Postmark: 08/26/1943

Return Address:

Pvt. V. Misitano
Co. K. 342nd Inf.
APO 450
Camp Howze, Tex.
U.S. Army

Aug. 25, 1943
Wed. nite. 8:30

Dearest Mother,

    Just a few lines to let you know that I'm O.K. and hope that you are the same.

   Well mother, I'm back in co K. again and back to hard work.

   While I was away I missed a 14 days bivouac and a 25 mi. forced march, so I was pretty lucky to get on that detail as flag orderly.

   We were out on an all night problem last night. It started out at 9 and ended at 10:30 this morning. We were only out 8 mi. for the problem but during the problem we walked about 20. Tomorrow night were going out on another one just like the one we had last night but I'm on K.P. tomorrow so I won't have to go out but I'll have to be on K.P. again Fri. but I'd rather be on K.P. every day just to get out of the hiking and everything we do. Besides, when I'm on K.P. I eat all I want and drink all the lemonade and iced tea I want. But when we're out on the field one canteen of water has to do us practically all day and a lot of times out there I thought I'd die of thirst.

   Well mother, I guess that's all I got to say about myself.

   How are you, daddy and the kids, mom. I hope you're all O.K. Are you mother? I got a card from Phil on Sun, and he told me that him and Tony had met.

   We were told that we'll be going on maneuvers in December so that means that I won't get a chance to come home till around Easter because that's about the time that our maneuvers will be over.

   Well mother, nothing more to say, so I'll close with lots of love to you mother dear, daddy and the kids.

   Your loving Son,

"Jimmy"

P.S.

   It's still plenty hot down here, in fact this is the hottest month of the year. In Sept. it's supposed to start getting cold fast. Well, so long mother. Ans. soon.

   Love,

"Jimmy"

Hiking for a Living

In retrospect it's a bit ironic that dad expressed such dislike for hiking every day as part of his training, since not long after the end of the war he joined the United States Postal Service where he spent his working days hiking all over Altoona for 40 years. His career took place long before the adoption of the small mail-trucks available to today's letter carriers, and also involved lugging along a heavy leather bag with all the mail to be delivered.

Though I'm sure it would be frowned upon today, I would often accompany him on his rounds on Saturdays and some summer days. My "pay" for a days "work" with him was to buy a comic book at the end of the day. I built up a nice collection of them, alas long gone to the vicissitudes of time.

   - Jim Jr.