551 2/22/1944 Jim Erwin to Sadie Erwin

Jim Erwin Lakeland Field, Lakeland, Florida Tuesday, February 22, 1944

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Have received a couple nice letters from you. The last is over in the barracks but will run over and get it in a minute. Yesterday five of us went to Tampa and had a swell time. We hitchhiked and found it very easy. I saw Fern and got Bob’s address. One of the boys went with me. Nobody was home so left a note. Frank and I went around the corner and bought some bananas and just killed some time. Bob came down the street a little later. I yelled at him and he came over. It was swell seeing him again. He is a little heavier and looks older but still same old Bob. I’m going to try and get down again soon. Our squadron had a basketball game that night at seven so came back early. We won 53 to 12 and I made 25 points. It’s the most I’ve ever made in one game. I took my income tax papers over to finance today to get them straightened out. Have to go back again tomorrow. The situation looks very good. The way it stands, I won’t have to pay anything for “43” and I’ll get back all I have previously paid. I sure hope so. Yes, I found some girls. Have gotten a couple more since my last letter. Even have one in Tampa. Saturday night some girls have planned a wiener roast out at one of the lakes. Haven’t been on one for a long time. One of the fellows going has a car so that makes everything perfect. Helen still hasn’t written so imagine she never has gone back to Frances’s house to get my two letters. Hope you’ll send her address soon. My furlough won’t be due for a while, but if we’re still in the country and on the east coast that would be swell to meet in Louisiana. Only thing bad about it is I couldn’t see Pop, Bensons or the Dahlstroms. Gladys has written several nice letters and also sent me a dollar for a Valentine present. Bernice, the girl in L.A., plans to see some relatives in Seattle this summer. She wanted to know if it would be alright to visit you folks while there. I’ll tell her that it would be fine. She is the one you liked from the pictures and am certain you would enjoy seeing her. I will write to the Bensons soon. It’s awful that I haven’t before. I intend to do so every time I write. Our weather really is hot. This month is the hottest it’s been in February for nine years. Every morning it’s still chilly and damp though. I had my clarinet out the other day and had fun playing it. It still works fine and am glad you sent it back. My razor hasn’t arrived as yet but should soon if you have already sent it. G__ Bishop will always be a good basketball player. He always gets plenty of points. Bet the house looks swell with the new wallpaper. Hope you’ll be able to get the house painted some time this year. Your letter said that it took six days for my last letter to reach you. Does it always take that long? It’s pretty poor service if it did. Your letter, written the 19th, came today which is pretty fast. Yes, your letter mailed to Barksdale was forwarded right down. The C.H. is coming too. Jack Woodruff must really like the girl if he brought her home. Glad she is a nice one. Think I’ll get a nice one and bring home someday. Don’t ever see any I want that bad though. I still write to Shirlee but not very often. Glad I didn’t send her a ring. Pop must be a good player to win 1st prize at the party. Nice going Pop. I really need some shoes and would have had to buy some the first of the month if you hadn’t found the pair at home. Please send them. I thought I had a better pair than the ones you sent but wasn’t certain. Sure glad you found them. Sorry to hear about Nell’s baby. It’s awful to go all through that and then have the baby die. What all did you have done to the car. Whatever it is you’ll be glad to have that much done. It is a lovely car and if treated right, should last a long time. Our supply department got a teletype from Washington last week and wanted to know if they could have our equipment at our P.O.E. by March 20th. Maybe that’s when we will go. I doubt it very much though. The latest rumor is that our P.O.E. is in Rome, New York and so if we do go hope that’s the place. We then will have a swell chance of going to England. The way we have taken everything over here on the field I really doubt that we will leave within the next three or four months. Hope this is the case anyway. The band here is a permanent party for the duration and know I could get into it. I like my work, the fellows are swell so wouldn’t think of leaving them now. If I did do something like that I’d feel worse than a draft dodger. Think you can understand how I would feel. Our swing band broadcast over the radio tonight from our service center. I listened to them and enjoyed it very much. Music is certainly a wonderful thing. Hope everything keeps going okay for all of you there and I’ll try to write often. With love, Jim