23 Feb. 1946

23 Feb. 1946
Taunton, Somerset

Dear Mom,

At long last my time is approaching. The next shipment
out of here will include your son. We will go to B.A.D. #1
for processing from here. For a couple of days it looked
like we would leave here 2nd March, as our Readiness Date
(possible sailing date)
was the 8th of March. I thought that was too good to
be true. Unofficial rumor now says the Readiness Date
is the 18th. But even if it is put off again, I am getting
mighty close. Close enough I believe, that you all won’t
need to write anymore. By the time this letter gets there, I’ll
be moving around, so that mail probably wouldn’t catch
up with me anyway. This next shipment includes 47, 48,
and 49 pointers and men with 2 1/2 years service. It’s coming
a good month or more earlier than I had expected. I think
that we should be in the States by the 1st of April. I’ll
send a wire right before I leave England and when I
hit the States.

I was transferred out of “my” warehouse last Monday.
Took Erwin’s place in the Overseas Section. Back at
the same job and same adding machine that I had at
Dinton. I had “F” Shed pretty well straightened out. It
was just getting to the place where I had a nice soft job.
Now, I’m working a full eight hour day again and
will be until I ship. The civilians in the Overseas Sec.
are much easier to get along with than the ones in the shed.

Was sorry to hear that Loyd couldn’t settle in Tyler.
On Monday I got a letter from Mildred telling about his plans
to get a job at Fannin¹, and on Wednesday I got your letter.

The story of my furlough will keep for six weeks, and
then I’ll tell it personally.

Love to all,
L E G

¹ – Camp Fannin, “a U.S. Army Infantry Replacement Training Center and POW Camp located near Tyler, TX.”