571 3/22/1944 Jim Erwin to Sadie Erwin

Jim Erwin Lakeland Field, Lakeland, Florida Wednesday, March 22, 1944

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Am back in Lakeland again. My furlough is up tonight and it went fast as usual. I was glad to see Helen but just didn’t seem like a furlough because of not getting home. I got my mail and came back into town yesterday. The group is out camping in the woods and won’t be back until Saturday. While gone, they packed all our equipment ready for shipment. Guess we will be taking off soon. Think we’ll be here for payday though. One of my pals signed for me so will get paid. Sorry I caused you so much worry and trouble this month. Will show you from now on that it takes more than a war to ruin your boy. A nice letter came from the Bensons which I was glad to get. Looks like Harold might get drafted after all. I have talked to a lot of married men from here to Louisiana and it seems that all men that are physically fit are now being taken. I also know that boys from all branches of the service are being sent overseas. Something big is really in the making. We have sent carloads of equipment to California so am fairly certain of going there. Hope I’ll be able to see you if we do go there. We might go to another camp first, but should be heading west soon after. Yesterday here at the U.S.O. a boy stopped and said he just came off of a 5 day train ride. I said you must be from Washington. He was from Black Diamond. He was sure excited when I told him where I was from. We talked quite a while and then he had to go on to Tampa. Sure funny how you run on to people. Thanks for the additional ten dollars. My ticket was $23.65. Maybe someday I’ll be able to get straightened out again financially. Our boys are sleeping on the wet ground and not enjoying it very much. It rained hard last night. At 2 o’clock they had a sham battle with the 40th Service Group on the field. They ran through the woods, fell in creeks, etc. and didn’t have any dry clothes. Today they are on C rations which consist of all dehydrated foods. I imagine I’ll have to go out tomorrow. Hope I can get out of it. Helen had my old wallet I’d left at her house at Christmas so I have something now. Our weather has been very cloudy and has rained plenty. It is hot and sticky all the time though. Think I’ve got another bad tooth so will check on it the first of the week. Certainly want them okay before going across. Don’t know if it was smart taking my furlough or not. It looked like the last chance of getting anything at all. If they had given me more days I would have gone home even if for only a few days. The railroad had me routed through Chicago with an eight hour layover there. Figured how I could see Dahlstroms and everything then couldn’t get but 10 days. Sure made me feel bad. Guess it was the right thing though or I wouldn’t have gotten it at all. Maybe something will turn up so I can get home again before going across anyway. We have to pass an examination at our port and if we don’t pass, will stay in the country longer. Keep writing here. All mail will be forwarded. If we do leave, they will send you my A.P.O. address. With love, Jim