Dec 8, 1942

Dear Mother:
I received your letter yesterday so I thought that I had better answer right away and tell you that I hope to be home this weekend or the first part of next week depending on how long it takes to finish our gunnery. We have been posted to Portage but we don't have to report till the 28th so I wilt be home for Christmas. I will probably get either 14 days or 10 if we finish on Friday. If we had been finished now I would be home but since the weather has been so terrible we haven't got off the ground for three days. On my last bombing trip I got two direct hits and a average of 29 yds which is real good bombing and I strutted around a few days until I got my head bounced by the boys who are jealous I guess. We have got 1500 rounds to shoot of and I guess it will take about three days to finish up if the weather turns nice. I got your fruitcake but it didn't go far enough to suit me. I think I only got about two slices so the next time send a little bigger one so it will last longer. I hope you are having good meals at home so I can fill up over my leave and get prepared for another siege of it at Portage. All the fellows are going to the same place so it won't be to bad, as least I will be seeing some different country. Did you get any of those pictures enlarged? I haven't heard from Eaton yet so I don't know if he is going to be home for Christmas or not, I sure hope he is because there really is no one else there to go out with who doesn't require a lot of money spent on them. Well I guess that is all for now and I hope to see you this weekend.
Orval