January 15,’44
Dearest Mother and Dad,
Today finds me in bed with a little temperature. I don’t know what it could be unless it is a tough of Dengue or Malaria. I ache all over and my temperature is 101. The Doc has given me quite a few pills so I should be O.K. pretty soon.
It is still just like summer over here but the nights are fairly cool. If they weren’t, I doubt if we could take it.
Received a letter the other day from Mary telling me she was going to be married shortly after the first of the year. Some fellow she used to know at Tech. And is now a paratrooper. I wasn’t surprised at all because she hadn’t written in at least three months.
I will be going on leave again in about a month which will be O.K. with me. I promise to write to you this time and I will send some kind of souvenir if possible. I am sending Dad a Jap rifle as soon as I can get it packed. It is in pretty fair shape. It is a .25 caliber.
Well, Mom, write soon and don’t worry about my fever. I’ll be O.K. again by the time you get this.
Love,
Son
(note; his mother wrote on the envelope; “He has forgotten about Mary”)