March 18, 1945

March 18, 1945

949 W 12th St

San Pedro, Calif

Dear Mother, Father and the rest of the folks at home,

Today is dawning very nice and clear after several days of sort of rainy weather. Thursday was very rainy in the morning but it began to blow hard and cleared up. This evidently stirred up a new rain since it began to rain Friday night and rained most of the night. Yesterday it was cloudy most of the day but cleared up about 5 o’clock. It is nice to have Sunday be a sunshiny day. I am glad to hear that you are having more clement weather in Iowa lately. I can just feel the tang of spring in the air and all around, which you mention in your letter, mother.

The big thing to write about is of course, my car. It runs pretty good, but I shall have to clean up the inside a little bit since it is not too clean. The battery wasn’t any good so I had to get another one. I sort of expected this sooner or later, but not quite so soon. Friday night, the insurance guy came around at my request and reinstated my insurance. Friday afternoon I left work early to get my A. book from the ration board. Next week I shall make supplementary application for gas to drive to work on. I shall not use it for that purpose till I actually have the gasoline. It takes about a week to get it. For awhile after I got it, I had a feeling or remorse at having bought it, but I feel now that I was entirely justified in getting it. The only possible fly in the ointment is that I really should have waited till after March 23 to get it. My deferment expires then and, of course, if it is changed, I shall have no use for the car and will have to dispose of it. I don’t know quite what to think of the draft situation just now. So far no one here at work in the 22–25 age group has been disturbed since the latest reversal or change of policy. One guy in the 26–29 group got his notice to appear for a physical examination soon. I guess time only will tell.

I still have not got around to looking for shorts in the stores here, but I shall try to do so in the near future.

So Marold weights 168 pounds. He must certainly be growing up! If you had had more children, mama, maybe the next one would have been like Warner Larson, say. It is only about 8 months now till vacationtime, barring other occurrences, and I can come home and see this latest Strand development.

Did you go up to hear Vivian direct her band etc on the 16th? I agree with you that she writes rather irregularly nowadays. The only communication to me since Christmas was a valentine. Don’t tell her this tho since she will counter with the charge that I haven’t been doing so well myself which is only too true (i.e. — one letter since Christmas).

I shall stop now.

With love

C.P.