April 26, 1943

PFC Stanley W Safford

Co “B” Med Serv Sch

Barracks No3

Ft Sam Houston

Texas

April 26, 1943

My dear Mother:

Here is another letter from your very poor letter writing son.  And I do hope you will forgive me for not writing you before this.  I started one Sunday but today when going back to it the letter did not seem to suit me.  So I again will get at it and I will finish this time and get it on its way.  You asked once why I mailed them air mail.  Well when I get around to writing one it is usually been quite awhile since I last wrote. So I mail it that way to save time and have it reach you quickly, if that word may be used.

I want to sincerely thank you for your beautiful Easter card and the two dollars. You really should not have sent it although since you have I think that I will buy myself a good shirt at the PX that is after I think it over for awhile.  What do you think?

Will the other day I went to call on the new company commander about my making my application for OCS and he told me he would and cooperate with me on it and that he thought that I should wait until becoming attached before doing so.  He of course does not cooperate with anyone for anything. So I was telling Sgt Elkins about it and he has no use for the man so he is going to talk to the major and maybe put it through in that manner.  The same man pulled a dirty deal on Sgt Elkins and I think the Colonel will side with Sgt Elkins with it and there is expected to be a nice affair once that Sgt Elkins is leaving about the first of June and going to another hospital in N Texas.  The lieutenant stopped him from going once but now the Col has had wind of it from an outside source and is really on the air about it.

And today I heard I am to leave here about May 10^th.  If and when I do. I only hope and pray that it is a nice camp somewhere although is my application for OCS pans out I may remain.  If and when I do I shall let you know.

I did not go to church Sunday because the weather was so very hot and sticky and I overslept.  I always have a terrible time getting to sleep and remaining that way without being awakened.  Yes they have several churches here on the post including one which they hold in the assembly hall.  I am not too fond of it tho and on top that the colonel comes around every Sun. morning and counts off on his fingers those who are going to church and that makes me sick.

The weather here has been hot and sticky and is certainly nothing to brag about and a person feels like doing nothing at any time.  Maybe my next camp will be cooler.

And the work has been piling up on me something fierce. Zeb the guy in practice ward went home to N Carolina on an emergency furlough and has left practically all the work on Sgt Elkins and myself and it seems that I spend more and more of my time there every day and the Sgt said that it was getting tiresome for both of us in a hurry.

A week ago I as the non com in charge of the practice ward took class out with the major and captain to Camp Bullis about 20 miles from here to look at one of those sanitation areas.  We had a very beautiful ride both out and in.  The Blue bonnets all in bloom and just loads of other pretty flowers.  And also there were large patches of poison oak and ivy in abundance.  In fact that was the first time I had really a chance to see much of the country around here and quite enjoyed it.

Those cookies are certainly good and the slippers sure come in handy after a day of being on my feet all the time.  And the mending job is excellent and will serve the purpose quite well.

One day soon I will send home a box of letters which you can put away for me.  And soon I shall have your caduceus and will send them at the same time with Muriel’s.  Also I will send some very beautiful prints there which include not only the bud but the flowers and trees in the background.

Before my departure I will try and see Ray Coates again.  I shall in a way dread to leave. Because I have made so many friends here but the army is that way.  A person can certainly meet in the army.

Your mentioning Marie Robinson and her no good husband is a very good example of what happens when these high school girls decide to get married while they are too young.  It almost serves her right. And her folks should have put their foot down when the affair started.  Now she will in the end more than likely in the end have a couple kids to care for and support.  These child romances make me laugh.  They just don’t know their own mind.  The usual reason is that they can’t wait to grow up and then they get married and have no more childhood so to speak then they miss it. Then it is a different story.

Had I mentioned before receiving a letter from Aunt Esther the other day.  I always enjoy receiving letters from her.

Would there be any way in which you would get me a ration book. You know they are giving them to soldiers.

One of my WAAC friends who works in the Sales commissary was telling me about how the officers came in and just bought shoes without even trying them on, about a pair ever(y) other week or so.  It is indeed very interesting to hear some of the stories that a person can hear from some of these places. And as a colonel once said the men always knew more about the officer than he did himself. Some of these WAACs are certainly an interesting bunch.  There are quite a few well educated ones also.  School teachers etc.

The fireflies here are certainly an unending curiosity to me, they are surely beautiful little things especially about nine o’clock at night because it does not get dark here until about eight thirty.

Have you heard anything from Marshall recently?  I haven’t.

Can you think of anyone who would write me a very good letter of recommendation, (…?) Mr. Ricks, Mrs. Matson, Miss Brode and Miss Mosher.  That is for OCS of course it would not hurt to have extra ones.

Downstairs in the Service Club here this evening they are having what they call a Sing Song in which they are having anyone who wishes to join them and sing.  There is one WAAC who has sang four solos and she is very good.  She sings the Jeanette McDonald type of things and in my way is much better than her. You would be very much surprised to find the larger member of talented people you can find here and there in the army.

Our classes this week are very good which very much surprised us because usually the last two weeks start to let down quite a bit and they always end up in almost a riot but they are all still aware that I will not stand for any of it so therefore they are quite easy with me.  I have been complimented upon the way that I handle the men.  And only once in a while will it become necessary for me to give them a lecture and if necessary give detail work.  I in a way enjoy working with men and I enjoy drilling them because a person has to be on their toes to handle a large group all in cadence and keep them all in step.  It is late of fun.  Of course what it looks like to someone else I can’t tell but am told that it is rather good.  You would probably enjoy it. It is entirely different from anything that the average from anything that the average person ever expected from me.  And a year ago I would never have thought that I would be doing such myself.  Did you?

I am going to get you a little booklet on the history of Fort Sam Houston which I think you would enjoy reading.

Did I tell you that Whitney the boy that I formerly knew here left last Sunday from Camp Bowie where he is to go home to Washington on a 14 day furlough.

I had better be closing now and going home to bed shall not hurt me any I suppose.

Love from your son

Stanley

Inserted note: 

Esther asked me in her letter if I would write a cousin. Type letter to Frances. I guess you know why.

Aunt Nina spoke of Nelson as being no genius but someone for M to start on. And Joseph spoke of him as being no one to set the world on fire.  Of course a person has to be something extra for him to remark on him.  I would enjoy seeing just what he s like

Stanley