We received your letter and was very glad to hear from you. Well Art Gerhard is in the Army and he seems that he likes it pretty well. He is stationed at Camp Wolters Texas Gerhard was inducted Jan. 10. He wrote home and said it was plenty hot down there he is in the infantry he wrote and said they do plenty of hiking but that he was going to use a gun for the first time this week. It sure was hard to let him go Art. for I miss him so very much. But I am not by myself I only hope this war will be over soon and from the way things are going those Heinies can't hold out much longer. You sure have seen plenty of the different countries over there but I bet the good old United States is better than any other country over there. We will all be glad when you boys will come back to us again. You are doing a wonderful job and we are mighty proud of you.

Gerhard writes once a week for that is all the time he has to spare he said they sure keep them busy. They get plenty to eat and he said the canned C rations were good. I send him a box once a week he wrote the boys in the barracks sure look forward to them cookies & candy & popcorn he said it don't last too long.

Norbert is learning to be a butcher he has been at it for 8 months now working after school and on Saturday he sure likes it he is looking for a higher rating as assistant meat manager. He sure is growing he wears almost all of Gerhard's clothes so you can guess how big he is. I think he is going to be bigger than Gerhard.

I sent the letter you wrote to Gerhard. I hope he will answer it But in case he doesn't you will know why for you went through the same thing. Gerhard has been pretty lucky for there are several boys that he went out with they are in the same outfit and that helps a lot for I imagine its hard to get in a camp when you don't know no one you kinda feel all by yourself.

Well Art I dont know of anything more to write so I will close hoping these few lines will find you well Take good care of yourself and come home soon.