Letters from the Pacific # 23

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Letter # 23

February 11, 1945 Sunday

Dear Mom,
Well, here it is Sunday morning and it's raining. It's been raining quite a bit since yesterday and the ground is starting to get sloppy again. That, however, is something we can't help. I only wish that weather could be controlled as water is controlled by a faucet. It would be wonderful if just by turning a faucet you could either cause it to rain or cause it to stop raining. That's a foolish wish but it comes of having too much rain.

There's something that's been bothering me since yesterday. An officer who went thru training with me, who flew across the ocean with me and who, at present, lives in my tent has been convicted in the minds of several people of thievery. I found it out yesterday for sure altho I had suspected it for quite some time and it makes me feel funny knowing that fact. From now on he and I will be as two complete strangers. Now I know for sure that I'll never fly with him because I never want to place my life in his hands. He has acted very selfish in the past and was never willing to accept responsibility as an officer should. It's funny how a man can stoop to petty thievery even though he has a wife and child at home. It's beyond me what makes him do a thing like that overseas where conditions are far from what they should be. When a soldier goes overseas to combat he generally takes with him the bare necessities. I think the crime is enlarged when you take a man's necessities from him and try to sell them for profit.

Well I got that off my chest and I feel better. Don't discuss it with anybody and don't write me about it because I won't discuss it any further.

My pilot went to town the other day and purchased a monkey from the natives. He has acted childish since I know him and now his action with the monkey make him look ridiculous in my eyes and other people's eyes. Aside from those two the rest of the men in the squadron are OK. You couldn't ask for a better group of men to work with.

That's about all I have to say for the present so I'll say s'long.

My regards to all

Love Avy

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