January 28, 1944

                                                            Jan 28
Dear Marvel Lee:
            Am now in Africa. There is some malaria here so we take all kinds of precautions. Rub on mosquito repellants, spray the plane and under the bed net, sleep under a net and wear leggings to keep the mosquitoes off our ankles.
            The natives here are so black they don’t even shine. They speak French and English. The country is open around here but has a few of the damdest trees you ever saw. They are short and knarled with no leaves and big thick branches and a trunk about 10 ft. thru. They have no bark and are the color of stone so that from a little distance they look like petrified trees. There are birds here that look and sound like crows only they have white breasts.
            The natives were having a “war” dance the other nite and were beating their tom-toms. They carry everything on their heads and walk at a dog trot to keep it balanced.
            That is about all I can say. I won’t get any mail until we arrive at our destination. Send this home or to Arlan.
                                    Yours truly,
                                                John
P.S. The 5 Franc notes are worth 10¢ a piece.

[in his mother’s handwriting] John left U.S.A. the 10th of Jan should get located soon.