Postmark: 05/17/1943

Return Address:

Pvt. V. Misitano
Co K 342 Inf
A.P.O. 450
Camp Howze, Texas
U.S. Army

May 16, 1943
Sun. 4:30 P.M.

Dearest Mother,

    I received the letter you wrote on May 13 - and was very glad to hear from you.

   So your suit looks really swell, well I'm glad it does mother, because a swell mother deserves to wear a swell suit and mom, you're the nicest mother in the whole world, and as long as I can get money, you'll get the best clothes.

   Boy it must be some suit for daddy to pass you up in. By the way mom how is daddy. Does his legs still hurt him or is he sick or anything, mother.

   Mother, about my furlough well we only have 2 more wks of basic and after basic they'll start giving out furloughs. It might be a month before I get my furlough yet.

   I'll try and save some money out of my next pay for the furlough money, and about gambling, well I don't do very much. I might get in a card game or craps game once in a while but not too often though.

   Phil told me about the hike he went on, but mom, I think we have it just as tough here as he has it there.

   We went on one bivouac this wk. Mon and Tues was when we were out. One guy got bit by a snake, but the doctors fixed him up right away. It was a rattle snake, but I don't have to worry about snakes because I heard they don't like dark meat, and I'm very tanned from the sun out here so snakes won't bother me and I know darn well I'll never bother them.

   I see russ once in a while at the P.X. or U.S.O but I haven't seen Gene since I've been here. I don't even know where he is.

   The way I wrote Rosie a 21 page letter was that I didn't write to her for a wk. and every day of that wk. I got a letter from her and sometimes two letters. So I sat down and ans. every letter she wrote me in just one letter. So you see mom, that's why it was so long.

   Well mother starting tomorrow, we're going to start to review everything we've learned, for the first big test at the end of our basic. Our Cpt. wants us to come in first again and he is really working us hard, but he's a good Cpt. so we don't mind working hard and trying to bring the co. in first again.

   Well mother, not much to say, s I'll close here with lots of love to you mother dear, daddy and the kids.

   Your loving son

"Jimmy"

Informational Header on Camp Howze Stationery:


A brand is a mark burned on live stock with a hot iron. It establishes the owner's claim to his cattle wherever they may stray. All legitimate brands are legally recorded. They are the heraldry of the range. Ranches are often named for the brands, like the JA, Straddlebug, T Anchor ranches. A cowboy represents his brand, like the SMS Kid. In general, brands are made of three components: letters, figures, pictures. They are smaller, simpler now than they were during open range days. They are read from left to right and from top to bottom. Some Texas brands are here reproduced.