Dear Helen

3-9-43

Dear Helen,

Well here it is Tues. afternoon about 3:30, after goldbricking awhile, resting under a patch of trees. Boy it was swell out this afternoon. This morning we wore our overcoats & froze & this afternoon we wore our flight jackets & sweated. Well that's one thing I don't have to tell you about & that's the weather. (Missourian)
As I told you over the phone Sun. morning, I really missed you Sat. night. Boy if I would have known the 25 training group was going instead of the 23rd, I would have made it my business to squeeze into the convoy, but when you don't know certain facts you can't solve your problem. It's just "one of those things."
Sure, I intended to write all day again like I always do trying to catch up with my mail, but at 3:30 the sergeant walked into our hut and said said he needed two more men to go on a convoy. So being it was a dinner dance my friend & I went. Anything to get a meal outside of J.B. and you can lead me to it. Don't get me wrong now, I'm not squawking about the food at J.B. but mass production certainly cuts down the pleasure to some extent.
As for the dancing, it's the same old story (missed you) & so I came home early. We had passes and could leave any time we wanted to. It was no use, whenever I tried to teach anybody the lindy I always found myself doing the dago hop. That only proves one point & that is you are a very good dancer. You're the only one that caught on to the lindy & peabody. I'm no dancing instructor & I guess the easy way out of it is to learn the St. Louis way, but the lazier the instructor I am, the better you must be to catch up on the steps. So to come to a conclusion, I know for a fact I can't teach to save my life, so you are an exra good dancer. you can give me a quarter for that one. O.K.
Monday morning we went before the Colonel. Well we passed but there is always one goon to make a mistake. (It wasn't me either). But as long as we passed it was O.K. The afternoon we had to ourselves believe it or not. So I went to the service club to write letters & wrote 6 of them. I felt much better after that.
I was supposed to get guard duty (24 hours) but so far the luck (of the Irish) is holding out pretty well. Many of the other flights have got guard duty already, so I guess my chance is coming.
This morning we had to parade before Brig. General Howard. Boy what a grand victorious feeling you get marching to the beat of the drums. If there is anything I like here is to march to the rhythm of the music. I guess it's just like dancing to music also. It's the "old certain feeling."
I just stopped the letter for a few minutes for mail call & got a letter from mom. She says she is getting the data about N.Y. together for you. So as soon as I get it, it's yours.
Last night we had another G.I. party. General cleanup, scrub the floor, etc. We sing & make more noise than a bunch of nuts in a crazy house. It makes the time go faster.
Well I think that's all for now, except that I still hope it's O.K. for Sunday.
I hope you write soon because I'll be waiting impatiently.
I hope I'm still here to enjoy another enjoy another enjoyable day with you.
So until I hear from you,

I remain,
Sincerely Yours,
Tony

Dear Ma, Pa, Barb, Ann, Ele, Letter No. 28

Pvt. Anthony J. Curcio
23 TNG. SQD.
SQD "A"
Jefferson Barracks, MO.

Date 3-9-43
#28
Rec'd #37

Dear Ma, Pa, Barb, Ann, Ele,

Well I have but a half an hour to write this letter as it is 8:30 now & I want to send off a letter tonight.
Monday we went before the colonel. It was pretty nice. We all had to stand at attention when he came along. He asked some fellows questions about the army. It's good he didn't ask me. I think I would have been a bit nervous. Then we did a little drill and made out pretty good. We passed and believe it or not we had the rest of the day off. So I went to the service club to write letters. I wrote one to Ele, one to Aunt Concelia, Aunt Margaret, Tony Testa, and to Joe.
In the night we had a G.I. party & I had to clean up our hut.
This morning we had to parade before the visiting Brig. General Howard. Boy it's quite a thrill marching to the rhythm of the drum. It makes you feel victorious.
This afternoon we just did a little drill & got off early. If we don't get that we get a detail. We are casual now just waiting shipment. So they give you something to do to keep you busy. You really don't know when you're going to be shipped.
I received your letter & one from Dad.
To answer your first ques., the whole squadron uses the latrines. There is about 2000 fellows.
I hope you have a nice time at the party. I guess you all will, I wish I was there. Give Lily my regards. What did she say about my description of the G.I. coffee?
Helen Riley's hair is a little darker than Elfrieda's.
I received the letter from Pa today also & I think he has much improved in his letter writing. What do you say ma? Thanks for the money Dad. It did come in handy just in time.
Thanks for the cherries, Grandma. Boy they're the most delicious candy I ever tasted. It's good to taste something that's really good that you eat at home.
And thanks for the tobacco. Everybody in the hut smokes it (3 guys anyway) and they all like it very much.
Well that's just blow & lights will go out so until my next letter I remain.

Your Loving Soldier Boy,
Tony