Wednesday, 21
August 1946
Dear Lyd[1],
I don’t
know who owes who a letter so maybe it is best I write and take the benefit of
the doubt. Things have been quite dull in Utah in general since I last wrote. Kearns
is quite definitely beginning a deactivation program and by the middle of
August, as plans now stand, there should be less than 500 total military personal left, in fact not any
more than is the bare minimum for a standby basis until the gates are finally locked
and this chapter in the great war effort closed. This small figure is the one
we’re using to get out our contracts for the next quarter, which work we are
now just beginning. What I will do or where I will go after Kearns
deactivates I have no idea. The purchasing and contracting functions should
dwindle to such a point that one civilian typist can take care of the entire
flow of our work: Hamilton Field, I understand has a P&C set up already.
There are rumors about that new statements to stay in the army for an
indefinite time, or get out immediately are soon to be signed. Of course cone
that time I will get out. In the meantime I guess I’ll just have to keep my eyes
out for a good army job until next June. I have been considering the idea of
applying for military government school with the hope of an assignment in Europe , but even if I were sent to the Orient those eight
months wouldn’t be too long a time.
I have just
received by color pictures that I took when I was in Fresno , and they turned out beautiful. The
coloring or exposure on not a single one is off – in fact the only criticism
would be one of composition. I guess maybe the six weeks wait for Eastman color
film might be worth it. I don’t know whether I told you or not, the roll I took
in L.A. was
Ansco, and I got it back developed inside of a week. And I thought they were
really good! But there’s no comparison. The pictures we took at your place on
the whole weren’t too good because we weren’t careful enough to avoid facial
shadow. I was debating whether I should send the transparencies on to you, but
decided against it because they really don’t look like much unless you have a
viewer (and I recently bought one) and also I am a little bit selfish about
them. I did decide that I could afford to give you outright on the not so good
ones of you and one of those I took of Mamma. I got some really lovely ones of
Mamma but they’re all similar to the one I’m sending you. They were all taken
on Cornelia’s front porch with Mamma wearing the Mandarin Jacket Cornelia
brought back from China .
The ones I like best are the ones with the black part of the jacket out with
all that fine gold embroidery and when looking at the transparency thru my
viewer you can actually see the satin like shadings of the black. I also got
some excellent shots of Marion and Bobby. The ones of the baby were taken on
Cornelia’s afghan in shades of gold and brown and the colors are wonderfully
clear.
On V – J
day I called home to speak to Mamma and you can imagine my surprise when Marion answered the phone
and told me Billie and Mamma had gone to California Hot Springs[2] to
take the “cure”. I got a card from Billie saying that Mamma enjoyed the baths
and the doctor there. I hope later we can get a report that it did her some
real and lasting good as well.
My greatest
sorrow is still the unreasonableness of automobiles even now after a year of
peace. If I had on I think I’d go home for a couple of weeks and have a feeling
of complete independence to do and go where I wanted to when I wanted to.
And since I
can’t think of anything else to say, I’ll close now.
Love
Bob[3]
[1] No
address as letter was found without envelope.
[2] No link
is provided as not sure if usage is for a generic hot spring or specific
establishment with that name. There is a website for a business with that
specific name. If anyone heard a family story confirming location, let me know
and I will update.
[3] No
return address as letter was found without envelope. “Love, Bob” signed.
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