Dear Helen

March 22, 1943

Dear Helen,

Well here I'm where I'd never thought I'd be. Deep in the heart of California. I am sorry I couldn't write sooner. I have been kept busy since I'm here. I hope you will forgive me?
When I first came to J.B., I felt like everybody else "Send me someplace, but get me out of J.B." I changed my mind when I went on that certain convoy. From then on I enjoyed myself. And when I enjoy myself, things usually work out swell. In fact things were working out so well I was quite amazed myself. Then on Sat. the 13th of March 1943, I had one of the nicest times I could want & expecting to have a much nicer time on Sun, that I'm sure would live with me a long time, only to have my dreams bungled by that little word--"shipping." Well it's just one of those things & I guess the beginning is the best time to learn how to take it.
I guess I don't have to tell you how much & enjoyed your company. And I can't hesitate in the least to say that your family is one of the nicest I have met. As for yourself besides my compliments, you received many more from the fellows that came to the convoy with me.
I'll try to give you an idea of what the trip was like.
We left J.B. at 5 o'clock on Monday 15th March & started on our long journey. Our first state naturally was Mo. We traveled along the Missouri River till we hit Jefferson City. It was a bit hilly & very colorful. We didn't see very much of it, but what we did see was very beautiful. We covered the rest of Mo. during the night & all day Tuesday we traveled thru Kansas. Although Kansas is very picturesque & colorful I can describe it in two simple words. "It's flat." We saw plenty of nothing. In fact sometimes it was an event to see a tree.
As we approached night fall we entered the state of Colorado. We were told that early in the morning we would cross the great continental divider, the lovely Rocky Mts. Ever since the evening began we started to climb & climb to the heights of the Mts. Most of the fellows went to sleep but a few of us stayed up to see what we could see. Although it was night & how I wish it was day, I saw the most beautiful sights I ever saw. At the high points of the Mts., it was covered completely with snow. With a few towns here & there lit up, painted a picture of a fairy tale.
As we proceeded, we passed camp Hale. One of the largest ski camps. Its elevation is 9,000 feet. It's in a valley & we saw it as we passed on the mountain side about a thousand feet up. It was quite a sight to see.
Further down the line we came to Mts. with snow only on the tops & in the valleys, the streams rippling at a swift current. They both reflected the light of the moon, which made them just glow in the dusk.
We also passed the Royal Gorge Bridge; the highest in the world.
I finally went to sleep about 3 AM (I still wasn't tired).
When we got up in the morning, passing thru the western part of Colorado, we saw canyons like you see in pictures of the Grand Canyon. Large masses of rock forming odd shapes & to every one's mind, pictures something different. On the plateaus there were farms with cattle grazing besides beautiful colors that paint odd shapes on the rocks, & plateaus. It's one of those things that makes you stop & think.
Toward night we headed toward Salt Lake City, Utah & made it there by 11 o'clock. Then during the night headed for the Nevada border.
I was awakened a bit earlier for K.P. I'm glad I got it though, because there isn't too much to do & you can get a better view from the big doors in the kitchen car, and you only got it for a half a day.
Nevada was a very nice state. It is a very sandy & colorful one. We mostly poassed thru valleys and saw the snow covered Mts. in the background. You know as well as I do what a pretty sight that is. By night fall we hit the California border, passing thru Reno. The place that is known as "The largest little city in the world." The place where they got their divorces. You know.
We headed toward the Sierra Nevada Mountains, climbing up & up like we did once before. I think the Sierra Nevadas displayed the most beautiful sights I saw on the whole trip. The mts. were completely covered with snow ( we were really very hight in the mts. too) with pine trees all over. The R.R. had to be protected in many spots by high wooden tunnels because of the huge snow drifts. What I enjoyed seeing very much was little animal tracks in the fresh bed of snow. It was so cute. It's really one of those sights that you really can't explain in words. Seeing is believing, & yet somehow I don't believe it myself. But it's true.
During the night we hit Sacramento & headed to Fresno, Calf.
Hammer Field is a pretty place. You know California. Palm trees & green grass all over the place. When the sun is out it's just like a summer's day. Some of the fellows lay in the sun with their bathing suits. This place is nothing like J.B. You can wear what you want to. Ad J.B. your uniform had to be uniform. You couldn't mix clothing & you could only wear certain clothing when they told you to. We don't have any exercise here at all. It's just a replacement center and will be shipped to a school pretty soon. I won't be able to receive any mail until I am placed in a shipping sqd., just now I'm in a receiving sqd. & won't be placed to shipment sqd. until I am reclassified. I went to the classifying office on Sat. & he gave me a special slip whereby I can take a test this Friday & if I pass I will be admitted into a college to take drafting. So I will be on receiving until I find the results of the test which will be sometime next week. But I will write you & as soon as the coast is clear I'll let you know. I hope it's soon, as I would like to hear from you & everybody home real soon. You really get lonely when you don't receive any mail, believe me.
We live in barracks (two story) & I am upstairs right by a window. I like it a lot after living in the huts at J.B. A latrine is on the first floor also & you don't have to run a mile in the middle of the night. Swell isn't it?
By the way, I have all the stuff my sister sent me ready to send to you. I have it all marked as to what they are. She wants the postcards back & I would like the pictures of the world's fair back. I have them all marked & you can send them when I get to my permanant camp. You can have all the rest. I think you'll like the pictures of my boss' house very interesting. When I write to him I will tell him I gave you a set of pictures. He'll like that. He is recovering swell from his case of spinal meningitis. I got a letter before I left J.B.
Here I can look out of the window and see the planes take off from the field. It's quite interesting. As soon as I get a chance I will inspect the place. I'll tell you what I can gather.
Well I think I shall close now hoping you are in the best of health & your family also & I will write to you real soon.

Sincerely As Ever,
Tony

P.S. I will include a clipping with the rest of the stuff when I send it of a hut we lived in at J.B. I got it out of a St. Louis paper before I left.