Postmark: 02/25/1943

Return Address:

Pvt. Vincent Misitano
Co K 342 Inf
A.P.O. 450
Camp Howze, Texas

Feb, 23 1943

Dearest Mother,

   You'll never know how glad I was to hear from you. Mother, please don't worry about me because I am O.K. and tell daddy not to feel too bad about me because I could have been sent further.

   The food and everything here is O.K. and you don't need to worry about me getting into trouble, because my buddy is a pretty nice guy, he doesn't smoke or swear, and he's the guy who coaxed me, and finally got me to go to church on Sunday, so don't worry about anything mother because I'm O.K. In the evenings I see Russell Gallagher and him, my buddy and I go to the P.X. and end up in the Post Theatre.

   All morning I was drilling and marching, my arm was pretty stiff from the shots last night, but the work out we got today soon fixed it up. Several of the guys got sick from the shots, some got fevers and were taken to the Hospital for treatments, but I guess we Misitanos are a little too tough for anything like that.

   Mother today, besides your letter I got 10 from Rosie, I got all ten of hers before I got yours and as soon as I did get yours and mail call was over, I ran into my barracks and opened yours first. Mother, I was really glad to hear from you, by the way mother, Rosie said our cat died was it the big one or the little one?

   Well mother, I guess this is all now so don't worry about me and tell daddy not to worry about me, because before you know it, all of us boys will be home again.

   I'll close now mother with love and kisses to you daddy and the kids.

   "Your loving Son,"

"Jimmy"

xxxxxxx to you all.

P.S.

   Mother do you know how far away cousin Joe is from my camp? Maybe if he's close, we could get to see each other on a weekend.

   Mother is it very cold in Altoona, gee it's really hot out here. The weather out here is funny in the nights its pretty chilly and in the daytime you roast.

   Please write soon.

   Love

"Jimmy"

Informational Header on Camp Howze Stationery:



Texas, as George Sessions Perry points out in "Texas: a World in itself," clings to county loyalties. Cooke County in which Camp Howze is located, is one of the historic and also best developed counties in the state. In early days outlaws played hide and seek across Red River separating it from Oklahoma. Here, too, some of the last "mustang cattle" of Spanish origin had refuge. Now, Cooke County feeds large numbers of highbred cattle. Farms produce wheat, corn, oats, cotton, peanuts, a variety of feed crops, fruits, vegetables, dairy products. More than 1500 wells produce oil.