Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, September 17, 1945

This is a beautiful day with hardly a cloud in the sky. It is really welcome as we have had rain for the past two days. I am just finishing up my tour of duty as C.Q. and as there isn’t much doing right now, decided to write a letter to my honey. I didn’t get any letters last night but didn’t really expect any because of the number I received the previous night. After writing you last night I also wrote a letter to mother and had started one to Chuck B but Lupa came in and we thru the bull until about 11:00 so I decided to go to bed instead. He of course like myself is wondering when in hell he will ever get home. If they make the two years in the Army effective, without lowering the age, I can’t plan on being home before the latter part of next June because they have 90 days after your request to discharge you. However as yet that law hasn’t passed so perhaps they will make some other changes. I think it very unfair for them to consider two years in the states equal to overseas duty. Hell I would prefer a year in the states to six months overseas. At least there you can see your wife occasionally or have her with you.

We are having a U.S.O. show in town tonight “Design For Laughing”. Some of the boys who saw it as the Rest Center in Bad Gastein say it is really good so think I shall try and get in. The theater here isn’t very large so probably   won’t accommodate all the G.I.’s.

Honey, I too hope you aren’t far wrong in your plans of working only four or five more months. I am beginning to think this Division will never go home as an entire unit now and won’t be at all surprised if it winds up as a part of the 400,000 Army of Occupation. Thats the reason I am especially interested in new discharge laws regarding age. After talking with Lupa last night, I think the 42d may be here indefinitely. He mentioned we were to get 5,000 new recruits so apparently we are being completely filled with low point men.

I can’t say I blame your dad for wanting to sell his house. It is much larger than they need and I know the dirt from 13th St. is plenty to contend with. Surely he could get a good price for it now and then buy something small to their liking.

They surely didn’t lose much time getting Otto on his way when his time came. By now I suppose he is probably a civilian and home, the lucky guy. Gee I wonder how a fellow must feel to get that old discharge paper and be able to do as he pleases again, it must be wonderful.

Well honey, I really don’t have any more news so will close for today.

I am inclosing the balance of the pictures and hope the others came thru okay.