Thanksgiving Day
November 26, 1942
Camp White, Oregon

Howdy Ma Chere Tante Clara:

Today we have the beeg feed. Und what you tink we haf, eh kid? Ve haf pumpkin slices, raisin bread, mashed potatoes, sveet potatoes, peas, vhite meat from da turkey, coffee, walnuts, cranberries, tomato juice, und all der ice cream you could eat.

I didn't eat any of the cranberries because they were served from a common bowl without an extra spoon to go along with it. I couldn't resist the pumpkin slice dirty hands or no dirty hands. I also had coffee with three slices of ice cream. I think I took one slice too many on that item.

One good thing about the big feed. It seemed to shove some of the old food I had in me, out. You know that I had to take Ex-lax for my first "bowel moves" in the army but you didn't know that I had to take it for my second another four or five days later. I didn't want to worry you because I know how you are about that situation. Well, don't start worrying now because I have gone on the toilet 3 times in the last 24 hours.

I really should be working, as I have told every person I wrote to today, but I never know when I will be able to get another chance to write. We are working Thanksgiving Day because we are busy. I don't mind it at all because if I were in the barracks I wouldn't be able to write account of the sergeant and would be scrubbing, sweeping, doing K. P. or something or another. My Company Clerk is on the football team and left me without sufficient work to do. I am not going to do something he didn't tell me to and then be bawled out for it afterwards.

It has been raining all day today. It's a good thing I don't mind the rain.

O, I want to ask you. What did I send you in place of the official letter to RH&R? I noticed that after I sent your letter, I still had it in my pocket. I am sending it, a letter to Dolores, and a letter to Mrs. Boyer along with their letters to me under slow mail. There will be no letter to you in the bunch. They are too bulky to send with this Air-mail.

How's about the pictures we took last Friday night. Did they turn out? Did you take the negatives of the Milwaukee picture to the store? And how about the enlargements at Walgreen's? I think you know which one I have a yen to see? Not that it matters, you know, but I would like to see it.

I have written a few more postcards. One to the people who bought my bike, another to Jerome Barta, a third to Dr. Kolar, and a fourth to Tommy. Incidentally, I have been mailing cards to Dr. Kolar to
          Dr. John Kolar
             S.E. Corner of 56th & Cermak Rd.
                Cicero, Illinois.

What is his address?

Did I tell you how things look in Headquarters? All the desks are made out of light wood and easily portable. Each desk has what looks like a trunk sitting on top of it and in them are kept all the records of the soldiers in the various companies etc. By having a setup like that, the entire Headquarters can be moved out on the spur of the moment and set up anywhere - indoors or out. The chairs are all of the folding type too.

Does Uncle Jack write any letters to you now that I am gone? Or has he stopped writing. I have mailed him a card telling him of my permanent address here at Camp White so I expect to be hearing from him shortly. I only hope that when the letters do start rolling in that I will have time to answer them. This idea of snatching brief moments here and there doesn't

work so well. What I need is an entire day of freedom at least once a week when I can sit down and write to every person on my list.

Well, the gang is clearing out the office now; so I guess that finishes this typewriting for the day. I hope I come back tomorrow.

If I get a chance I will write another letter from the barracks. There is a mail box in this office, so I will send what little I have completed now, And, Aunty Clara, I hope you are forgiving those grammatical errors, misspelt words, and all.

Goo-bye,
/s/ Roman
The Kidlet

P.S. It is understood that even though I am lapse in asking after other peoples welfare and about Aunty Florence and Uncle Joe, I am stlll thinking of them. I will have "to get on the ball" and remember to ask people how they and their families are at the beginning of a letter instead of at the end.

R.