2/12/43

Dear Mother:-

I haven't wrote one of these for about two weeks but I did write a letter but this will probably reach you first. I finally got a promotion but as so far I haven't received my back pay for it which will be quite a tidy sum. So now you will have to change my address to G/Sgt. Wilson (looks a lot better don't it.) so now I wear a crow about my stripes. I received your Xmas parcel and everything is very nice, thank you very much. The only trouble being that the shirt is one size to big for me but it will probably shrink a little in the wash. The hair brush set is really nice and the sweater fits perfectly as for the [?] I haven't even sampled it yet so I can't tell. You know those hush puppies you gave me well somebody at the laundry must have liked them an awful lot because I didn't get them back nor does it look like I am going to. They really are a very light fingers french in this camp so now I keep all my stuff locked up in my kit bag. My friend Jack [?] has finally arrived here so we are to-gether again for a spell. He also got a bottle so it looks like a little Xmas celebration. This is sure going to be a lonely Xmas for me and it will sure make me homesick. [?] and Austman are trying to get off so we can see [?] again and that sure will be allright as I haven't seen them for 5 months. I received another letter from Lenard today and he is trying to [?] out of the infantry and I sure hope that he makes it okay. Maybe [?] watch plain him into his outfit I think I will ask him to give it a try as I think that Lenard would really like the work a lot better. We will soon be finished here and I have promised to visit Melville on my next leave and I am hoping that it works out okay. I haven't heard from Dave yet but maybe he has found a nice English girl who takes up all his spare time. If he has he will sure get hooked as they are really out to get you. So far I haven't been caught [?] so just don't worry about me bringing anything English home with me other that a bottle of the English [?] which I have acquired. Well I must sign off for now.

Love

Orval