April 15, 1954

Dear Ila,

I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. As for my self I am fine and hope this letter finds you the same. I will have over a year to do in the army in and would like to keep on writing you as long as I am in the army if you would like me to. I want to try and go to jump school when I get back to the states if I can. I will try and tell you about myself now. I was 20 years old in Jan. I come from a small town along the Ohio river called Yorkville. I have 5 sisters and one brother married to 2 sisters and 2 brothers in school yet. I come from a big family as you can see. Before I join the army I work in a gas station. I got myself a car working after school and week-end. Now I am going to try and save a little money. Maybe when I get back to the states I might get a change to come to Michigan and see you. I told Jack I might be around that y way, I could see him and then drop over and see you and then move on. How the weather in Michigan this April day’s. The weather here is nice now. I just hope it stay nice for the next few month. I still don’t know what to write to you. You are the only girl outside my family I write to. The only one that I realy get mail from is my mother, and one sister in Cleveland. My brother that got married is living Calif., I never here from them. Before I started writing you I was only getting about 3 or 4 letters a week. I want to thank you for that picture of yourself it is nice. I will put one of myself that was taken the last part of March. Well I suppose I will close now I can’t think of any more right now. I suppose I will go to bed now because I haft to get up at 4:30 A.M., to put the light on for the Co. I suppose Jack told you I was the power-man, takeing care of all the power for the Co. I will close till I here from you again.

Love, ART