9-1-1943

1400—(my second month in)
Dear Don;
Well I have a couple of hours off this afternoon so I guess I’ll get caught up on my correspondence. At 1600 I have a strength test and I hope I can do O.K. We have to improve so much each time so I better do good.
I got a letter from Mother and Dad last evening and they said that Jim was home. I sure hope I can get an overnight pass again so I can see him. I’ll bet he will really have some good experiences to tell about.
Boy this week we are in the middle of our 8 week tests and they are really keeping me busy as hell. We don’t even get time to take a good sh-t. Besides 20 hours of studies we have to do our laundry, clean rooms, clean the heads, clean the study halls, have calisthenics at 0600, have swimming once a week, have Physical training one hour a day, and then once in a wile they let us sleep. They inspect rooms every day & that makes us keep on our toes but them I guess you know how that is.
It’s getting cold as the devil up here and we haven’t even got our pea-coats to keep us warm. There must be a shortage of material because we get stuff every other day issued to us but it is just supplementary material like coats, 2nd pair of shoes, extra skivvy shirts etc.
This damned place they call Idaho is really lousy. I don’t see how you stood it as long as you did & then to think that I have 8 months of the damned thing. Idaho is the ass hole of the states & Poky is the ass hole of Idaho so you can imagine what it’s like. We have a good set up here at he “U” but still you like to do something on liberties.
How is Houston treating you? Are the gals really good? looking? I’ll bet you really have a good station there because the U of Houston is a high ranking school in the South. How long do you think you’ll be there & then where to?
Well take care of your self & study hard, I guess I’ll go wash.
Best of luck
Bill
P.S. are they very strict with you there?