Frank is losing weight. Who wouldn’t with the intense workout the young cadets are put through? Stephen Ambrose, in his book about B-24 cadets, The Wild Blue, describes one such workout, probably similar to what Frank experienced:
“…push-ups, knee bends, exercises of the waist, running in place, pushing forward with hands on a wall while pulling the head back. At the end of a few hours of such exercising, the men had to run five miles.” p 56
A fun-loving guy, Frank often bends/breaks a few rules to enjoy himself, as you’ll see below. That made him more like my dad than his upstanding, but rule-bound, oldest brother.
Letter
Letterhead for this letter
25 April 44
Dear Mom and Dad,
I received your package yesterday and all was in good shape. Things in general are going along swell here and there’s no real news I can tell you. I’m feeling fine and what’s more I’m losing weight which makes me very happy. I’ve cut out 2 meals a day and I feel much better. The first week of this training I lost 4 lbs. I don’t know what I weigh now but it is somewhere around 190.
I received a message in the mail to phone a Vivian Lund and at the moment I didn’t realize who she was. It’s the girl from church who joined the W.A.C.’s. I’m going to meet here tomorrow night. Cadets aren’t supposed to have anything to do with enlisted personnel but I’m going to take a chance anyway.
We have a new instructor who just came back from overseas, a captain with more ribbons than a rainbow. He’s a swell guy and knows his stuff.
Well I can’t think of any more but this. We go on our first flight Friday so you watch out the window and see if I come over. (No chance!)
I’m going to drop a note to Cookie now and I haven’t much time before evening classes start so till I write again.
Love to both of you and take good care of yourselves.
Your son, Frank
P.S. I just thought of something. Look through the junk I sent home (my letters) and see if you can find the negatives of the pictures I took up at Stevens Point, Wisconsin and ask Fred and Lill to print up a few for me. I think I sent those films home but I’ll look here when I get back to the barracks. If I have them, I’ll send them to Fred myself but have him look through my mail and see if he can find them.
Thanks a lot. Love, Frank
P.P.S. Show the enclosed clipping of a letter to Will and Fred. I’m sure they would be interested.
Again, Frank
Original Letter
