That Place In the Ozarks Aug 5, 1943

Aug. 5, 1943

Dear Mother

That piece about the Ozarks just about hits the nail on the head. It sounds about like some of the places we got into back around that part of the country. I wish I was back there wading in one of those streams right now.

The camp those boys got lost from is about a hundred miles from us. They were in the same place we are going to take part of our training. The men that died wandered off from the rest when their officer went to get water and help. This country out here is very deceiving, you can see for miles yet you can pass within a few hundred yards of a complete division and never see them if they don't move. The main danger is not being lost but running out of water before reaching some habitation.

I'm sort of anxious to hear about your trip into the Ozarks. Is there anything interesting down there? That one place you mentioned where the government is building the dam sounds very interesting. If a person could get ahold of someplace like that early before the dam was built and too many had moved in he might have a nice place. It would be well worth looking into.

After thinking it over I think you might just as well hang on to the car. It comes in handy for you guys getting groceries and taking little trips on weekends. I might even get to use it again after all this desert playing is over. I hope.

We just got paid the other day. Everybody's got money and no place to spend it. When this bunch gets to town again she'll be a wild time in the old town. I'm enclosing twenty dollars, I won't be tempted to spend it IF I get a pass to Las Vegas in the near future.

That's all for now.

Love
Kenneth