Today in the Written Richert Record: Robert to Lydia 20 April 1944

Thursday, April 20.

Dear Lydia[1],

I can't help feeling I'm wasting time staying here. The program[2] we have is little more than the bare minimum to bide the time with some semblance of activity & a minimum of free leisure. In the morning there is an hour of drill and an hour of P. T., but so put in the morning schedule that there isn't quite an hour of free time between, so hardly enough to get started on a project like writing a letter or starting a card game. In the afternoon we have 3 classes which are an absolute waste of time, the instructor knowing it is as well as we do so it denigrates into little more than a bull session. Evenings are free. Occasionally there are details— tomorrow I have M.M. commonly known as K.P[3].

It's hard to have a decent weekend because Santa Ana still has its Sunday Retreat Parade for civilian morale, which necessitates return to the base by 3 Sunday afternoon. In spite of this I’ve managed to see & do quite a few things on my 3 weekends in to L.A. Saw the plays Arsenic & Old Lace & Kiss & Tell; heard a symphony concert & did several miscellaneous and sundry things like the Cadet Dance at the Ambassador[4]. This weekend mama is coming down and I gathered tickets for the play "Life with Father (sic) which I think she will enjoy. Last weekend I didn't know whether to get tickets for Arsenic & Old Lace instead to take her to, but think I’ve made the best choice & so old saw Old Lace with a girl from Fresno I know in LA. I don't think I’ll come into L.A. again, plus if I am here for many more weekends will go to Balboa or Long Beach, because the weather will probably be warmer then & besides a longer weekend is possible because there's less time wasted in traffic. If, when you leave Las Vegas, you should plan to come via L.A. to Fresno over a Saturday let me know and maybe we could take in some entertainment that takes some advance reservation. Since I left Fresno for Carlsbad the second-time, I've managed to wallow through the first ponderous tome of Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past & have started on the second, so you see that with the 2 train trips and off-duty moments here, I’ve had quite some considerable free hours but still greater patience to have persevered so far in such a meaningless project[5].

Have you heard any more about Margaret's[6] vacation? I haven't heard from her since I went home on leave, so if I have time tonight I should write & find out if there's a chance of her coming this way while I'm still here.

Easter was rather uneventful. Stayed at Aunt Martha's[7]. John Charles Thomas sang at the base Sunday evening.

Bob[8]

[1] Addressed to: Mrs. Lydia Smith, Box 881, Henderson, Nevada

[2] The letter is written on La Caverna Hotel (now demolished) letter head. Robert was in air cadet training in Santa Ana at this time, so this “program” is probably a temporary class held in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

[3] Kitchen Patrol

[4] This is most certainly the famous Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, but there it was a chain and had one in Santa Barbara.

[5] In his later years, Robert often stressed the “meaningless” parts of his service over the Hollywood heroics.

[6] His sister.

[7] On mother’s side.

[8] Return address: A/C Robert B. Richert, 19111319, Sq. 180, S.AAAB., Santa Ana, Calif.