April 11, 1945
Dear Joe,
Thank you for the letter and the tempting offer. I kind of had a hunch something like your offer would come from you because Masako said the folks sure would be happy if we both of us came back and I was sure you would bite. Well, I'll tell you Joe, after thinking it over today, I've decided I can't make a decision until I've found out a little more on it. In the first place, approximately how many days furlough will you get? How long would you estimate we could stay in L.A.? These questions are of course rather minor details but the thing that really bothers me is this: If I do go back to L.A., that would mean I would be loosing approximately $200 which I could use. Then, if we go around August, I would miss out in football practice eliminating me from the squad. On the other hand, it would be swell going back to L.A. and especially making the folks happy. If your furlough was slightly earlier, it would be swell, and I wouldn't hesitate. You see, football was my source of fall board, so therefore very important. Please acknowledge by your next letter and lets discuss this thing thoroughly. We've got four months so lets take our time and not make any mistakes.
At the present time, I'm working 2 hours a day, 5 days a week and 10 hours on Saturday. In other words, I'm working 20 hours a week. I make up for my room and board and save
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about $4.00 a week after entertainment, so I'm getting by ok. I work at the coop washing dishes, mopping floors, cleaning up after meals, etc. They pay $ .60/hour and thus my food bill of $6.00/week is paid in 5 days at 2 hours day work. On Saturdays I work at Pioneer Hall doing practically the same work also at $ .60/hour. I work ten hours so I make $6.00.
Kenny seems to be making out pretty good. He has a good chance of getting into med. school this summer and if he does get in, that means he'll get a deferment -- pretty good, huh! He's fairly active at Wesley Foundation, singing in choir, panel speaker, etc., as well as paling around with a lady by name of Ivy Treble, so he's a pretty guy. Practically impossible to get him to write -- not because he doesn't want to, but because everything else seems to butt in just when he's going to drop a line.
Jim A. Ito became a father on April 2nd with Hiroko giving birth to a baby at 3:21 PM. The baby weighs 7 lbs. 1 oz. and is named Branen Susumu Ito. Both seem to be doing fine! Jim seemed pretty excited in his letter to me.
Remember Chuck Moran? He was in the army and was killed in the pacific shortly after he went overseas. He left a wife and twin girls.
Chuck Leech evidently was overseas in heavy combat but returned and was convalescing at Palm Springs -- same place Heynie was at. He is at home in W.L.A. at the present. John Leech is a marine stationed in San Francisco. I don't know exactly what he's doing there but from what I gather, he's in a scouting division of some kind.
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That reminds me, George Takemura wrote me and told me you hadn't written him in such a long time he wondered where you were -- better drop him a line.
Last quarter's finals were rugged. However, I'm getting used to this school (except for English) and practically welcoming the rugged stuff now. This quarter I'm taking the same courses except for Algebra. Taking trig. with the other courses in advanced stages. I was going out for spring practise but I've got classes everyday to 5:30 so it's out of the question.
We have splash parties up here that really is a whole of a lot of fun. We going swimming in the swimming pool and play all kinds of games in the water with girls. We have socials about twice a month and can go to the union for all kinds of entertainment so as far as activity, there's plenty of it.
I didn't think you'd make the grade at Snelling because the requirements are really rigid now. Ever since Maj. Aiso got hauled out, less guys have been getting in and a lot of guys getting kicked out. George Takemura seems pretty worried about getting kicked out. Every time he writes or talks to me he mentions his fear of getting "booted."
I've got to get back to my chemistry so I guess I'll be signing off. Write again and take it easy on the women.
Always,
Towru