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Nile Kinnick correspondence, June-August 1942
1942-07-05: Front
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Sunday evening, July 5, 1942 Dear SB: Your fine long letter written just a week ago when you were stopping at the Beach hotel came last Thursday, and I at once sent it on to mother. One came from Ben at the same time. Also received your wires and I immediately contacted Mr. McCoun by telephone. On receipt of the second one, we agreed that you did not want further work done and he said that he would drop it. Evidently the work done in response to the first message had been effective. Before going further may I say that we did receive the Hawkeye and the small book issued at the Pensacola base, both of which we perused with much interest. It seems a long time since I have written to you, and doubtless you have been conscious of that too. Your moving and the unlooked for delay in your departure has been largely responsible for most of it. Also, your second wire, which had something indicating an address, was incomplete. The symbols "CB2" did not convey much, and the room number was missing. It read, "OK to-day tell mac my address CB2 RM Miami" So I simply waited until your letter came. I say "I", because I have been the only one here for two weeks. Ben left on Sunday afternoon, June 21, and mother and George took off on Tuesday morning, the 23d and have been in Adel ever since. They will be home tomorrow, however. Altho I am a pretty good fry cook I can tell you that one of mother's menus will look mighty good. Grandma has been wanting mother to make a longer visit, as it seems that we have used her house only for field headquarters for the last several visits. So they really are catching up on their visiting this time. You have mentioned several times that the work George was doing, tossing the sugar sacks around. He did that from Tuesday tillSaturday, only. It was regular warehouse work with no holds barred and we figured that it was pretty heavy for a lad with no more experience in the line of physical labor. He did not complain nor ask to be relieved, but we suggested that he stop on Saturday noon, to which he did not demurr. Mother's letters from Adel have told of several tasks that George has been doing for grandma; painting some tin porch roofs and porch floors, etc. The habit of work usually must be acquired, and the early start makes it easier for the fellow who sooner or later finds that he must work. But a warehouse assignment did seem a bit stiff. According to George, some men were quitting because the work was too hard. Puitts kept at it the next week but I haven't heard how long. Ben's address is Cadet Ben G. Kinnick, Naval Reserve Pre-Flight School, Rm. 111 Enterprise, St. Mary's College, Moraga, Calif. The dorms are named after carriers, you see. Interesting that you boys should have the same room number. Eleanor stopped in for a few minutes one evening last week, and said that Ben had written of having three roommates. In this connection, would it not be helpful,if we should forward your letters to Ben and his to you; saving considerable correspondence in keeping both of you posted on your activities. If there is something special you wish to take up with each other of course, the mails run more directly than thru Omaha but we might try the idea. Please be sure to send them back to headquarters, however. Under separate cover I am sending you a new quarterly and some clippings. In this letter are some old pictures and a clipping. Your comments on the country side that you saw on the way down to Miami were recalled when I found these pictures in cleaning my desk yesterday. They were taken when on an inspection trip in southern Iowa in 1935, showing some of the best and some of the worst, including a couple of interesting barnyard scenes. You may return them when it is convenient. The clipping is from the Iowa State Student of last spring,
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Sunday evening, July 5, 1942 Dear SB: Your fine long letter written just a week ago when you were stopping at the Beach hotel came last Thursday, and I at once sent it on to mother. One came from Ben at the same time. Also received your wires and I immediately contacted Mr. McCoun by telephone. On receipt of the second one, we agreed that you did not want further work done and he said that he would drop it. Evidently the work done in response to the first message had been effective. Before going further may I say that we did receive the Hawkeye and the small book issued at the Pensacola base, both of which we perused with much interest. It seems a long time since I have written to you, and doubtless you have been conscious of that too. Your moving and the unlooked for delay in your departure has been largely responsible for most of it. Also, your second wire, which had something indicating an address, was incomplete. The symbols "CB2" did not convey much, and the room number was missing. It read, "OK to-day tell mac my address CB2 RM Miami" So I simply waited until your letter came. I say "I", because I have been the only one here for two weeks. Ben left on Sunday afternoon, June 21, and mother and George took off on Tuesday morning, the 23d and have been in Adel ever since. They will be home tomorrow, however. Altho I am a pretty good fry cook I can tell you that one of mother's menus will look mighty good. Grandma has been wanting mother to make a longer visit, as it seems that we have used her house only for field headquarters for the last several visits. So they really are catching up on their visiting this time. You have mentioned several times that the work George was doing, tossing the sugar sacks around. He did that from Tuesday tillSaturday, only. It was regular warehouse work with no holds barred and we figured that it was pretty heavy for a lad with no more experience in the line of physical labor. He did not complain nor ask to be relieved, but we suggested that he stop on Saturday noon, to which he did not demurr. Mother's letters from Adel have told of several tasks that George has been doing for grandma; painting some tin porch roofs and porch floors, etc. The habit of work usually must be acquired, and the early start makes it easier for the fellow who sooner or later finds that he must work. But a warehouse assignment did seem a bit stiff. According to George, some men were quitting because the work was too hard. Puitts kept at it the next week but I haven't heard how long. Ben's address is Cadet Ben G. Kinnick, Naval Reserve Pre-Flight School, Rm. 111 Enterprise, St. Mary's College, Moraga, Calif. The dorms are named after carriers, you see. Interesting that you boys should have the same room number. Eleanor stopped in for a few minutes one evening last week, and said that Ben had written of having three roommates. In this connection, would it not be helpful,if we should forward your letters to Ben and his to you; saving considerable correspondence in keeping both of you posted on your activities. If there is something special you wish to take up with each other of course, the mails run more directly than thru Omaha but we might try the idea. Please be sure to send them back to headquarters, however. Under separate cover I am sending you a new quarterly and some clippings. In this letter are some old pictures and a clipping. Your comments on the country side that you saw on the way down to Miami were recalled when I found these pictures in cleaning my desk yesterday. They were taken when on an inspection trip in southern Iowa in 1935, showing some of the best and some of the worst, including a couple of interesting barnyard scenes. You may return them when it is convenient. The clipping is from the Iowa State Student of last spring,
Nile Kinnick Collection
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