646 5/9/1945 Jim Erwin to Sadie Erwin

Jim Erwin 497th Service Sqdn. 44th Service Group, APO 487, NY Wednesday, May 09, 1945

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Received a nice letter from you yesterday and two envelopes today. One with the Heralds and Legion papers and the other one had two funnies. Both packages had a pair of stockings in them. Thanks very much. I’m working in the Information and Education branch of Special Service now with Lt. Chris Dariotis, the fellow from Seattle. We have an office all by ourselves and there isn’t much to do. Have a little correspondence to type out and that’s about all. I’ve started writing letters again. Took about a six month layoff. Just finished writing a long letter to Helen. We received some swell new radios. I’ve been listening to the V.E. Day broadcasts from all over the world. It certainly is good news. The Germans didn’t accomplish a thing but a lot of damage. It is Clifford’s birthday tomorrow. He will be thirty years old. A good friend of mine works in the P.X. so made a deal with him for a Ronson cigarette lighter. A Ronson doesn’t mean anything to you but they are the best lighters made. Very few of them ever get up this way. Perhaps six will come in for over a thousand men. I’ve seen fellows offer better than twenty-five dollars for one. I got this brand new one for three dollars and gave it to him. He was so happy, couldn’t even talk. He said it was the first birthday present he has received in ten years. Would have liked to have kept it but was more than glad to see how happy he was to get it. Our C.O. was relieved today. The new Captain came in and seems like a nice fellow. He is a pilot and they usually are pretty swell guys. That last letter of mine really did make good time. Wish they all would go as fast. I keep my clarinet here in the office. We lock the place every time we leave so there isn’t any chance of anything happening to it. Our band is coming right along. Helen told me about the chess tournament. That was quite a contest. It takes practically an hour to play a good game. Hope you were cleaned up with the yard so you could go to the cabin. I’m going to spend a lot of time up there. Awful sorry to hear about Mr. Bush passing on. He was a wonderful man. Hope Beth is cured by now. I always thought she was swell too. I’m glad you were able to buy another roll of film. My pictures should be ready now. I’ll have to enclose them in the next letter. I don’t know if I would leave here to work with Captain Beck or not. It would mean an advancement but I like Cliff and the fellows in the squadron. Chris is nice to work for any how. Bud has been through an awful lot. It must be hard on his mother when she doesn’t hear from him. Don’t doubt that he will want to forget all about it. Hope Dean’s marriage will turn out better than the rest of the family’s has. Dean has had it tough and he deserves a good break. Happy to hear that Clifford Swain passed his physical. Now he should be drafted and sent overseas in about a month. That sure would be tough. What is wrong with Don Stobie to be classified 4-F? Imagine it is pretty hard to stay out now so he must really be a mess. Never thought much of the Auburn girls and I bet his marriage doesn’t last. Seems like all the boys in the States have or are getting married. Suppose if I were there, I’d be doing the same thing. Haven’t heard from Jack nor written to him. He mentioned a long time ago that he expected to become a father. That sure is tough for Gertrude to go all through that and then lose her child. How is she? Warren Jensen should get married now and then I won’t have anyone to pal around with. Did Rick Frederickson get married? Sort of seems like he did. Bud isn’t married yet so guess there will be a few fellows left. We still use a blanket over us at night so the nights aren’t warm yet. The afternoons are plenty hot though. The summer season here in Assam can’t be too long. It rains hard at least once a day but clears right up. The place should be all mud. Guess the monsoons are late this year. Just as soon not see them at all. Will close again for now and write again soon. With love, Jim