January 17, 1943

Dear Folks:                                                Jan. 17
            Cloudy and cool today. The forecast is for below freezing temperatures to-nite. Had slightly over 36 hours freedom yesterday. Got out of quarantine at 4 P.M. Friday and back into it this morning when 2 more men came down with the mumps. We have a slight idea of what a concentration camp must be like. The whole of 1700 went to the show last nite. A large bunch of pilots left here for pre-flight yesterday and this morning.
            Got the vitamin tablets and Dispatches with pills. Am sending a picture taken by another cadet before I became C.Q. of 1700. My room has the window marked by the arrow. The end of the barracks showing faces south. The brush and mesquite across the road to the west has all been cleared off now. The barrels are for trash. The walks are raised about 8 inches above the ground level as you can see by picture.
            The men from Minnesota and Colorado and Wyoming tell some good hunting and fishing stories. Got a birthday card from Aunt Jessie and a soap dish from Marvel Lee.
            Here is some stuff you might send me: (1) Those two paper bound books, one on Navigation and one on Meteorology. (2) Calculus book (3) My slide rule and the small orange-colored instruction book (4) My protractor, a semi circular disk which I left in the slide rule box I believe. (5) The small Mathematics Handbook and Tables. It is brown and about 3″ by 5″. Pack the slide rule in some excelsior if possible since the packages that come here are pretty well beaten up. These ought to help pass the time with. You might send the picture on to Marvel Lee.
            During the one day of freedom Bks 1700 went out for calisthentics with the rest of the squadron and outrun the whole bunch. We had been taking a run every day while they had been running about twice a week. Some officers were surprised since we had been in quarantine and were supposed to be out of practice.
            Eats are as good as usual except we get milk only once a day. Quite a few cookies are sent in and divided among every one. How about some oatmeal cookies? Am having my shirts and pants altered to fit me better.
                        Yours truly,
                                    John