Old Letters

I'm going through some old stuff and came across the package of letters from Basic Training in 2001 and Tech School in 2002.  I planned to toss them (you can't keep everything forever) but after looking through them, and the pictures, and news articles (Star Wars was coming out!, Kentucky Derby upset!) and cut out comic strips, I decided to keep them.  I kept looking and looking, but didn't find Grandpap's distinctive handwriting.  Then finally I came across one of his letters, and it had the extra gem of mentioning his time in the Air Force (Army Air Corps back then!) during WWII.  Lots and lots of letters from both sides of the United States and both sides of the family tree.  Plus friends, mom's class, and even one card from the dogs!  Those letters were my life line in Basic Training and very welcome in Tech School.  In Basic they would hand mail out at the end of the day, but they held several days at once (meanies) so my name was called for mail pretty much every time.  In Tech School we had a PO Box which of course I would check every day.  Since I could use the phone and since the mail wasn't withheld, I didn't have something every day while in MO, but I got enough to keep me happy.  THANK YOU to everyone who wrote me!  It meant a lot then, and remembering how much it meant back then, it also means a lot to me today.

Besides G/P (as he signed his letters), I also had a letter from Chee-Chee and a Sheba pawprint.  I'm happy that everyone else who wrote me is alive today.