page too Mom. (cut off) couple of months (?) or more. Darn him.

Fri. Morning
The sun isn’t shining very bright cause it is a little cloudy this morning so we havn’t gone to work yet. I’ll see if I can’t get a little more written I was sort of sloppy last night.
No I don’t get to church. We are 9 miles from Drain and I don’t know whether I would go if we were closer or not. I get a lot out of reading and thinking on Sunday. Not that I don’t like church but when a person can’t take root and work in a church it isn’t so interesting and I feel that it isn’t too good for us COs to do too much in the local churches because someone is bound to take offense and accuse us of running things.
We got word a few days ago that the China Unit is all off and any other foreign service for COs. The last War appropriation bill stated that none of the money should be used to train 4-E men or send them abroad. So I guess that will keep us from doing anything of importance in that line.
How is Harry after his 4th of July trip? Walking on air or is he sloppy and deflated? I got a letter from Norma a few days ago. She’s a peach. If Harry doesn’t hang on to her he ought to be kicked. I’ll bet she was disappointed that the rest of the kids didn’t go too. Of course she and Harry will enjoy being alone together if they can get away from her family.
I might mention I’m enjoying the work here and here comes the sun.
So Long,
Bernard