May 24, 1954

May 24, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I had two letters from you tonight.  May 17 and 18.  Last night I gout your box of cookies with the bottle of dye and a car of polish.  The cookies were good and I will be able to use the dye and polish before long.

It seems like I get two letters ant once and some days I don't get any.  I guess when you get this letter it will be your birthday Mom.  Wish I could send you something but there isn't any place around here to get anything.  So I will just wish you a Happy Birthday in this letter. (note: my Grandmother was 44 years old.)  "Happy Birthday."

Guess you are really fixing up the house with the roses and painting the back room. 

I talked to the company clerk the other day and told him about you just receiving 51.73.  He said sometimes it take a few months but they will either send you an extra check or add it on one of them.  Let me know how it turns out.  I don't know when I will go on R&R.  May be soon.

Yesterday I went to town and fooled around.  We rented some bicycles and rode around for awhile. 

You said you didn't know what CQ stood for.  Well that is one of the duties of a Cpl.  You go to the orderly room after duty hours and answer the telephone etc and wake the 1st Sgt up in the morning, give out passes, etc.  Not much to it and you can go to sleep too.  It stands for Change of Quarters.

Haven't heard anymore about moving.  There was some talk about moving to Pusan but I don't think we will however.  If we would move I would still have the same squad  I would always have that.  Sometimes they change them around.  Now I have 6 men in my squad besides myself.  I get a new man and another one from another squad.  The new man seems OK.  He is 19 years old and 3 years RA.  He is from Delaware.  All the other boys are form N. Car., Georgia, and Wyoming and Main. 

You asked me how far we were away from town.  We are located almost right in town.  We are about 15 min walk from the main part of town which isn't much.  7 or 8 beer halls and they charge 200 Won for a beer, which is about $1.10.  It is regular state side caned beer.  We only bay 15 cents at the GI club.  The PX is up town.

It rained all night last night and all day today.  I woke up this morning and my eyelids was swollen up and my lip.  I don't know why.  It went down in a couple of hours.  I don't know what caused it.  Maybe a bug bit me  or something.  It is OK now though.  Well I don't know much more to write so I will close.  Lots of Love, Ted.