We haven't found letters between November, 1944 and January, 1945. He gives no hints to the reason, nor does he mention when he actually transferred to California.
January 30, 1945
February 13, 1945
2- In regard to this draft, it is composed of all types of men. There is in the Marine Corps a system of classification in which men are segregated acording to their specialty, ie--riflemen, carpenters,cooks, engineer personnel, ordinance, quartermaster, etc. When a draft goes out, it is composed of all types and these men stay together until they reach a distribution center somewhere out in the Pacific, at which time they are all divided up and assigned to various units in accordance with the present demand. At present, the officers in the draft are just acting as overseers, so to speak, that is, there is no organized units such as go into the field for combat. That all comes later. So the men that I have now are not engineers,necessarily. In fact, I don't think any of the[m] are. In one way it is kind of bad, since I am not gaining any practical experience at the job. I've got a company of 80 men that are more or less service troops. I take care of supplying the guard for the entire camp and the men that are off guard one day are used for working parties. So much for that, I hope it is a little clearer now. If it isn't, just ask the questions and I'll try to answer them. Still don't know when we are going to shove off. Guess nobody does, leastwise, any 2nd Lt's.
I don't know if you ever remember Tom Newsom over at the house [ΣΑΕ at Washington State University]. He was yell leader for a year. A big tall fellow. He was a good friend of Ostarello's and mine. Anyway, his mother lives just a few blocks from the Casseday's, so Sat we went over to see her. She had come up to Pullman on the mothers day when we pledged him and I had met her then,so I thought it would be nice if I went over and saw her. Tom is flying B-24's in India.
Got a letter from Bill Taylor today and he still seems to be in as cheerful a mood as ever. But he doesn't say a darn thing, all he can do is ridicule the Marine Corps which leaves me no alternative than to do the same to his organization.
Last nite our hut looked like the sleeping porch of the SAE house on some nite during pledge week. Somebody had gone out into the hills and picked up a bunch of cow bones and rocks and sagebrush and very cleverly filled everybody's bed with the stuff. It was hardly safe to leave the place for fear that when you came back you would find a dead rabbit in your bed. But anything to break up the monotony. Everybody is getting so firmly entrenched down
February 28, 1945
Dear Mother and Dad:
Just a short note before going to bed. Haven't written this week because I was kind of sick the first two days. Don't know what it was but my stomach was somewhat upset and kind of got me down for a while, but I'm okay now. It's just about the first time since I got in the Corps that I've been sick.
I did quit[e] a lot of running back and forth to L.A. this weekend as somewhat of a dirty deal was pulled on me, at least I thought that it was a dirty deal. I had previously been told that I could have the weekend off and sincer it was one of Mary's first sundays that she hasn't had to work, we had planned to go up in the mountains. But five minutes before I left camp, I was told that I had to work sunday and it was done in such a manner that it really burned me up. But you know that you can't buck it in this outfit so there is no use brooding over it. So I had to get back here sunday morning in order to go to work at nine. It was supposed to last all day but when I got here I was fortunate to find another lt. who was willing to take the co. out in the afternoon so I was able to leave at one. I was planning on coming back on the bus Sat. nite but the Cassedays thought it would be fun to drive me back early sunday morning so we got up at five, had breakfast and then started at six. It is about a two hour drive, but one of the water hoses broke on the car,and it heated up so bad that we couldn't go all the way. So I got out on the road and was lucky enough to catch a ride that was going right by camp, so I wasn't late. But it was too bad, because they had gone to so much trouble to try to get me down in time. But everything worked out fine in the end, as it always does. I would have like to have had them comedown and see the camp but maybe they can get down before they leave. Incidentally, do you think that you could scare up a couple of more gas stamps?
Mother, I'm at a loss to think of something to get Mrs. Casseday. They've been so nice to me that I'd like to get them something but at buying presents, I am completely at a loss. Maybe you could give me a few suggestions. And then I'll worry about trying to find it. I've looked in the gift shop here at camp and there just isn't a darn thing.
Will rite soon, but right now I've got to go to bed.
Love Bob
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