Some explinations if you have been following.

My grandparents maintained a bank account Dad used back in Independence.  I suspect it was the Standard State Bank in Fairmount.  That is where he sent his money and had them draw from now and then to send him money orders.

The Martin he refers to several times seems to be his closest friend and it will be interesting to read if he keeps in contact with him after basic.  My own experience was that you made very close friends in basic but when the basic training was done you never saw or heard from them again.  Years pass and you don’t even remember their names.  I never heard Dad mention anyone by the name of Martin.  We shall see.

I was stunned to read that he and Martin got a hotel room for $3 in LA.  I was not surprised that he did not think much of LA but found Hollywood enjoyable.  I felt the same way when I visited there years later and wonder now what sites he and I both saw but never talked about.

The Playmore was a large entertainment center in Kansas City where they had dances and had several bowling alleys.  It was a big deal in the 40’s and 50’s. 

He must have been on a roller coaster about his orders.  First he is going to be sent to New Jersey and assigned to the Signal Corps and was planning his 24 day leave at home only to find out moments before he was to leave that his orders had been changed to go to that “special school” and only get a 14 day pass with out the benefit of getting what amounted to a paid trip home due to the travel money he would have received to go to New Jersey. 

I have no idea where Camp Stoneman is and not sure I deciphered it correctly.  Perhaps that will be made clear later.

He seemed proud to be picked as one of the outstanding soldiers of his cycle and didn’t seem to think it ironic that after he received the commendation he was put on guard duty the next day.  I cannot believe that FTA didn’t run through his mine.